Walton Hall Hotel & Spa By Sunday

For £115 for two through Groupon, including breakfast and access to the pool, sauna and steam room, it was a nice stay for the money. The grounds are lovely and the location is great. The room was fine at that price, and the sauna was a comfortable temperature. The pool usually wasn’t crowded, though it got very busy from 4 when children were allowed in, which is handy if you’re bringing kids. Some areas felt a little dated. At breakfast the serving staff were working really hard, but seemed short on management support, and a couple of things could have been provided better. That’s not a criticism of the staff. Nice place at the right price.

The place was buzzing with international guests and coach tours when I first stayed in 2024. Now the car park is emptier than the gym, which is about the size of a shoebox with a treadmill squeezed in. It feels strangely lifeless. At the restaurant, even if you sit outside, they want payment as soon as you order. Paying by card there isn’t possible anyway because the machine apparently has no signal. The rooms have no air conditioning, which was awful with 34 degrees outside. Need fresh towels, a room clean or changed bedding? You scan a QR code and wait 24 hours, so on a two-night stay they might turn up at checkout. There’s no lifeguard at the pool either, which makes relaxing there feel like survival of the fittest. You have to book for dinner even when the restaurant is nearly empty. We booked for 8pm and waited until 9pm for the main course, despite there being more empty tables than occupied ones. The food arrived bland enough that getting a pinch of salt felt like begging; the desserts menu was uninspiring, though chocolate bars displayed at the bar seemed like a last-ditch upsell. Parts of the building look worn out too, with some window frames seeming close to giving up, though a few have been replaced. If you like hot rooms, awkward payment arrangements, QR-code housekeeping and the feel of an abandoned motorway services, you might call it a hidden gem.

The grounds are lovely, and the rooms seemed clean, though there was random rubbish left by previous guests. They’re tired-looking. My main concern was the ground-floor room’s outside door, which didn’t shut properly and was secured by just one latch. I suppose the air coming through the gap did keep the room fresh.

We had a spa day and didn’t stay at the hotel. The treatments were great, and it was nice having a pool plus a steam room and sauna. The gym looks a bit dated, but overall we had a good experience.