Manor Of Groves Hotel, Golf & Country Club

Professional, warm welcome by Lucy. Allocated a large, lovely room but I asked if we could overlook the front. Lucy made the effort to check for us rather than just dismiss as many establishments might do. She found us a room which has made our stay perfect. We felt valued. Lovely quiet hotel, amazing grounds. Good facilities. It has been a delight to stay here. Thk you Lucy.

It was a bit of a frustrating visit, the door key lock system was not working so a member of staff had to use a master key to let us in. We were told that it would be fixed later, it wasn't. The WiFi was also not working which meant TV wasn't working either, as this was just a quick overnight stay between visiting relatives in Harlow and flying from Stansted the next day it was a bit frustrating. The worst thing was the bed, we stayed in room 318 and the mattress was lumpy, dippy and you could feel all of the springs. It really made my hips hurt if I lay on my side, my husband found it very uncomfortable too. A mattress topper might help but a new better mattress would be better. The staff were all very professional, polite and helpful.

Stayed here as part of a group booking, arriving on a Sunday. Chap working in the clubhouses was very friendly and the best I encountered, chatty and clearing tables. The older gentleman in the pro shop was pretty miserable and just about spoke. We played golf on our day of arrival. The course wasn’t in the best condition but factoring in the summer heatwave and footfall pretty much what I expected. The greens were fine just the areas surrounding them in poor condition, the tee boxes weedy and bare. The course is long and if in better condition would have been super. We checked in around 6pm and unfortunately there was an issue with room cards not working but we were quickly taken to our rooms and doors opened by the respective receptionist. Our room was fine, large enough for us. The large bathroom had a shower over the bath. Shampoo and body wash are only provided. Beds were comfortable. No idea how to work the tv, some instructions would have been helpful. There is no air conditioning, There is an iron and tea/coffee making facilities in the room. We didn’t use the spa facilities so can’t comment on them. We had pre booked our evening meals on arrival. The food was again pretty much what you expect at these type of golf hotels. It was fine. Breakfast, again an ok choice. Staff friendly but not very proactive clearing tables or the areas where the food was. Bits of burnt toast by the toaster, empty cereal packets and general mess/spills not cleared away. We played golf again on the day we departed from the hotel. The hotel was empty during our stay but I can understand why other reviews may not be complimentary if it was busier during their stay. Why allocate bedrooms so far away and spread us over two floors when you are empty and additionally have to escort guests the whole evening? Why did the receptionists/management not allocate us to closer rooms when there was an issue with room access or reservations when initially booking the rooms for our group consider housekeeping having to service scattered rooms! The staff we encountered were all pleasant but there certainly seems no management presence or direction for the young team. I would have scored this venue as good, it’s a bit better than average but not very good!