The Castle at Taunton

A ladies indulgence evening. This used to be a lovely busy event. Warm welcoming canapés offered throughout the evening. This sadly did not live up to previous years. The place was cold. One canapé each was offered. A small event marketed as a large event with lots going on. A very small cocktail demo that lasted 5 mins, not much happening at all. Sadly not worth the ticket price.

My friends had a beautiful wedding here yesterday, and as the contact point, I had close liason with David, Kieran and Laura throughout the day. They, and the staff, went above and beyond to ensure an absolutely perfect day. Wedding aside, the rooms themselves were fantastically spacious and each was unique which was a nice touch. The included breakfast was mindful and full of options. This business is generous in every sense of the word. Its been a fantastic experience and I want to thank everyone who made our experience unimaginably incredible.

We were initially booked into another hotel but were so disappointed with the room that we immediately checked out and chose The Castle, having dined there and enjoyed their BBQs in the past, though we had never stayed. The room was perfect, full of character. The staff were very friendly yet absolutely professional. The breakfasts are second to none. Location-wise, it's in the centre of Taunton—can't beat that. Not cheap, but definitely worth it for a couple of days.

Whilst the outside of the building is quite amazing to look at when you arrive, the internal decoration requires modernisation. I stayed in a single room for one night and it was clean and functional. Checkin and check out were both easy and all of staff encountered were friendly. The hotel advertise events and Christmas celebrations- see photos.

I first stayed at The Castle with my family about 20 years ago and it was marvelous. I've stayed several more times over the years and watched this wonderful old hotel slip in service and quality. It is quite sad to see the deterioration of the gardens and dining facilities. The dining room, where afternoon tea is now served, was also used for breakfast. You could get a full english breakfast served at your table. Today the dining room is less than useless; it is sterile and uninviting. Breakfast is a buffet affair that simply does not measure up. They once had. a Michelin chef but he left to open his own restaurant by the name of Augustas. (Well worth making a reservation; the food was superb.) I could go on but the hotel simply must improve if it expects guests to return, especially at the prices they charge. This is at most a 3 star hotel charging 5 star prices.