The Barnsdale Reviews Summary

Accommodation

Pros:

• "We stayed in a superior room which was spacious, cosy and comfortable."
• "Rooms were really good with a cottage feel to them."
• "The rooms were clean and comfortable with modern individual pieces of furniture."
• "Rooms are well set out and with a little extra, would have hit 5*."
• "The family room was 2 rooms so the kids had their own room and bathroom."
• "Our room was small, but had everything you might need and being newly refurbished it was clean and in good repair."
• "Rooms were spacious, light, very comfortable bed and had everything you’d expect including TV, free WiFi, tea/coffee and a personalised welcome message."

Cons:

• "Very poor. Room was not clean - bad in any circumstances but particularly unacceptable in Covid times and we refused to stay."
• "Our rooms were unbearably warm."
• "Mine was in need of a decorative upgrade and dusting and the bathroom was decidedly unkempt, cracked tiles and panels."
• "Our ‘superior room’ felt anything but superior and not like any of those illustrated on the Hotel web site."
• "The room was full of dust & I don't think the carpets had been hovered for a long while."
• "Room had no overhead light and limited lamps, no full length mirror and an electric radiator which made the air very dry."
• "Our room was mouldy and leaked water through the ceiling from the person showering above."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "The staff was very friendly but clearly had a lot to do as they were not very attentive to us."
• "Have to say how welcoming and friendly the staff were!! They were all excellent and they brought dog biscuits for the dogs."
• "The staff were all helpful and friendly."
• "Employees are courteous and friendly."
• "The welcome and care given by the staff, the accommodation and not least the food were all first class."
• "All staff are friendly and very helpful."
• "The staff were friendly."

Cons:

• "Eastern European bloke who worked there was also arrogant, ignorant and rude."
• "Hardly anyone around to help, it was a little cold inside for a breezy winters day outside and I just didn’t feel welcomed by the receptionist."
• "Many of the staff were rather non-communicative and needed some training in hospitality ‘service’."
• "We found some of the staff wasn't very polite. Very few said good morning."
• "Unfortunately, front of house didn’t meet the same level of excellence."
• "Head waiter ignored me at first, then seemed very confused and annoyed at my request to eat in his restaurant."
• "The worst person there is the Receptionist Alison - god knows how she managed to keep her job."

Food and Dining

Pros:

• "The food was spectacular."
• "The food was lovely and very well cooked."
• "The welcome and care given by the staff, the accommodation and not least the food were all first class."
• "Delicious food and very reasonable prices."
• "Service in restaurant excellent as was the food and breakfast plentiful."
• "The food was stunning and eating in the orangery in the evening underneath pretty fairy lights was perfect."
• "Food we had in the evening was beautiful."

Cons:

• "Food was terrible too as my steak was cold and fatty while my nephew hardly had anything for breakfast."
• "The food was not great, I would say it's bland and lacks flavour."
• "All veggie food served at the function was very poor, might as well been poured straight out of a can, no garnish, no vegetables, tasteless, undercooked, prison like meals."
• "We had lunch at Barnsdale Lodge, there was a party of 12...Speaking for myself I had Sunday roast and the food was cold."
• "The portion of fish was very small. Especially considering the £15-20 type price range."
• "Unfortunately the afternoon tea was of poor quality (clearly bought-in items which were still frozen inside), absolutely not worth the price tag charged."
• "The hotel really looks nice but unfortunately following Sunday roast beef 5 out of 6 in our party went down with food poisoning."

Value and Pricing

Pros:

• "I would say nothing is cheap but you get what you pay for frankly."
• "Good value."
• "Lovely food, sensible prices."
• "Very reasonable prices."
• "The food is on the expensive side, but read the menu carefully and choose classic dishes to avoid style over substance!"

Cons:

• "Complete and Absolute RIP OFF!!!!!"
• "Overpriced food and rooms."
• "The price of the food is rather steep and then they have the cheek to add on a service charge."
• "The restaurant will hit you for £33 for a steak and £20 for a bowl of pasta."

Atmosphere and Location

Pros:

• "Nice, cosy setting and a good area to chat and have a drink."
• "The place is lovely, but lacked atmosphere with no background music."
• "Really beautiful quiet location, rooms lovely."
• "The courtyard was beautiful to look at even first thing in the morning as it was raining and fresh and clear."
• "Amazingly beautiful views."
• "Really atmospheric place, think cotswolds but less busy."
• "Set in an amazing location."

Cons:

• "Dining room needs updating old fashioned...manky carpet."
• "Now greeted by big windows looking into the reception back office and poor decs in the toilets."
• "Corridors leading to the bedroom was very tired and battered."