Borough Arms Hotel

The staff were so helpful throughout, and the function room worked really well for the memorial gathering I held here for 80 guests. The buffet was lovely too. It was a sad occasion, but it became a memorable celebration of a great guy who has gone to a better place. Thanks to Jennifer and her terrific team!!

The welcoming staff, clean room, handy location and car park were all positives. But I struggled to give this more than two stars because so much needs attention. The room felt very old fashioned, not charmingly antique, just old. The sheets were clean, but weren't tucked under the mattress, so they shifted unless you slept completely still. There were two bars of soap in the bathroom and no shampoo or shower gel, which seem like basic hotel items to me. My TV didn't work, and it looked so tiny from across the room that I would probably have used my phone anyway. Maybe the location could earn it three stars, but there are simple fixes they could make. I only booked because the price was really cheap. Otherwise, I'd pick a Premier Inn.

We came for the Sunday Christmas meal at 1.45pm, apparently the last sitting, and left very disappointed with both the food and service. The soup was bland and pureed like baby food, and one small dish of vegetables wasn't nearly enough for six people. When we asked for extra potatoes and gravy, we heard staff in the kitchen say we'd already been asked if we wanted anything else. In the end they brought roast potatoes and gravy, then told us the kitchen was closed. The apple crumble was tasteless too. We were having tea and coffee when I casually asked a server what time they finished. They said, “as soon as the last people go,” clearly meaning us. Soon after, staff started clearing and cleaning every table around ours. It made us feel awkward and hurried. This was well below what I expected from a hotel Christmas meal.

I drove past this place loads of times but had never eaten here before. As a vegetarian, I wasn't sure what the food would be like, but I really enjoyed my main course. It tasted great, and I'd come back for another meal.