Careys Manor & Senspa

Our recent one-night stay at Carey’s Manor, which fell significantly below the standard we expected. Upon arrival, we were informed that the restaurant was fully booked because the number of chefs had been reduced due to staff holidays. After some discussion, we were offered an 18:30 table, which we appreciated. We were then given the key to room 17 on the second floor. Although the room was clean and well presented, the temperature was uncomfortably high, exceeding 30°C despite the day not being particularly hot or sunny. The bathroom was considerably worse, with the temperature appearing to approach 40°C. It also seemed that some form of heating was operating, although we were unable to locate or switch it off. We later used the pool facilities, which were adequate but did not meet the standard we expected. We were advised that use of the hydro pool would incur an additional charge of £39 per person for two hours. Given the cost of the accommodation, we considered this excessive and chose not to use the facility. Dinner was acceptable but unremarkable. The dining area was extremely dark, making it difficult to read the menu and detracting from the overall experience. The most serious issue was the temperature in the bedroom. Despite leaving the windows open and using the fan provided in the wardrobe, the room remained uncomfortably hot throughout the night. The excessive heat from the bathroom appeared to contribute significantly to the temperature in the bedroom. As a result, we were unable to sleep properly and spent the night experiencing only short periods of rest. Breakfast was also below the standard expected. We were shown to our table and instructed to help ourselves to the buffet while waiting for our cooked breakfast. The buffet was poorly presented, offered very little fresh fruit, and the toaster did not function effectively. The overall selection and presentation were disappointing. We waited more than 30 minutes for our cooked breakfast. I eventually asked a waitress to check whether our order had been overlooked. She apologised, investigated the matter, and advised us that service was delayed but that the breakfast would arrive shortly. When it arrived, the meal was not what I had ordered. Having already waited for a considerable time, I accepted it rather than request a replacement. Unfortunately, the quality was poor: the hash brown appeared stale and was severely overcooked, while the poached egg was undercooked. At checkout, we were asked whether we had enjoyed our stay. I explained that we had not, primarily because of the excessive room temperature and the resulting lack of sleep. We were told, “Ah yes, room 17 — that’s always hot, and we don’t have air conditioning.” I did not expect air conditioning to be necessary. The issue was not simply the room’s location, but the excessive heat, particularly from the bathroom, which made the bedroom extremely uncomfortable. If the hotel is aware that room 17 has a persistent temperature problem, this should be addressed as a matter of priority. At the very least, guests should be informed before being allocated the room. The response at checkout was limited to a brief apology and did not adequately acknowledge the seriousness of the issues raised. Given the cost of the stay and the standard Carey’s Manor promotes, we expected a considerably higher level of comfort, service, and food quality. Overall, the accommodation was uncomfortably hot, the service was inconsistent, and both dinner and breakfast fell below expectations. The lack of sleep significantly affected our stay, and we do not consider the experience to represent reasonable value for money. Unfortunately, we cannot not recommend staying at Carey’s Manor and we will not return.

We chose Carey’s Manor for a one-night stay to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary, so we were really looking forward to a special and relaxing experience. Overall, there were some genuine highlights, but sadly the inconsistency in service and a few aspects of the hotel meant the stay fell short of what we had hoped for. Arrival & Room – 8/10 Our arrival was very pleasant. The reception team were friendly and welcoming, which created a good first impression. We stayed in ground-floor room 35. The room was large, clean and comfortable enough, although it is clearly quite dated and would benefit from some modernisation. Nevertheless, it was a good start to our stay. We enjoyed walking around the grounds before settling down for a drink at the Neigh Bar. Unfortunately, at around 4pm we were told that it wasn’t open, despite it appearing as though it was. We therefore returned to the main bar. My husband tried to engage the bartender in a polite conversation about the choice of lagers available, but unfortunately the response was rather disinterested. It was a small interaction, but on a special occasion, these little moments of warmth and engagement make a difference. Spa – 5/10 The spa was probably the most underwhelming part of our stay. There are no lockers available, meaning you have to change in your bedroom and then walk through the long hotel corridors in your robe. You then have to make the same journey back to your room afterwards while still wet from the spa facilities. For a hotel positioning itself as a spa destination, this arrangement felt rather impractical and took away from the relaxing experience we were expecting. Thai Restaurant – 10/10 ⭐ This was, without doubt, the highlight of our stay. We had an absolutely wonderful evening at the Thai restaurant. The setting was lovely, with both indoor and outdoor dining areas, and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. The waitresses were all incredibly friendly, attentive and welcoming, and the food was absolutely delicious. The whole experience was exactly what we had hoped for from our anniversary celebration. We left the restaurant on a real high and returned to our room with the positive energy that comes from having had such a lovely evening. Room & Sleep – 5/10 Unfortunately, the room itself became less enjoyable as the night progressed. The walls are extremely thin, and at around midnight we could clearly hear the television from neighbouring guests. More importantly, the beds were extremely uncomfortable, which significantly affected our night’s sleep. After such a lovely evening, it was disappointing to finish the day this way. Breakfast – The Biggest Disappointment This is where our experience really began to decline. We arrived for breakfast at around 9am. The waiter who approached us didn’t make eye contact and walked past us saying, “Wait, I’ll be back.” What made this particularly strange was that he wasn’t carrying plates, a tray or anything else that suggested he was in the middle of serving another table. His manner came across as incredibly unwelcoming and demanding, and neither of us could understand why he chose to speak to us in that way. He then took our tea order — and that was it. Twenty minutes later, we still had no tea and nobody had returned to take our food order. At that point, my husband went back to the restaurant reception, where a very polite and pleasant young lady was extremely apologetic that nobody had taken our order. We explained what had happened and that the gentleman who had seated us was the person who had taken our initial order. Thankfully, she dealt with the situation professionally and pleasantly, and we were finally able to place our breakfast order 45 minutes after we arrived. And watch the senior staff member uncomfortably take orders from guests with a very uncomfortable manner Overall There were some genuinely wonderful moments during our stay, particularly the Thai restaurant, where the team delivered exactly the level of hospitality we would expect when celebrating such a special occasion. However, the experience felt very inconsistent. Friendly reception staff and an exceptional Thai restaurant were unfortunately offset by the disappointing spa arrangements, uncomfortable bed, poor soundproofing and, most significantly, the attitude and lack of service we experienced at breakfast. For a hotel of this standard — and particularly for guests celebrating a 35th wedding anniversary — we expected a consistently warm, attentive and memorable experience from arrival to departure. Overall rating: 5/10 A stay with some lovely highlights, but sadly not the special anniversary experience we had hoped Carey’s Manor would provide.

I’ve stayed at Carey’s Manor many times over the years, including more recently, so this review is based specifically on our latest stay while also reflecting the standards I’ve come to expect from previous visits. There was plenty we really enjoyed. We stayed in a Roof Terrace Suite, which was lovely as it was spacious, nicely decorated and conveniently located within the hotel. The bed was extremely comfortable and the private terrace was a great addition. The terrace furniture was different from that shown in the photographs online, which wasn’t necessarily a negative as it was still a lovely space, but the photos could perhaps be updated to reflect what is actually there. The SenSpa remains a real highlight. It is a beautiful and relaxing space, and the therapists were diligent, professional and very polite. They made the treatments feel extremely comfortable and relaxing. Staff throughout the hotel were generally very friendly and pleasant too. There were, however, a few things that let the stay down. Our suite could have benefited from a more thorough clean. Several of the mirrors and windows had noticeable marks on them, and the robes initially left in the room were either dirty or quite heavily/permanently marked. Housekeeping responded promptly and kindly when we raised this and replaced them, but unfortunately some of the replacement robes were also marked. It feels as though some of the robes may be due for replacement. The fan provided in the room was also dusty, so we chose not to use it. As there is no air conditioning, the room became very warm. There were also cobwebs and spiders in the room that clearly had been there for quite some time. We only ate via room service during this stay and, unfortunately, this was probably the biggest disappointment. Having stayed at Carey’s Manor numerous times over the years, I do feel that the room service offering has gradually gone downhill. The menu is noticeably less broad than it used to be and, given the prices charged, neither the range nor the quality really felt reflective of what I would expect. Items were missing from our breakfast orders on both mornings. We asked for the missing items to be brought up on the first morning, but when the same thing happened again the following day we decided to leave it. Some of the food itself was also quite tough, including times where I couldn’t eat it, and, overall, the quality was disappointing for the price. This is an area where I particularly feel the hotel used to do considerably better. Wi-Fi in our room was also poor and, for much of the stay, was effectively unusable. One smaller point regarding the spa is that some treatment rooms can pick up quite a bit of noise from outside. The therapists themselves do everything possible to create a relaxing atmosphere, but external noise can occasionally detract from what should otherwise be a peaceful treatment. Overall, we still enjoyed our stay, particularly the suite itself, the SenSpa and the consistently lovely staff. Carey’s Manor has a lot going for it and I would certainly return. However, as a repeat guest, there are areas where I feel standards could be brought back up, particularly the attention to cleanliness within the room, Wi-Fi, and the range, quality and consistency of room service. At the price point of the hotel, these details do make a difference.