Macdonald Alveston Manor Hotel

The negatives. The room was cold, dirty in places, the blinds in the bathroom were broken so they couldn’t be shut allowing people to see into it. Requested a bottle of Prosecco upon arrival as it was a special occasion, which wasn’t done and was then billed for upon departure. The staff seemed uninterested in remedying any concerns and complaints brought forward. Booked a spa treatment which again lacked attention to detail and was lacklustre and underwhelming. Paid for a 55-minute massage and got 45 minutes by a therapist who seemed disinterested, unknowledgeable, and made it seemingly obvious she didn’t want to be there and was forced into it. The positives. Location was superb. Right in the heart of town, and next to the River Avon. The restaurant in the hotel was perhaps the best part of it. The food was of very high standards and staff in the restaurant were excellent.

Very disappointing stay — unfortunately not what we expected. There were a few positives, particularly the EV charging facilities, which were excellent and made our journey much easier. The hotel itself is also a lovely historic building in a great location. Unfortunately, the positives were outweighed by a number of issues. Our first room (Room 33) had body hair on the bathroom floor, a bedroom fan covered in dust and an air-conditioning system displaying an error code. We were moved to Room 115, which was marginally better, but there were still hairs on the bathroom floor and noticeable dust on the picture frames. The bedroom door also didn’t appear to lock properly, which was particularly concerning from a security perspective, and the single-glazed windows made the room very noisy at night. We also tried The Manor Restaurant, but were very disappointed. My £12 Mojito tasted like soda water and mint. When my partner queried it, she was told it was made using a pre-mixed syrup and soda water. For £12, that’s simply not acceptable, particularly when the restaurant presents itself as an upmarket dining experience. We ended up leaving and having a much better meal at the local Greene King. Breakfast was also mediocre, with flies buzzing around uncovered food, which wasn’t particularly appetising. Overall, it’s a real shame because the hotel has so much potential. However, the cleanliness, room maintenance, customer service and dining experience fell well below what we’d expect. The EV charging was a great addition, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to make up for the rest of the stay.

The check in was good. Our room was very hot. Even with the free standing fan on and the window open it never cooled down. Air conditioning would seem a necessary addition in these ever hotter summers we are experiencing. The water pressure was variable ranging from mediocre to non existent and temperature regulation was somewhat hit and miss. The bathroom was a little dated with a cracked floor tile, I'll fitting shower screen and sealant that needed replacing. Breakfast was good with choices of continental and traditional included in the £18pp cost and specials for an additional supplement. Didn't get chance to use the health club unfortunately. Location of this hotel is excellent. Just 6 minutes walk to the RSC and shops. Parking was chargable but was very reasonable.

Staff were professional and friendly at all times. The breakfast had a nice range of options. I had the vegan cooked breakfast option on two mornings, they arrived differently each day, once just two sausages and a piece of veggie haggis and the next day a full vegan breakfast plate. There was only soya milk as a plant milk but I had my oat milk with me. Some of the decor/carpets around the hotel look dated. All in all, we had a beautiful stay, the food was good and the staff were helpful and friendly. We would definitely return.