The Renishaw

The buffet was huge and the room was laid out really well for a great night. I had my 60th birthday party here, which was a surprise for me, but my husband said all the planning went smoothly. I didn’t stay overnight, but the staff looking after us all evening were lovely. Thanks for helping make it so memorable. A great spot for a do!

The room was clean and well furnished, the staff we met seemed really nice, and the hotel was easy to reach from the M1. But I stayed two nights and didn’t sleep a wink. The noise from people walking around above us was unbelievable. With creaky floors and hard coverings, someone getting up to use the loo at 3am sounded like a herd of elephants. I don’t know whether that was just our room, number 6, or an issue in other rooms with someone above. It’s a shame, because if you can’t sleep, the other good points count for nothing.

Sunday seems the day to be here. It’s the only day they offer a breakfast menu, and the breakfast was so good, with a drink included for a tenner. If you’re staying midweek, there’s a cafe literally next door. I could see them making the Yorkshire pudding batter by hand when I walked through in the morning, so I still need to come back and try the Sunday roast. We ended up here because a friend was getting married at the hotel down the road. Their rooms were crazy expensive and already booked by the time I tried, so I found this place really cheaply on a holiday booking website. Friends at work warned me it was a dive. Don’t listen to them! It’s absolutely stunning. The hotel and bar are separate businesses run by the same family, and everything feels well connected. The rooms have clearly had time, care and money put into making them practical, fresh and modern, and they were spotlessly clean. I found out about Room 14, with a giant four poster bed, bath, robes and all the fancy bits. Next time I’ll book it for some R&R. The bar and restaurant downstairs are lovely too, and the staff were friendly and clearly care about customers. There was a 21st birthday party on the night we stayed, but they made us feel at ease and said we were welcome to grab a bench in the corner for drinks. The prices were reasonable and the company was good enough that we nearly missed the wedding!

Our room, number 15, was lovely and better than we expected for the price. This is a well run independent business, and you can see how much effort the management put into making the food, drinks and accommodation a great experience. It’s really good value. The woman running the bar and her partner, who’s the chef, couldn’t have been friendlier or more accommodating. If we need a room in the area again, this would hands down be our first choice.