Mercure Barnsley Tankersley Manor Hotel

I worked at this hotel back in the ’90s, when it was owned by the Wainrights, and I remember it as a genuinely warm, welcoming and much-loved place. It had a real sense of character and was a delight for locals, diners and overnight guests alike. Everything felt considered, and guests were very much at the centre of everything they did. So, returning many years later for dinner, I have to say I found it genuinely disappointing. Now owned by Mercury, the place feels rather soulless, dreary and, sadly, unloved. The bar area has clearly had a makeover, but in my opinion it has lost the warmth and personality it once had. Instead, there’s an odd mishmash of old and new décor, while the space has been strangely divided into a restaurant and bar area, despite the two essentially being part of the same room. The menu is similarly uninspiring — fairly good value, perhaps, but lacking the character and imagination I remember. The one real positive is the service. The staff were friendly and attentive and are probably the thing that brings the most warmth to the experience, so full credit to them. I’m a 50-year-old guy who grew up in the area, so perhaps I’m simply no longer the target market. But that, in itself, feels like a shame. This was once somewhere that felt welcoming to everyone, with a real sense of community and personality. It’s sad to say that after returning all these years later, I’m now highly unlikely to return to the pub again. I really wanted to love it — but sadly, it just didn’t feel like the place I remembered.

We were very disappointed with our stay and even decided to leave earlier than planned. Our first negative experience happened on the very first evening. We waited a very long time for dinner. My family and children were served their soup, but I was completely forgotten. By the time everyone had finished eating, I still hadn’t received my meal. I had to wait another 30 minutes before my soup finally arrived. This was very upsetting. The biggest disappointment was the swimming pool and jacuzzi. Although access to these facilities is included in the price we paid, it was almost impossible to use them. The family swimming times are extremely inconvenient. This morning we came early specifically so our child could enjoy the pool during the designated children’s session. However, my child was told to get out of the jacuzzi because some adult women wanted to use it, even though it was supposed to be children’s time. I was extremely upset and even brought to tears. We paid for these facilities but were not allowed to use them. Because my child was in the pool, I couldn’t use the jacuzzi either. My husband was also very disappointed. On top of that, the schedule is so poorly planned that you have to choose between having breakfast or taking your children to the pool. We found this very inconvenient. The location was another disappointment. Yes, the hotel was clean, but there was nowhere to go for a walk. We tried to find the golf course that was advertised, but we never found it. The area is surrounded by busy roads and traffic. It is not a good location for families with children because there are no pleasant walking areas or places to spend time outside the room. The only positive thing was that the room and the hotel were clean. Unfortunately, our overall experience was very negative. Because of the poor organisation and the way we were treated, we decided to leave earlier than planned. I cannot recommend this place, especially to families with young children.

Myself and my family had such a lovely stay and felt genuinely welcomed from the moment we arrived. Hollie on reception was an absolute star. She was so warm, friendly, and approachable, and nothing was ever too much trouble for her. She took the time to chat with us about York, our home city and made us feel valued, her attitude really made our stay extra special. The breakfast was also fantastic with plenty of options. Thank you for our stay. We will return. 👍🏽

Lovely hotel situated reasonably close to the M1 motorway. Service was friendly and efficient. Food and rooms are all good, and prices are acceptable. The car park is large, but due to the hotels location, it is very often busy with business people meeting colleagues for lunch etc.