The Royal Oak Duddington

Stayed for one night whilst passing through the area and I think I was the only guest at the hotel The dining area is presentable and clean and at breakfast I must mention the receptionist Millie , who was welcoming and helpful. However the bedrooms, or at least mine, let it down quite badly. Access upstairs is via a narrow staircase which is totally unsuitable for anyone who is disabled. The bedroom was OK and the bed quite comfy but the shower was pretty basic and the soap dispenser had not been filled. As I had no toiletries with me I had to manage without. The shower/bathroom is in dire need of an extractor fan to get rid of the moisture. Finally , the TV in the bedroom looked old and cheap, was unbranded and it had a poor picture. it is a pity about the standards, as the hotel is located in a pretty area.

Clearly not ready for a good service . Kitchen equipment broke and it took over an hour to be served a poor breakfast . The 2 girls who were waiting on were run ragged with little knowledge of hospitality but were lovely. The bed was over hundred years old .

Receptionist was very polite. Food was very good. Rooms complete opposites. Am in 20-30 hotels a year. That was the second worst I‘ve ever been. Very dirty and unkempt. Milliliter thick dust, in every corner spider cobwebs, 4 big spiders in the room, nothing clean and shine, soiled mattress, dirty beddings and hairs.. Carpet very dirty. Guess they have no hoover. Last cleaning months ago. No water pressure in the shower. In the morning around 7 restaurant was closed. No Chance to get a morning coffee. room: -5 stars Restaurant: +5 Service: 2 Will never go there again and will nobody give a recommendation for it

Bed wasn't horizontal it followed the slope of the floor which made the foot end significantly higher than the head end. The owner and staff member used some wooden placemats to raise the headend but it wasn't high enough and we ended up having to sleep with our head at the foot end. Mattress was very uncomfortable as were the pillows. Insufficient cooling provided by one fan . We couldn't leave windows open as there weren't any safety chains on them and they were easily accessible from the outside. The nighttime temperature didn't drop under 29c . Toilet seat was broken. Had a shower and discovered there wasn't any soap in the dispenser. Dusty windowsills and a headboard that you could write your name in the dust across the top. Cobweb from wall to wardrobe and another one across a window frame. We booked two nights accommodation but after one unbearable night we checked out and found more suitable accommodation elsewhere.Would not stay here again and wouldn't recommend this to anyone else.

Entrance area to rooms poor decor & cleanliness. Dining area floor had not been cleaned for a couple of days. No housekeeping in rooms due to lack of staff. The owner & manager were friendly & helpful. Food that was offered was good.

There was a revolting smell in the car park which we think was from an overflowing septic tank. On the Friday the loud music from the bar, which we could clearly hear in our room, went on until 11.13 p.m. keeping us awake. When we went down to breakfast on Saturday at 9.00 a.m. the door to the bar/restaurant was locked and we had to knock and wait to get in. We were told they did not know what time we would want breakfast and we should have been asked when we checked in which we were not. As other guests did not want breakfast until 10.00 a.m. they were not intending to open until then. (Hotel information states breakfast is from 8 a.m. on Saturdays). When we commented on the loud music the previous night, we were told the music had to stay on until all customers were gone. On the Saturday evening, we had friends join us for dinner. When they left at 9.50 p.m. we stepped outside to say goodbye to them. When we tried to return to the bar five minutes later, the staff had locked the doors behind us! (There were three customers still in the bar). We had to knock on the window to get back in. We were intending to have another drink before bed, but were told they were now closed - before 10 p .m. on a Saturday night!!