Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel

Not quite up to scratch

We found our stay at this `Premier` hotel did not quite live up to expectations. Check in was hassle free, although the receptionist asked us twice if we had stayed there before, suggesting that she was an auto-pilot and really didn’t care what our answer was. Our room seemed to be miles from reception and we were disappointed that it overlooked the service area at the back. We were right over an extractor fan and it was too loud to have the window open. The room did not have air conditioning. Our executive room was beautifully appointed with useful free Wi-Fi and a very comfortable bed. However the fan in the bathroom didn’t work and it got uncomfortably humid after a shower. We decided to try the Spa. This was probably fantastic when new but maintenance is obviously not a strong point. The changing area was dirty – the floor was wet and needed a sweep. Other customer’s rubbish was sat on the surfaces. A fountain near the sauna was not working and had been used as a rubbish bin. A similar feature in the steam room didn’t work. The hot tub was remarkably hot and the pool was quite cool. The bar is a tiny room with pretend library shelves around it. We walked to the bar and got drinks and sat down expecting someone to ask if we were eating in the adjoining restaurant. Well, we waited and waited and eventually went to the pile of menus and helped ourselves. Having made our choices we had to attract someone’s attention to take our wine and food order. We finished our drinks and waited. Surely we would be asked into the restaurant where our bottle of wine would be waiting? Eventually it worked out but for a while we felt neglected. The restaurant is a bit formal with huge swag curtains and `distressed` painted chairs. It was full of business men. The menu sounded nice and had a useful set-price arrangement. Service was quick, though a little brusque from the young foreign staff. The food was well presented but not particularly tasty. It was telling that from the restaurant we could see dozens of residents walking into the village to eat. After dinner we went back to the bar to drink. As I sat there my eyes were level with one of the shelves on the bookcase and I could see that it hadn’t been dusted for ages. I called for the duty manager who, to his credit, cleaned it there and then but muttered under his breath that he was busy and that this was the responsibility of another department. In the morning I looked and all the other shelves were still dusty. Breakfast was a poor experience. I expect table service at a Four Star hotel and here we just had a buffet. There was plenty of food but again the quality was not what one would expect. At checkout nobody bothered to ask if we had enjoyed our stay. This would rate as a good Three Star hotel but in our opinion does not warrant a Four Star or Premier grade.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Business Travel

Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel Photo: Bedroom

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