Ruthin Castle Hotel & Spa

The view from our room over the castle remains and hills was beautiful, and the staff were so friendly and helpful. I took my partner for her birthday and we had a brilliant time, especially in the spa and hot tub. Dinner was superb too. It really had a five-star feel. Thanks to everyone, we’ll be looking to come back soon.

The dinner was a real highlight. I had the lamb and my wife chose the cod, and both were full of flavour and cooked beautifully. The staff were welcoming, and our room was spacious, with a big comfortable bed and a rain shower. We also enjoyed using the hot tub. The spa, though, was a major letdown for cleanliness. The men's changing area was poorly kept, with people changing in the toilet space and nowhere to hang towels. It smelled unpleasant. The women's changing room was also dirty, and my wife said the shower had pubic hair in it. One spa shower had no hot water, so people went between the sauna, steam room and hot tub without rinsing. Staff apologised when we told them, but offered no alternative and it wasn't fixed during our stay. The robes and towels were rough and worn out as well. It was cold all around the building, and we had to eat dinner in our coats. The meal and service were excellent, but the chill took away from it. In our room, the pillows had coffee stains that had been flipped over. We only spotted them around 12:30am, so mentioned them at checkout. The man at reception didn't apologise or seem very concerned. Breakfast was another disappointment. We booked the final sitting at 10am and were told at check-in there'd be plenty of food, but a lot had run out or looked dried up. There was no yoghurt, hardly anything left for a cooked breakfast, and no apple juice. The hotel seems tired now, though it may once have been a classy, impressive place. Most staff gave very good service, but the hygiene and cleanliness in the spa and room were far below standard. Bring a jumper or coat for dinner and walking around.

We slept in a very comfortable bed, and the meal we had at the hotel was excellent, well cooked and presented. The staff were helpful throughout, and we got a warm welcome as soon as we arrived. Ruthin Castle has loads of character and history. Its grounds are extensive, with curious sights like sealed-off dungeons and peacocks wandering around. The castle itself is fascinating to explore, and the rooms feel stylish and true to the building. Don't expect a modern hotel room, though. One odd thing about our room, 309, was that it had no bin at all. Even opening the biscuits left a bit of rubbish with nowhere to put it. There are plenty of alleged ghost stories about the castle. I don't believe in ghosts, but I woke suddenly at 2:30am and, while trying to get back to sleep for about half an hour, heard footsteps passing the bed. I can't explain what happened. It was bizarre, and one of those things you had to experience yourself. Apart from that, we had a wonderful stay. I highly recommend Ruthin. It's a remarkable place.

The castle grounds were lovely and clean, but there were problems elsewhere. In room 204, the bath, shower and sink plugs had mould and buildup, the bathroom radiator was dusty, the windows had condensation, and there was mould and chipped paint in the bathroom. The carpets were stained and dirty. We know it's an old building and there will be cracks, but that doesn't excuse poor cleaning. I booked the Starry Night experience for my partner's birthday on the 2nd of February. I added the anniversary package, a card, cake, fruit and bottle of prosecco, with a note asking them to make it a birthday package instead. I rang to check, and they confirmed the request. The receptionist was polite and welcoming when we arrived and explained how to find our room. But inside we found a plate with four pieces of stale cake, no fruit, an anniversary card and cake saying 'happy anniversary'. I was really disappointed, and we left it untouched. Since the meal was included, we had planned to eat at the hotel, but changed our minds. The description didn't mention that the Starry Night experience had allocated time slots. We assumed we'd have three hours, then got an email with our slot either on the day or the day before arrival. There were a few empty tubs when we reached the hot tubs. The path to the spa needs more lighting because it was hard to see where we were going. The receptionist there seemed like she didn't want to be there and was quite blunt. In hot tub number 4, half the pressure vents didn't work, including all the ones on the lounger section.