Swan Hotel & Spa

Lovely hotel in great location. Over expensive, and the welcome we received from the receptionist was far from friendly. On the plus side the breakfast was excellent, with friendly waiting staff.

Excellent food. This was a special meal (which we hadn't announced) but were made to feel welcome. Excellent surroundings for the meal, very attentive staff. Whilst soe have mentioned slow service, we couldn't fault the speed which allowed you to fully enjoy the food. Nice to see proper waiting staff in uniform as well -this made us feel special. Food quality couldn't be faulted and more than adequate portions. We look forward to returning.

While the Swan is a handsome property and the staff are well-meaning, we did not enjoy staying or eating at the hotel. We stayed in a garden room on the first floor (# 24) for two nights and found the room hot and stuffy with only one small window, the decoration was a bit sterile with no art on the walls, pillows and linens were not good quality, and the shower over the bath was hard to navigate. After a day of walking around beautiful Lavenham, we were looking forward to a nice afternoon nap -- but there was live music in the bar from 3:00 to 5:30 which reverberated throughout the hotel. The restaurants were disappointing. The servers are young and friendly but not very professional and competent. We had drinks in the garden and had to chase someone to place our drinks order -- and then they brought the wrong order. We had one dinner in the Brasserie and had to chase someone to seat us and place our dinner order. We had two breakfasts in the main dining room and there were delays and confusion about our coffee/tea order on both days. The food was fine, but the poor service made dining at the hotel not very enjoyable. Overall, the dining side seems to lack good management -- someone to oversee that the servers are working smartly, dirty tables are cleared, etc. We like the historical architecture and appreciate that the staff were friendly -- but the overall experience, value for money, and comfort of the visit were all below the standard we have enjoyed at other Pride of Britain hotels.

My wife and I have just come home from a day and overnight stay. The stay was marvellous and a great memory not to be forgotten.All the services and staff were brilliant, I would definitely return for a future stay. Bob Clarke

The Swan, Lavenham, is a historic hotel, and from the outside, the building radiates charm. As with any ancient building, one can expect uneven floors and flagstones, which all add to the charm and enhance the guest experience. The Swan is not a bad hotel, but there are areas where service and cleanliness leave a lot to be desired. I arrived around 3 pm after a long drive from the Cotswolds. Checking in, I had to wait ten minutes for my room as they could not find the room key. Eventually, it was discovered that the housekeeper had taken the key home with her, and I needed to wait for her to return to the hotel, Fawlty Towers, yes, amusing, no! My room was located in one of the oldest parts of the building, on the ground floor behind the RAF Bar. The room itself is large, with a four-poster bed overlooking a courtyard, or to describe it more accurately, overlooking the staff's back-of-house entrance. A constant stream of staff members walking in and out, right outside the room's windows, removes any sense of privacy. The rear door, which exits from the bathroom onto the courtyard, was unlocked and open when I took the room, which I found disconcerting. The bathroom itself is dated, with a shower over the bathtub. The most annoying feature was a toilet that took three attempts to flush, with the handle always stuck in the down position - ancient graffiti and timbers we accept, poor plumbing and flaking paint we do not. Deciding to have something to eat, I asked reception what was available, and I was told the bar offers sandwiches and drinks. I ordered a pint of ale and asked about sandwiches. The bartender went to the kitchen, returning several minutes later to inform me that the restaurant was closed. When I asked where else I could get something to eat, he suggested, "outside". Unhappy about this, I enquired again at the reception, and she informed me that I was an in-house guest and could order food. She secured a clumsily assembled chicken and bacon sandwich for me, which was not the most pleasant sandwich I have eaten. I left half of it and most of the ale and went for a meander around Lavenham. When I went to dinner in the evening, almost four hours after I ordered the sandwich, I noticed it was still sitting on the table with the napkin screwed up over it. I dined in the hotel's signature Brasserie restaurant with a friend who has lived in Lavenham for over thirty years. Service was passable, but several requests for bread and numerous enquiries from staff asking if our meals had arrived reflected a poorly trained team. Each meal was presented to the wrong person, again, funny on Fawlty Towers, but not in real life. Retiring to my room, I spent several minutes listening to a phone conversation from a staff member leaning against the building! As I drove back to London the following day, I wanted to leave before 8 am. I went to breakfast at 07:05, and they open at 07:00. As no one was present to serve, I went to re