Eastwell Manor, Champneys Hotel & Spa

I recently stayed at Champneys Eastwell Manor, and unfortunately the experience fell well below expectations for a five-star hotel and spa. Service was inconsistent throughout. On arrival, we were sent between reception and the spa with no clear guidance, and staff were not particularly helpful. In both the restaurant and bar, service was slow, orders were incorrect on multiple occasions, and it was often difficult to find staff. The most concerning aspect was the bar on 25 May, where a very junior, clearly undertrained member of staff was left working alone. While she remained polite, she appeared unsupported and unsure of basic service tasks, resulting in long waits (over 30 minutes for a drink) and a poor experience overall. I have raised this directly with the hotel on multiple occasions but have received no response, which is disappointing in itself. Overall, this did not reflect the level of service I would expect, and improvements are clearly needed in both service delivery and staff support. I have raised this directly with the hotel, who despite me following up multiple times, have not responded.

I had high hopes for Eastwell Manor given its reputation, and I'll be fair – the grounds are genuinely beautiful and the gym is well equipped. If only the rest of the experience matched up. The tone was set the moment we arrived at check-in. Rather than being greeted properly, a staff member sarcastically shouted "hello" across the room to get our attention. No name, no welcome, no acknowledgement of the stay ahead. I'm not expecting to be called His Majesty, but for a hotel of this supposed standing, a basic, courteous greeting really shouldn't be too much to ask. What made it worse was the noticeable smell of cigarettes coming from the member of staff who eventually dealt with us – not the first impression you'd hope for. Personal hygiene amongst the team was a recurring concern throughout our stay. Several staff members carried a strong smell of cigarettes, and we couldn't help but notice male staff with long, unkempt nails serving food – something that in a restaurant environment is simply not acceptable and raises serious questions about hygiene standards. The slow service continued throughout our stay. Dinner saw painfully long waits between courses despite the restaurant being less than half full and breakfast was no better – we waited 25 minutes for a coffee - We weren’t the only ones, several people were complaining and queuing directly at the bar to place an order. The rooms have no air conditioning, which during warmer months is completely unacceptable – we had an uncomfortable, stuffy night's sleep. It seems the hotel is a magnet for hen do's, and with paper-thin walls and no escape from the chaos, any hope of a relaxing stay goes straight out the window. To top it off, large cobwebs hung in the corners of the room – a sure sign that housekeeping is not exactly a priority. The bathroom was perhaps the biggest shock. Dated and tired with only a basic shower, but more concerningly there was visible mould on the walls and spiders that had clearly been undisturbed for some time. There isn't even a plug near the mirror, so using a hairdryer is a challenge in itself. In-room amenities were equally bare-bones. To top it all off, I have raised all of the above with management in person and in writing and am yet to be compensated. Nice grounds and a good gym are simply not enough to carry a stay here. Sort out the basics – starting with a deep clean, a staff grooming policy, and perhaps a coffee machine – and then we can talk.

Beautiful house and gardens

Very uncomfortable squeaky bed. Dirty table at dinner and breakfast. And a VERY brightly lit marquee right outside our window which wasn’t even in use. The lights were on all night.

Area , rooms , castle

Furthermore, the advertised continental breakfast was never provided, despite being clearly listed among the services offered. On several occasions, I was assured that the continental breakfast would be available the following day, but this promise was repeatedly broken. As a guest, I found it extremely disappointing to pay for services that were advertised and promised, yet never actually delivered.

The outside pool and bar was amazing especially because of the weather being so hot, was a lovely stay with the location and the views.

There was multiple cracks in all the walls in our room and the fan was tiny and didn’t do much about the heat in the room as it was so hot in there but apart from that a very good stay.