The Vicarage

We have made a formal complaint for a refund of our stay - like the last few reviews here…it’s so disappointing. The Hotel is now in receivership - so it’s running on a shoestring but still more than happy to take money from you and deliver the lowest level of service. The management could not care less and we have had not acknowledgement of our emails or complaint. I will continue to contact them as I feel like we are being ignored. On entering our room, I could clearly see that it was in need of updating and repair. It had been cleaned on a very basic level. On closer inspection it had visible dust and dirt on surfaces. The TV remote was filthy and around the bathroom door and common areas were very unclean with dirt / fingerprint marks. The carpet / skirting boards were also covered in debris, dust and marks. I also noticed the net curtains were unclean with mildew and some damp stains and the bin in the bathroom was rusty and old. Not sure what to make of it this time - very disappointing. I then took it upon myself to clean these common areas with wipes and anti-bacterial gel to be safe. My intention was to report this to reception however it wasn’t manned whenever we passed by and I hoped to speak to someone about this issue at some point. Our evening was also extremely disappointing…. We had drinks in the pub and were served by a young male bartender who was also very unwelcoming and made little eye contact or conversation. We ordered a light bite with our drinks which arrived on time, later ordering food at 7.30pm. This didn’t arrive until near 9pm. Our order was a butternut squash salad and fish and chips. All other guests were still waiting for food and we were told by staff that this was due to a new chef who was agency staff. There was a casual apology but no offer of anything to make up for the waiting time. I did ask for a complimentary drink which was honoured however the butternut squash when it finally arrived was cold. I had mentioned this and the chef made another one but by the time that came I was so hungry I had had to eat the cold one! This dish was deducted from our bill but we’d had a very underwhelming experience. Some people requested their money back however we still paid for what was disappointing food and service to say the least. Again, breakfast was much of the same. My husband's breakfast was missing some items and had to raise this with staff and then wait until it was ready. We again experienced mediocre food and slow service with staff looking stressed and overwhelmed.

Wait 12 minutes to be booked in and that was after I asked again for some to come, room, carpet was full of bits did not look like it had been hoovered. Coffee splashed up the wall and over the skirting board. Bathroom cheap and nasty looking, puddle of water around the toilet and sink, think this may have come from the shower

We had made our reservation many days before we arrived and received a stream of messages from the Vicarage before we got there but none included information that the kitchen was out of action and we would have to go elsewhere to eat. Nor did they warn us that the bedroom we had booked had not been serviced when we were given the room key at 1730 to find it a complete shambles inside. The landing and staircase to the room had a very unattractive smell. The only positive thing I can say about this booking is that when I went to hand back the key and tell the receptionist we would not be staying and waiting the 'couple of hours' for our room to be readied is that he didn't demur when I said I expected a refund of the £309 I had paid upfront.

For the experience and the cost of £159.00 per night It should have been better. Rooms are okay but nothing special. Sunday morning I was awoken at 4.30am by a dawn chorus of what I think were peacocks somewhere in the vicinity. In fairness probably not the fault of the Hotel but worth noting for the future. Restaurant and bars nicely presented, food okay.

Great location, lovely building, excellent food. Rooms are a little tired and dated. Little things like missing a remote control (apparently used for the bar TV), nespresso machine but no pods, chipped paintwork, flat pillows and good mattress topper neeeded.

We loved our stay at the vicarage, walking distance from village and train station. Clean and comfortable room with a lovely restaurant full of character and coziness. We were lucky to visit in a sunny day and experience the outdoor seating and enjoyed a lovely evening meal.