The Lodge at St Edward Park

I loved the castle's look and character, and the location is great. But the room felt average, with a tiny shower and very weak water pressure. I stayed several days with my daughter and couldn't store milk or basic food because there was no refrigerator. At around $400 a night, I'd expect one as a standard amenity. I also asked about EV charging for my Tesla. The front desk replied, “This is a hotel, we don’t sell cars.” It was confusing and unhelpful, and I had to drive out every day to charge. Surprising that a hotel in this location offers no EV charging options. Housekeeping was another concern: a staff member used a key card to enter without knocking. A male staff member suddenly appeared while I was in shorts and asked if I wanted the room cleaned. I felt uncomfortable. I don't think I'd stay here again. The park itself is lovely, and I'd still visit it, but I'd skip the hotel.

The restaurant was delicious, with some amazing dishes from the chef. My wife and I will come back for the food, but we wouldn't recommend the suite if you're spending that kind of money. The cold ruined the romantic feel we picked it for, and we couldn't enjoy the comforts of the room. We chose the Daniel’s Suite for a special occasion because of the spa tub and romantic vibe. It looked nice, but the room was 63 degrees even though the thermostat was set to 70. After half an hour with no change or sign of the heaters working, we called the front desk. My wife said the heat didn't seem to work. They called it an “eco friendly” system that takes time. When we pointed out there was no sound or sign of heat, they said they'd contact the building engineer. A nice man who barely spoke English arrived with a small space heater. We watched him turn the thermostat off and on, as we'd already done four times, then he said he'd reprogrammed the system and it was working. We tried to be patient. The bathroom was too cold to enjoy the tub, so I showered before dinner. The shower was set to the hottest setting and was okay, but the draft and cold made it our only refuge. After dinner we put the heater by the bed. I woke at 5 a.m. shivering, and the thermostat showed 60 degrees. I remembered I had an infrared thermometer in my car, went out to get it, and confirmed the room was around 59 to 60 degrees with the little heater on full blast. I'd check the heat in your room before settling in. From the front desk's response, I got the impression we weren't the first to have this problem. The photos were taken around 5:30 a.m., when I was too cold to get back to sleep.

The room was great and stocked with tea, Nespresso, a bathrobe, and slippers. It was also wonderfully quiet, so I got the restful sleep I needed. Service was superb and caring from check-in through checkout, whether at the front desk, with the servers and bartenders, or from the valet. Such a cool place, and I can't wait to return and spend more time on the trails.

We had a wonderful anniversary stay in this beautiful, clean hotel. The beds were super comfortable, and the staff were thoughtful and friendly. They left us a lovely note and a bottle of champagne, and when we arrived for dinner the restaurant brought us glasses of sparkling wine. The meal was amazing, especially the wagyu bavette, which we're still talking about. We'll absolutely be back.