Powdermills Country House Hotel

We booked this Hotel as on paper it has it all. We booked a suite with a separate lounge with separate bedroom with a balcony overlooking the lake. On arrival we were told our room type was not available and they had all been checked in to. We were then taken to a ‘pub room’ which was tiny so we reiterated the room we had booked and paid for which was £460! We were then told the hotel was fully booked..and there had been a flurry of bookings due to the good weather. We had booked what we thought would be a beautiful spacious and quiet room with a beautiful view for the night and surely it doesn’t matter who else booked. Well we didn’t get our room and were instead shown to a nice room with a balcony overlooking the pool but still not what we booked. Girl on reception gave us breakfast and a one hour free late checkout as a gesture of good will.. Our room overlooked the pool by which time (we were waiting around for ages) all we could hear were screaming kids in the pool. We then went for a drink. Couldn’t sit next to the pool or the Lake as all the seating was taken. Hot day and didn’t want to use the pool and the lake is filthy. While my husband was getting a drink at the bar I sat at a nearby table and was rather rudely asked to leave by a waitress who said she needed the table in 5 minutes. I watched said table and no one showed. I felt uncomfortable and felt that the staff couldn’t care less. Yes the room we ended up with was comfortable BUT it wasn’t the quiet luxurious space that I had paid for, plus did not fit the description that I had booked. Despite the receptionist telling me it did. No it didn’t! We were excited to go to Crafted At Powermills but were so disappointed from start to finish. With the amount of families there it feels more like a posh holiday camp rather than the luxurious and relaxing space we were looking forward to enjoying for one night. It’s a real shame as it has so much potential. To mention there were also other couples looking for space around the pool who had to sit on the ground. People had reserved the bean bags and sunbeds so nothing left which is awful when you are paying so much. We have since complained to booking.com. The hotel take zero responsibility for the room mix up and blamed booking.com for writing an incorrect description. Another lie. Not good enough Crafted At Powdermills and such a shame as you have a potential gem there.

The location is certainly stunning. Has an expensive feel…and was expensive! Our bedroom was beautifully decorated but had no comfortable chairs, so we had to always lie on the 4 foot 6 bed. We could not find any ‘quiet’ areas in the main public buildings. There was canned banging music playing on a loop in every public space. We would have used the very stylishly decorated ‘library/lounge’ but for this music. I would suggest that some areas should be free from noise. Climbing outside stairs to sit at the side of the beautiful lake was the only noise free option, which we did resort to. The staff were extremely polite and helpful. Clean throughout. The menu in the ‘pub’ really needs a revamp. I liked the beef burger. It was extremely hot on our stay, however, the lovely receptionist organised an air conditioner for our room on the second night. This is a good venue for corporate events or weddings as there are many suitable areas that could manage a large amount of people.

I would say we could tell Crafted was new and was in a "teething" stage, trying to establish itself and whilst it was clearly on the up, there were a few stand out red flags that told us it still had a way to go to really cement a reputation as a premium boutique wellness hotel. The dinner in the Restaurant was the biggest disappointment and sign that Crafted still has a way to go, and whilst we found the breakfast outstanding and the Bar food was good/as expected from a 'Pub' offering - the main restaurant food was one of the most expensive meals we have had in a very long time (and we live in London) but really poor quality and service. It was busy and a very warm day so we had some sympathy with the slow service. But during no course did anyone 'check back' with us, we had to spend about 5 minutes trying to flag someone down for the dessert. The fried herring/sardine starter had virtually no flavour, was very small and cost us £16! The mains were OK but again required heavy salt and pepper which was a disappointing reflection on the 75% British produce ethos. The dessert menu looked great, so we gave it one last shot - we ordered a treacle tart which tasted very stale and the accompanying cream tasted so off, that we had to send it back. Overall, it was one of least flavourful meals we had had in a long time which was a shame given how nicely decorated the restaurant is and the commitment to locally sourced produce. Separately, the rooms are uniquely decorated, we loved the style and the bed was incredibly comfortable but there was no air conditioning so it was stifling during the first heatwave and the fan provided did little to alleviate that. There was also no mini fridge in the room so no opportunity for chilled water/drinks. The lakeside facilities were great, although the ice plunge wasn't in operation when we were there which was a shame. The shuttle bus into Battle was a nice touch.