This is a tale of buyer beware as we visited Wroxall Abbey recently. It was a wedding function and the room was £145 for the night including breakfast.
We arrived and entered the estate along a tree lined avenue which led to the mansion house. The estate was described as 'Sir Christopher Wrens Country retreat' and the 48 bedrooms as being 'luxuriously appointed with many original features, walk in showers and whirlpool baths'. From the outside everything appeared to be just so.
The trouble started at reception when we were told the lift was out of order and we were left to carry our bags up two flights of stairs and along a lengthy corridor (no help was offered and no porters to be seen).
When we got to our room we could not believe our eyes - a room barely 11ft by 9ft with no dressing table, no make up mirror and electrical points underneath a table. There was a king size bed in the room but the rest of the furnishings appeared to be 'junk'. So much so the wardrobe door fell off as I tried to close it. There was certainly no walk in shower or whirlpool bath in the bathroom and the whole room was really just a wide corridor.
To make matters worse there was a lift 5 paces from the room and it worked perfectly!
We thought we would have something to eat and rang reception only to be told the kitchen was too busy with the weddings but they might be able to make a sandwich.
The hotel is 'Conde Nast' recommended, in Johansen's guide and I was completely gobsmacked.
We stayed for the wedding and I must say Wroxall is a pleasant location, lovely setting, nice gardens and would look fine on the photographs. It was just a pity the room and the service was so poor.
Other guests also commented on their rooms and they were just as disappointed - so it was not a 'one off'.
As we checked out we were asked whether everything had been OK and when we said 'No' the reply was 'Oh' and continued to swipe our credit card.
In all honesty, I could not recommend this hotel and my wife said it is not even worth returning to for a cup of coffee.
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May 7th, 2006
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