Hydro Hotel

We had a really wonderful 2 nights at the Hydro Hotel. The staff are marvellous and our rooms were very comfortable. There are cosy public areas to sit and read a book, beautiful grounds to explore and the dining areas are very nice too. There's a conservatory with stunning views of the grounds and sea, and the dining room is nicely decorated, serving delicious breakfast as well as dinner. Although it's a short walk down to the sea front, it's not a difficult walk and of course it's worth it once you get there. Everyone at the hotel was very friendly - staff and other guests alike. We all enjoyed our stay and would certainly return.

So pleased to be back after our first visit in 2024. I chose the Hydro then for it's proximity to the seafront, with it's own parking, lounge areas, gardens and restaurants, making for a relaxing stay whatever the weather, but also a good base to get out to the surrounding areas. A major reason for returning. Another warm welcome and, throughout our stay, all the staff were friendly and helpful. Some guests needed a bit of extra assistance, which was always given immediately and without fuss It was nice to see some familiar faces, a good sign. I love the informal formality of the hotel, from the decor, the smartly dressed staff and the splendour of the Crystal Dining room. It makes you feel like dressing up for dinner, but you wouldn't feel uncomfortable if you didn't. We treated ourselves to a seaview suite this time. Beautifully furnished, spotless, with everything we could need. The housekeepers were approachable and refreshed our room ninja style, despite us being around a lot. The food was delicious and plentiful. There's entertainment to be had in the conservatory, watching people's faces when confronted by the towering afternoon tea :-) I took one mark off because, on this occasion, the kitchen was overwhelmed on our first night due to several large bookings. The head waiter apologetically explained this on our arrival, and we still had a very pleasant meal. On the following evenings everything was back to their usual high standards. We'll definitely be returning.

My brother and I booked the Hydro Hotel for the wake following our dad’s funeral. We are bitterly disappointed, upset and embarrassed about the service we received there. We had hoped to relax with our friends and family at the hotel following the emotion and sadness of the funeral. Sadly that was not the case, we waited well over an hour for our buffet to arrive. Our friends and relatives had not eaten for sometime, they were hungry, and upset for us, as we were so embarrassed by the situation. Hotel staff did not come to explain what the hold up was. My brother had to keep leaving our guests to try and find someone to take responsibility. No one was available. We were eventually told the oven was broken, I asked why the sandwiches couldn’t be put out whilst we waited for the sausage rolls etc. I even asked a waiting staff if crisps could be bought up from the bar! The next day to add insult to injury we were offered a poultry 10% off the bill. When we asked for an explanation as to what went wrong we were told that the wrong date had been put in their kitchen calendar. We were then offered a tiny gesture of good will which does not compensate us for the embarrassment and stress this caused us on an already difficult and emotional day.