My husband and I have stayed at Puckrup Hall on several occassions over the last three or four years, and were looking forward to our current stay. In fact, on this trip to England, we stayed here twice. Our first stay was fine, though it was obvious from the beginning that they were shorthanded; it was difficult to get maid service, and they forgot our newspaper most days.
Our second stay was close to disaster.
What to Expect The Hilton Puckrup is an isolated hotel, about a 10 minute drive from Tewkesbury, which is the only other place to eat. The hotel consists of the old Puckrup Hall, and the newer section with the lobby, newer rooms, and recreational facilities.
Under no circumstance should you agree to stay in
the old Hall.
Our first night, they put us in a room which did not have the Internet access they promised. It stank of cigarette smoke, had a very poor phone, and when we complained, we were told they were booked for the night, but could move us the next day. At which point the lights went out throughout the hotel, and stayed off for two hours.
On our second day, they moved us to another room in the old Hall, quaintly named "April." It is without a doubt the worst room they have, as if they were punishing us for our complaints. The room is small, a third the size of the room they moved us out of, though non-smoking. (The bathroom was half as large as the bedroom, and commodious, but there are few amenities such as towel racks.)
The wide windows in April face a low roof over another building. Our entire view from every window was of this roof. The Internet service once again did not work, though bypassing the inept front desk staff and calling the ISP directly did eventually rectify this situation.
There is a serious mosquito problem, and we could not keep the windows open at night despite the oppresive stuffiness in the tiny room. We killed about a dozen mosquitoes.
Most distressingly, the bolt on the room door did not work, and there is no chain. Though we asked them to fix it, they never did. I felt very unsafe at night, as the front door to the Old Hall -- far from the comfort of the staffed reception desk -- is hardly ever closed.
Moreover, it seems if you complain, you get treated more and more poorly, until you stop. Not complaining seems to be the only solution to a barrage of infintesimally small annoyances. Individually, these annoyances are surmountable. You can bear one mosquito. But when there are dozens of mosquitoes? How can you bear it?
Don't. Just don't.
Food
The hotel has a lounge bar, 24-hour room service, and a restaurant. Though we ate breakfast daily at the restaurant, I cannot recommend eating here.
At this morning's breakfast, it took 25 minutes (and two requests) to get a glass of ice. After ordering my poached egg, the staff person allowed someone else to dip it up for herself while he watched. Of course we were both rather stunned at her rudeness, but then it took another 10 minutes for him to change the water (she'd used a greasy spoon), and return.
Our worst restaurant experience occurred on a previous visit; the cornish hen served to my husband was completely raw on the inside. Salmonella, anyone? Though they assured him his meal would be free, it appeared on the bill. (On request, they removed the charge.)
The one time we did order room service this trip, our tray was so filthy it had balls of gunk in the corners, like moldy bread. Up the hall, several room service trays lingered until they stank. I'm frankly a little scared to eat here, judging from the overall lack of cleanliness and inattentive waitstaff/chefs.
Other Issues
The hotel boasts a large golf course, which takes up most of the advertised acreage. I was discouraged from walking the grounds.
The hotel has a small indoor pool, jacuzzi, and exercise room. I've used it, but it was very small. There are locker rooms, which is a nice touch, but this is mostly because they sell gym memberships. As a result, the facilities tend to be crowded at any time of day.
Just me?
I noticed that our situation was not isolated. After one day, our room key stopped working. On returning to our room with the new cardkeys, I saw a woman at the end of our hall trying -- in vain-- to open her door. I overheard many residents complaining of the service, the inadequate ventilation (rooms in the new building have windows which open about five inches only), the restaurant.... The list goes on.
All of this poor treatment despite my husband's frequent visits, and Diamond frequent visitor status!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Location. The Hilton Puckrup Hall Tewkesbury is located on 140 acres of rolling hills in ... more
Tewkesbury, England. On the edge of Cotswolds, the hotel is three kilometers from Tewkesbury Abbey and 13 kilometers from Eastnor Castle. Three Counties Showgroun...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
On the edge of the Cotswolds, set in 140 acres of secluded parkland, this 4-star hotel ... more
boasts superb facilities, including its own 18-hole championship golf course and a spa.The Hilton Puckrup Hall Hotel & Golf Club has a great location, ideal for thos...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The Hilton Puckrup Hall Tewkesbury is located on 140 acres of rolling hills in ... more
Tewkesbury, England. On the edge of Cotswolds, the hotel is three kilometers from Tewkesbury Abbey and 13 kilometers from Eastnor Castle. Three Counties Showgroun...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Sep 18th, 2006
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