The Crossways

The atmosphere and service were great, and the place itself is lovely. I’ve known Crossways for years because I used to work there, and I’ve always enjoyed the carvery. Yesterday, though, was a real letdown. For £18.95, I got frozen vegetables and stuffing balls so hard they hurt my teeth. The meal was awful overall. A few of us felt that hardly anything apart from the meat seemed fresh, and even though the meat was the one good part, the rest was soulless, mortar-like and shocking. The carvery used to feel like it had real effort put into it. I don’t know what’s changed, but it seemed like everything had just been put in the oven and left on the hot plate to stay warm.

The room was spacious, clean and comfortable, and the staff were pleasant. The surroundings are picturesque too. At first glance, it looks like a fantastic hotel. Dinner was a big disappointment for me. I was dining alone and still waited a long time after ordering. My £30 sirloin was said to be locally sourced, but it didn’t seem like a high-quality steak. The chips and onion rings also didn’t seem freshly prepared, more like something from an air fryer. It has the makings of a lovely little hotel, but the food and dinner service really let it down for me.

The staff on the day were brilliant. They put water jugs on the tables, cleared the plates promptly, and even cut up our cake and served it on boards with plates and cutlery. My husband and I held our baby shower at the crossways hotel, and before the event we met privately with the food and beverages manager. He listened to everything we asked for. We had access to one of their beautifully decorated dining rooms and could decorate it as we wished. The Crossways' service made the day with our friends and family such an enjoyable, unforgettable experience. Thank you for having us.

The restaurant food was awful. One of the main courses we ordered wasn’t even edible, and the waiter seemed lost for words when he saw what was on the plate. If food isn’t their main offering, maybe they think it only needs to be okay, but that really wasn’t the case. My family would have asked me to start again if I’d served any of those mains at home. Dire. As a hotel in the area, it has some good points: a rural setting with views, easy parking, decent rooms, and a much nicer general feel than a chain at a similar price.