Winchester Royal Hotel

Didn't get the room we booked (though the hotel disputed this) - we specifically booked for a deep-soak bathtub, but had a room with a standard bathroom. We'd ruled out an alternative hotel purely based on the bathroom! It was a rare night away from children, so was looking for a touch of luxury! The room itself was very nice, clean, well-equipped and the bed was gloriously comfortable. The bathroom, sadly, was in need of some attention. There was paintwork in need of repair, damaged sealant around the bath, and the ventilation almost non-existent. I had a hot shower, and on getting out found pooling on the floor and sink unit where condensation had streamed down the walls. On the positive side, the towels were beautifully soft, and there were some complementary White Company toiletries provided. We'd booked breakfast for 9am, and arrived promptly. The hostess was quite flustered. She didn't ask for our room number/name, but told us the restaurant was full and we'd need to go wait in the lounge until there was space, which we obligingly did. Whilst in there, the housekeeping team came in and began to clean and hoover around us. We were about to leave and find a cafe, when she came to say the table was ready. There were no warm plates, and there was little left in the way of hot food, which we had to wait for replenishing. The tea/coffee machine was unavailable until we'd finished our (not great) food. Not a completely unpleasant stay, but will be trying elsewhere next time.

We had to leave a day early due to a very sad family situation. The two members i spoke to in reception were so kind and cancelled our last night with no financial loss to us. As i say,so kind. Xx

Some positives - great location, clean room, quiet, early check in. Negatives- our room was given yo someone else, they came in as we were watching TB with our toddler, giving out the correct rooms is pretty much basic for a hotel, the other guest was appalled. Another let down was the service in the bar, it was very slow and they are clearly lacking enough staff.

Understandably a historic property however rooms and communal areas decor not to my taste. Very old fashioned. Room was very dusty, radiators filled with thick layers of dust, same applied to the extractor fan in the bathroom. Housekeeping did not refill or replace toiletries despite making our room up during our 2 night stay (as expected of a 4 star). Breakfast wait staff and reception were friendly, but those manning the bar less so. Enquired if they were still open one evening and had the door shut in my face. Buffet breakfast ok, but would have much preferred cooked to order. Convenient location for visiting family but will try elsewhere next time.

We stayed for a family wedding held at the hotel. It was amazing. The staff couldn’t do enough and always friendly and cheerful. Thank you for a memorable stay. Can’t wait to come back