Bartley Lodge Hotel

The bedroom, although described as deluxe, was rather dark and bland. The bathroom was in need of attention with several areas in need of repair. There was no hotel information or TV instructions in the room. The lift was out of order and with a knee injury I was forced to struggle up 4 flights of stairs with heavy bags. No one offered assistance. The dining room and conservatory were pleasant although the music didnt seem to create the right ambience and the very poor quality of the cutlery was out of character with the elegance of the rooms. The pool, though clean, was too small to swim in and the area rather functional and unwelcoming. The receptionists were helpful and pleasant when on duty but the desk was often unattended. I was asked to fill in a check-in form on arrival although I had already completed one online at the hotels request. As a sole traveller I did not feel I was being looked after very well. My dinner booking couldnt be found initially, then I was shown to my table and left for about 15 minutes. I had to go and find a waiter who admitted he had forgotten about me. The artisan bread was a pre-packaged take and bake white stick and at 7.50 was over-priced. The lamb main course was quite good. The breakfast buffet selection was good but my cooked breakfast arrived cold and the crispy bacon was like leather and had maple syrup on it ( I suspect I was given the bacon from the next tables pancake with bacon and maple syrup which they had returned as it was not what they had ordered). I cancelled my next days breakfast and dinner and ate instead at the local White Hart pub which was warm and welcoming with excellent food and service. I was hoping to book this hotel for a pre-wedding break for my daughter and her bridesmaids but having stayed there I am not sure now. A shame because with some tweaks it could be a much more pleasant experience.