Macdonald Kilhey Court Hotel

The food was pretty decent even though the menu isn’t huge. I had a nice wagyu burger. There’s a hot buffet or continental breakfast, and while the bar area is small, the restaurant is huge. Both look nice. I recently stayed at the Britannia hotel nearby, and kilhey court is far better. I’d probably stay here again for work. I spent one work night in the annex. The room was clean and tidy, but colder than the main building and its heating didn’t work. The bathroom looked straight out of 1980 and needs a refit. My colleague’s tidy room seemed to have a blood stain on the sheets. Most of the building looks nice, with the feel of a manor house or stately home, but the annex needs a refresh.

The suite in the main building was spacious, clean and full of character. I liked the history and charm of the place, which made it feel cosy and warm. The food was good too: dinner was lovely, while breakfast was basic. Christmas Day was very quiet, which suited me, though it felt boring at times. The room and meals were the best parts, but I wouldn’t stay again. I heard plenty of complaints from guests in the annex, so make sure you’re in the main building if you go. There was confusion when we arrived about my booking and package, but the staff sorted it out quickly. They were all lovely and helpful, though I sometimes waited quite a while for service because there never seemed to be many staff around, and a few employees didn’t seem to know what was happening. The hotel could do with better management and some updates, especially downstairs. The lobby felt cosy, but the decor seemed cheap. I like historic buildings with fireplaces and dark wood, but the worn carpet doesn’t suit this Victorian-style place. A marble floor would fit better, and the sofas detracted from the room. The dining room needs some work too. The hotel has potential, but the furniture and decor need attention. And next Christmas, maybe choose something more festive than purple, it didn’t quite capture the spirit.

Food and service were excellent, and the staff helpful. There’s plenty of parking, including blue badge spaces, and the hotel is charming and well located. Conference and communal rooms are accessible. The accessible rooms in the annex are very good, but you need assistance to get to them. The rest of the access has some problems. Wheelchairs and scooters can’t get into the bar. At the lower car park, dropped kerbs can be blocked by cars parked legitimately, a poor design. Wheelchair users can reach the restaurant only through an emergency exit if they give notice in advance. It’s quite a long way from the accessible rooms to the restaurant, which is difficult in rain or snow.

The team made the strongest impression. Debbie at reception welcomed me warmly and gave useful advice about local services, so I felt at home quickly. She arranged my late checkout for the exact time I asked, then after breakfast reassured me housekeeping knew about it, and even remembered the time without checking. At other highly rated hotels, this kind of communication can easily get missed, with staff knocking mid-morning to remind me it’s checkout time. Jude was lovely at breakfast and brought a second pot of fresh coffee and milk to my room, so I could keep working instead of staying in the dining room. I also noticed the other waiting staff had built a great rapport with longer-staying guests. I booked a suite, really a large room, for conference calls and work as well as rest. It was clean and pleasant, with beautiful grounds visible through big windows. The price was lower than a standard room in central Wigan, and it’s about 3 miles out, which suited me for driving to meetings in town. Sat nav found it easily, and parking was straightforward and readily available. I’m glad I could stay at a Macdonald hotel. Some reviews say it’s dated, but with the economy as it is, I think they’re making sensible choices with their resources and pricing very competitively. A fantastic team doing a fantastic job in tough times. Thank you all!