Garrison Hotel

Good hotel, good staff and service. Great location for me.

The hotel is housed within an old walled military garrison and it makes an impressive site. There are turrets on the old ramparts, and the hotel bar has some military memorabilia. Our room was pleasant and clean. A lot of trouble had been taken to create a pleasant space with thought given to the furniture and the decoration, but it was beginning to look a little old. There is a pleasant peaceful garden area. We were given a warm welcome and the staff were helpful. However, on the day we arrived the bar was packed and there were not enough staff to meet the demand. The food took ages to come and when it did it was not very good. It was not just us, people on tables around us were also complaining. We ate out on the following night. Breakfast was a little better but again there was pressure for seating and to meet the demand only English breakfast was being served. I would consider staying there again but I would go out for my evening meals.

We stayed here for 2 nights as visiting the RHS Flower show nearby. First impressions were not great as upon arrival reception is signposted as through the bar and restaurant from the main car park at the back of the hotel but this was closed until 5 ? (Bit weird for a hotel ) together with the fact there is only a small amount of disabled parking by the main entrance so a walk around the building is required. A very polite lady checked us in & directed us to our room which was very dark with only a small window to let in some fresh air. The room itself was clean if a little dated but had everything we required but the outside windows of the rooms were covered in cobwebs & lots of dead leaves around the grounds making it feel unloved and unkempt. We went to the bar around 6 to be greeted by a young lady to order food and drinks. The menu advised on the TV differed to the one offered so we ordered 2 drinks, a Steak & Ale pie and a Sirlion Steak to be cooked medium rare . The tables were all very sticky which is unacceptable given they had only recently opened, so clearly no cleaning had been done since the last service. There was a clear lack of staff given the number of guests staying, as the gentleman serving the meals was rushing around with not much of an idea who had ordered what. When the food arrived the pie was a very average mass produced pie and the steak was raw so we took it back and this was replaced by another steak which was a piece of meat folded in 2 ? Clearly not a sirloin steak as it was so tough it was inedible so we asked them to remove it from the bill which they did . Breakfast had a good selection of continental items including fruit, yogurts but only basic bread and juice and hot drinks from a machine. The hot offering was a full English or anything off it? So we ordered one full English and the other was a few items . The sausage was the worst sausage we have ever had and was inedible but the bacon was delicious . Given the issues with the food on the first night we did not return to eat for our second night. We went to the bar but asked for some ice and, like the night before, it was full with guests but with what appeared to be only one staff member on duty. Breakfast on the 2nd morning we decided on bacon sandwiches which were good, however there was a lovely lady running around on her own trying to take orders, clear tables and service the hot orders again clearly short staffed for such a number of guests staying Overall we had an average stay but we would not return . The staff are the best part of the hotel but the quality of ingredients & general cleanliness of the grounds & public areas needs urgent attention .