The JarvisHotel is a couple of miles north of Bristol in an area called Winterbourne. As a former country house built in the mid 19th century and with extensive grounds it has every going for it as a hotel. The Jarvis group have spent a lot of money refurbishing the place including an excellent Poolside leisure Club with swimming pool, spa, solarium and under-utilised exercise equipment. As is often the case the pool is a little small and you soon learn how a goldfish must feel swimming around the same extent of water only about 6 times your body length.
The rooms in the old part of the hotel are quite spacious but you may find those in the newer part little better than a motorway lodge for size. They are clean and tidy and have the obligatory tea-making facilities. All rooms are en-suite. The bar is cramped but nearby is a huge sitting room. I think with a little more thought this whole area could be considerably improved. As it is the bar gets very full and smoky whilst the sitting area resembles a particularly dull gentlemans club. The restaurant has a poor ambience to it. Occupying such a large space it also needs more thought how best to use the space.
The staff have a very functional attitude to their work, sure enough everything is done but there seemed to be an almost determined effort not to engage any of the guests. Rarely have I ever felt so intimidated by a lady serving at a bar. Friendly is not in the Jarvis, Bristol vocabulary. The hotel is conveniently situated for a short drive to Bristol city centre either for business or pleasure. The attractions there would be Bristol’s world famous zoo, Brunel’s ship the SS Great Britain or the recently opened Harvey’s Sherry museum.
The room at the Jarvis Bristol cost £89 for the night for single occupancy and this was reasonably acceptable considering the facilities available. If the Hotel wants to improve it needs to have a management led initiative on staff friendliness and some better use of some of its undoubted structural assets.
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