Search Your Wantage Hotels

Arrived on a very warm Friday evening (32 degrees). Comfortable room on the secnd floor. No lift, stairs only. No air conditioning in the room, although the windows were open. The duvet was winter weight and it was too hot to sleep in the bed, so I lay on top of it. Fortunately I had brought my own portable fan as there was none in the room. Parking in the nearby car park is free after 6pm. The room had an ensuite bathroom with shower, bath and plenty of towels. Only soap provided. Tea and coffee making facilities were in the room. The staff wre friendly and the desk was manned when I departed just after 6am. My room overlooked the high street and having to leave the windows open due to the heat, the room was very noisy, as it was a Friday night and there was a lot of late night revellers. I needed to be up early at 5.30am. There is a Saturday market and there was a lot of clanging of metal poles while the traders unloaded their vans to set up their stalls. The rate I paid was fair value and there was little that could have been done to offset the heat, bearing in mind the Bear is located in an old building. Had it not been a very hot night, the room probably would have been quieter with the windows closed. I would certainly stay again, but preferably during cooler weather!

Good enough for a night

When you arrive you go into a grand building, reception and adjacent rooms walls panelled in wood and look good. Don’t get your hopes up as beyond this is a shabby building so much in need of some maintenance and care. Windows in the front of the dining room being held in by a wing and a prayer with most of the putty missing is just one example. If you are accommodated in the garden wing you would be better turning round and leaving. You go out through the garden to be met by a prison block ! Rooms very basic and hot, and doors bang shut. At 5:30 in the morning was woken up by constant door noise then the cleaners came through about an hour later vacuuming carpets in the entrance. Breakfast was 2nd rate at best, flaccid, barely cooked bacon that was more like sliced belly pork with more fat than meat, tasteless sausages that although looking good with visible cracked pepper tasted of nothing. Even the baked beans were struggling to give any taste ! The restaurant area is little better than a motorway services. All in all a very disappointing experience, I’m sure there are a lot better premises in the area for the same price. I guess profit rules over investment of time and materials to keep the buildings in order and a similar story with quality of food at breakfast. There are many replies to reviews quoting that the attention of the leadership team would be drawn to such matters but that is either not happening or they are not taking any notice.

The hotel is great. Very responsive. Some tourists were smoking and drinking in their room with room door opened, the whole corridor became smoky and smelly, as soon as we called, we were given a different room on different floor.