The Bear Hotel by Greene King Inns

good communication with home office and with staff on arrival and also very well served during evening meal (relaxed and friendly approach by all staff helped make the family meeting successful. THANKS TO ALL

The staff were workingtheir socks off and really trying to serve customers well. However they were handicapped by the dilapidated state of the building. Checkin was very quick and friendly, and staff quickly arranged extra bedding for a blow-up mattress for a child. However the state of the rooms left a lot to be desired. One room had an aweful smell, which we were told had been reported by a previous guest that week. We were given an odour remover spray which was effective. There was a thick layer of dust on the bedhead, cobwebs on the lights, and coffee granules on the desk. Cleaning rooms had not been a priority for the overworked staff. The wooden window frames were actually rotting in places and it seemed as if the windows might fall out if touched. The toilet seat was also not firmly attached and was another accident waiting to happen. Our room and the one next to it were accessed by a shared lobby where just standing on the floorboards to put a key in the door made a sound like someone knocking. I lost count of the number of times we went to answer the door only to discover our neighbours going in or out. In the restaurant the main meal arrived before we received our starter. We were compensated for the mistake. The food, when it arraived, was good value. The presence of a lot of local people attested to the quality & price of the food & drink. The bed was comfortable, if a little hard. We had two good nights' sleep.