We chose The Manor specifically for its tram links, so it was a shock to arrive and find the entire street dug up and segregated on both sides. The works had apparently been running a month already and have another six to go. That's a 20-minute walk added to every journey, and not a word of warning from the hotel beforehand, no email, no note at booking. For a 4* property, that's a basic failure of communication.
It also wasn't a secret internally. As we checked in, we could hear a member of staff behind us discussing the works with two colleagues and saying they needed to address the customer experience, "starting with these in front of us." Knowing it's a problem and still not telling guests is worse than not knowing.
Trying to raise it went nowhere. The live chat rejected our booking reference repeatedly. I emailed reception and info@ separately, chased again, and to this day have had no reply at all.
Other niggles:
Netflix is advertised on the in-room TV but wouldn't open. Previous reviews flag the same issue and the hotel has replied saying it's fixed. It isn't.
We had food delivered and asked reception to bring it up, declined on "health and safety" grounds, which felt arbitrary.
Room service can only be ordered by phone, as the online system doesn't work.
No information guide in the room. Somewhere nearby to eat, opening hours, how to actually get round the roadworks, all of it would have helped.
The restaurant is competent fine-dining Italian, but if you fancy something less formal you're out of luck. Not everyone booking a nice hotel wants a black-tie, tasting-menu evening, and there's no casual alternative on site.
The genuine positives: the staff we dealt with face to face were friendly and helpful throughout, and the room itself was lovely, comfortable, well finished, properly luxurious.
The building and the people are good. The systems around them aren't. Fix the unanswered emails, the broken chat and TV, and warn guests about the roadworks, and this would be an easy recommendation.
