The Speech House Hotel

We had a great 3 days over Christmas at the Speech House. The programme of events was excellent, friendly and inclusive with lots going on and opportunities to meet other guests and get to know them. We had walks in the Forest, a coach was laid on to take us to midnight mass and music and dancing. The food was fantastic and abundant and all the staff friendly and welcoming. Very good value for money too. We will definitely be returning.

Stayed here for their inclusive Christmas break package. Wonderful Food. Really good staff. Amazing attention to detail. Would recommend unhesitatingly to anybody

My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights this weekend with our dog Ruby. We had a wonderful stay - it’s a lovely country hotel and just how we like it. We first came here last year for a wedding and decided back then we would return with our dog as we knew she would love running through the woods right across the road and also in the enclosed field backing onto the hotel-ideal for early morning and nightime toileting for her. Although the hotel provide a dog throw and towel - we also brought a stack of our own and covered everything in the room as we knew how muddy she would get!! The food is great and there was plenty of choice for myself- I follow a vegan diet. But what REALLY stood out for us are fabulous staff employed there!! Shout out especially for Emily, Jayne, Adrian, Meg and Suzanne and also the guy from Melbourne- sorry I didn’t catch your name! They all went above and beyond to make us feel truly welcome and Ruby adored them! So lovely to meet staff who truly enjoy their job! We will definitely be back again next year! Thank you all.

It’s 1:38 am and i am wide awake thinking why on earth did i not just book an Airbnb instead of this dive. After reading several reviews I'm intrigued to see what snide comments the owner will reply to my review, but here goes.. The entire hotel is in drastic need of renovations and a good thorough clean. New mattresses. New carpets. New baby beds. New appliances. A course of mold treatment, perhaps. For nearly £200 a night i expected far better. To have so much black mold in a room where a child is staying is abhorrent. Theres no way you can excuse this, sort it out. The 4 poster bed is far too small, both mine and my husbands feet are currenrly hanging off the end, and one wrong move and one of us is going to fall 5 feet onto the (stained) floor. I also have my 1 year old sandwiched between us, as the crib provided was covered in unidentifiable marks and the ‘mattress’ inside it was about as padded as a piece of cardboard. Doors arent sealed properly and the floor is very old and thin, so you can hear EVERYTHING. Our room is next to the stairs so every time someone walks to their room you can hear every step and their entire conversation. The heating was also broken but stuck on full blast, so we had to get maintenance to come and resolve the issue. Ordered room service which was OK, generally lacking seasoning and way too flouncy with the ‘microgreens’. Dishes did seem like they had been prepared earlier in the day and simply reheated when ordered, though. Will not be returning, will not be recommending.

A return visit after 50 years — we had a lovely time then, and a lovely time this time too. Nothing is too much trouble for these people though they didn’t fix the weather! My wife described the atmosphere as ‘faded grandeur’ with old fashioned service, no little extras charged for, one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a hotel, and the sense of being with people who care. A bit ‘shabby without the chic’ here and there, but a wonderful few days at a very fair price for a large room. Great.

I have never used Trip Adviser to write a porridge review before but reading the reviews and their replies on here I feel that I must share my experience. A group of 5 friends went to this hotel to celebrate the 60th Aniiversary of our meeting at Teacher Traing College and we were made aware before our arrival that wedding was going to taking place on one of the days and that we were lucky to get rooms at all as the venue was fully booked. We were allocated our rooms for which we had all been charged identical sums. One person was in a suite and two others in a sweet cottage with views of the forest. One was in an accessible room as she has mobility issues and I was in a very small twin with views of an air-conditioning unit or some other mechanism. My room was right next door to the wedding venue and I was not only kept awake by the music but people were gathering outside my room to smoke and chat. Later in the evening the language used by the guests was quite offensive( and I am no prude or party pooper). My shower was faulty and the television took up the entire space of the dressing table. The hotel was shabby, the veneer is badly chipped on the tables in the dining room and apart from the staff the place was very disappointing. When I complained on checkout, I was told I should have asked to move rooms, but on check in we were told they were full, so where would I have been moved to? Why was my inferior room the same price as the suite? Despite my first email getting a reply dismissing my complaints I have heard nothing since which is just rude. I would not recommend this hotel ever

We stayed here for two nights to take part in the Forest of Dean Trail Half Marathon which starts in the adjacent field. I dont know where to start with compliments but I think the staff is the greatest asset here. So genuinely helpful and friendly and that was during an extremely busy period. The food was excellent during our stay. We tried both the Orangery, which is very pleasant, light and airy, and the Verderers. The mackrel starter in the restaurant was particularly good. One our second morning we had a perfectly cooked full breakfast served in the restaurant. If the hotel is full they do buffet service but on quieter days it is cooked to order. Our room 3 on the first floor was spotlessly clean and the bathroom looked newly refurbished with a nice rainshower over the bath. Lovely towels and plenty of hot water. Good wardrobe space with sufficient hangars. Plenty of sockets with USB ports for chargers. The radiator had a thermal control which was great to have the room temperature to suit us. From our experience here I would recommend this hotel and would definitely stay again.

Really enjoyed our time here, 2 nights but could have absolutely stayed a week. Beautiful base to explore the surroundings. Comfy bed, beautiful architecture, food and staff were excellent. Looking forward to returning

Great breakfast and evening meal, however breakfast on our last day was very dissapointing, overcooked eggs and clearly a different chef from the previous day. The hotel states light cleaning is carried out during your stay but our bed wasnt made and the dirty cups not cleaned. We found this very dissapointing, the only thing the housekeeping did was empty the bin and refill the tea bags, we would of much preferred the bed making. We had a junior four poster room in the main building it was very comfortable and spacious. The hotel has an old charm about it and is situated in an ideal position for exploring the forest of dean. The staff were all warm and welcoming and we would stay here again if in the area.

Stopped in for a drink on a long walk. The Bar staff were helpful and friendly. Place looks clean and toilets were clean. They have a lovely little outside seating area. We didn't eat there but the food we saw coming to other people looks very well presented.