Thornbury Castle and Tudor Gardens

The castle is atmospheric though I had expected a more luxury feel. We were disappointed when sitting in the lounge on a winter’s afternoon that the fire wasn’t lit. It was only lit in the evening in the lounge and in the library there was a ‘fake’ electric fire which was a let down. Room - We stayed in a superior deluxe which was very spacious with good amenities and lots of period touches. There were a few issues though that detracted from the stay. There was nowhere to plug in a hairdryer by a mirror. I had to sit on the luggage stand to dry my hair as the only mirror was too low. Another was the tv which also was not positioned well. The four poster bed looks great but means only one person can see the tv as the other person has a bed post blocking the view. Although the bathroom was spacious and had a large walk-in shower, it didn’t have a bath. I had missed that in the room description which said only some rooms have a bath. Breakfast was ok but nothing special. The full English was served warm rather than hot. I asked for the beans to be reheated as they were tepid but they came back exactly the same and nobody asked if they were better or if everything was ok. Everything served quickly with nobody checking if we wanted anything else. Given the price point, breakfast was disappointing as it was no better than an average cafe. Dinner - there was a 6 course tasting menu at £95 or a 3 course a la carte at £75. The food was nice but lacking the wow factor that we expected at that price. Some dishes were overly salty for my taste. The fire alarm went off at 10:30pm. The guests all came out and stood outside in robes and pyjamas (bear in mind this is December!). Nobody from the hotel came to speak to the guests to say what was going on. During this time some guests even went back to their rooms to get changed but nobody from the hotel was checking or communicating with guests. Eventually a technician arrived and said he could not find any sign of a fire. When asked if we could go back to our rooms he said “well it’s a call really. I don’t really know” which was not very reassuring. At this point there was still no communication from any hotel staff so we asked if there was anyone there from the hotel and what was the protocol. Only then did a hotel employee speak to us. We were told we could wait in the library while the hotel was being checked. Eventually we could go back to our rooms. The whole thing took about 45 minutes. It was shocking that nobody seemed to be in charge of the situation and there was very little communication with guests. When we checked out the next morning there was no acknowledgement of the incident whatsoever. Although the hotel cannot be blamed for the alarm going off, they should improve their protocols as well as their communication. It would have been nice to have made a gesture to apologise for the inconvenience.

Overall, our experience was exceptional. The room was fantastic, the grounds were beautiful, and the staff was genuinely friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, the delicious food, and the captivating history tour. However, there were significant issues with billing and reservations that detracted from an otherwise flawless stay. Despite these challenges, the overall quality of our stay shone through, and we left with fond memories of the property. With improvements to the reservation and billing processes, this would be a truly outstanding experience.

What can I say apart from yet another perfect stay at Thornbury Castle. This is our 8th stay this year and thoroughly enjoy our stays each time. We are always looked after by all the staff but Michaela always goes above and beyond to ensure our stay is perfect, from arrival, through afternoon tea, dinner and room choice. We stayed in the Henry VIII room which we have not stayed in before. This was special and luxurious. The castle gardens and hotel Christmas decorations this year are exquisite. Not too much just the right amount and in keeping with the hotel. At the entrance the lit up Christmas trees are amazing. In our opinion Thornbury hotel and it’s staff, is the best hotel in the uk. You will not be disappointed with a stay here.

Thornbury castle is a wonderful hotel for those interested in relaxation and luxury. Our suite was very spacious and comfortable. It was a pleasant surprise to see the windows actually open. Who does that anymore? The linens were soft and bedding luxurious. Walking around the property you can imagine how past owners appreciated the location. Speaking of location… Thornbury the town is within walking distance and recommend doing so for pubs, restaurants, and shops. The Thornbury historic society performs walking tours of the castle along with selling a map for walking tours of the town and surrounding area. High tea was an education for us and the staff was very helpful. Bonus! They have gluten free trays.

It was quite a unique experience staying at a castle. One might expect the bedrooms to be cold in the Autumn, but mine was a little too warm. As one would expect with a Relais & Chateaux Hotel, the bedroom and facilities were luxurious, with meticulous attention to detail. I had dinner in the restaurant and selected the tasting menu, with a flight of wines that didn’t disappoint.