HELLIDON LAKES

We booked a stay at Hellidon Lakes Hotel & Spa and unfortunately, the room was absolutely horrific. I will start with the positives, because there were some. The grounds are lovely and clearly well maintained, which is understandable given that it is a golf club. First impressions when arriving were actually very good. The reception area was also pleasant, and the reception staff we encountered were lovely, friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, that is where the positives regarding the accommodation ended. When we first entered our room, we were immediately disappointed. The room was extremely dated and in serious need of refurbishment. The bathroom in particular was awful. There were loose and cracked tiles, and the toilet flush was so loose that you could actually pull it out. As it was late and we just wanted to get on with our evening, we initially decided to stay in the room. However, when I went to use the shower, the shower valve was completely broken. The water was scalding hot and would not turn cold, making the shower completely unusable. We went down to reception to report the problem and were initially told that there were no other rooms available. Despite the car park appearing almost empty, a room was eventually "found" for us and we were moved. Unfortunately, the second room was not much better. It was still extremely dated, with cracked bathroom tiles, missing grout and tiles that actually moved and wobbled underfoot. We were genuinely concerned about cutting our feet, so we had to keep our shoes on in the bathroom. The cleanliness was also unacceptable. There were dried-up contact lenses on the floor, neither my husband nor I wear contact lenses. All the glasses provided in the room were dirty, two of which still had lipstick on them! Two chairs were provided by balcony doors, which would have been a nice touch but they were so dirty I was actually too disgusted to sit on them! I could go on and on...the rooms were vile. The shower valve in the second room did at least work, which was an improvement, but the shower door did not close properly. The balcony doors also would not shut or lock. This was not a major issue during the current heatwave, but from a security and safety perspective, this is simply not acceptable. On a more positive note, the food was actually good. Dinner was lovely, and although breakfast was nothing particularly special, it was perfectly adequate and there was nothing to complain about. However, for what we paid for this trip, the accommodation was nowhere near worth the money. We certainly weren't expecting perfection or even a luxury room — but we did expect a room that was clean, properly maintained and, most importantly, safe. Unfortunately, neither of the rooms we were given met that basic standard. The hotel has beautiful grounds, a pleasant reception area and friendly staff, so there is clearly potential here. But the condition of the rooms seriously lets the property down. My advice would be to stay somewhere else if you have the option. For the prices being charged, I would expect a significantly higher standard of accommodation. At the very least, I would expect a room to be clean, secure and safe to use — and sadly, our experience was that it was none of those things.

Relaxing stay. Lovely setting and always clean. *****

This was a wonderful location for my son and daughter in laws wedding . the atmosphere was magical. The rooms were really good with a wonderful view and grounds. The value of money for the stay was good. The rooms were tidy and clean with no noise , which was lovely. The service was excellent as the staff were so helpful and friendly.