The Old Swan

“Afternoon Tea”

Afternoon tea in an historic English hotel. What could possibly happen to turn an "excellent" into a "very good" review? A couple of things. Firstly, it was raining heavily on arrival and there was no parking near the hotel entrance. Luckily there was parking in the empty carpark at the rear of the… more

Afternoon tea in an historic English hotel. What could possibly happen to turn an "excellent" into a "very good" review? A couple of things. Firstly, it was raining heavily on arrival and there was no parking near the hotel entrance. Luckily there was parking in the empty carpark at the rear of the hotel. Unluckily, I had to walk back to the car to put a parking permit in it, so by the time I sat down for afternoon tea, I was suitably soaked. Is that parking permit really necessary? Could I not just leave the registration details at reception and they pass that on to whomever is on parking duty? Secondly, there was only one wait staff member on duty and he was doing an excellent job, keeping up with serving everyone, as it was not overly busy. However, it did take a while to attract his attention to get a tea refill. Other suggestions I would like to add are the following: Perhaps have a choice of tea available. The tea we had was fine, but we didn't know what it was. Also, I had booked the experience for my family online. I knew how much it would cost. I don't think it necessary to welcome people by telling them how much they will have to pay. But, ending on a positive note, the food was plentiful and tasty and the surroundings and furnishings as charming as you would expect.

less

“Value for money at an iconic hotel”

Spent a lovely weekend in Harrogate at the Old Swan Hotel. Location is excellent, literally a stone's throw to the city centre. Parking at the hotel is also very good (but extra cost - £10 per night). Our room was an executive suite and seemed slightly tired. It wasn't open plan to the living area… more

Spent a lovely weekend in Harrogate at the Old Swan Hotel. Location is excellent, literally a stone's throw to the city centre. Parking at the hotel is also very good (but extra cost - £10 per night). Our room was an executive suite and seemed slightly tired. It wasn't open plan to the living area which didn't suit us. We would probably book a standard room instead, if we returned. The room was a bit dark, could do with brighter decor or lighting. We felt cleanliness was average at best. The shower (above bath) was very good and the provided toiletries very nice. Provided bathrobes were a bit creased and looked very 'used' and therefore didn't encourage wear. Public rooms, the bar and the grounds of the hotel are lovely. We booked dinner on our first night. The dining room is wonderful and the meals served were very nice, better than many hotel restaurants we've tried. We had breakfast included. Breakfast is taken in the wonderful restaurant. It is a buffet breakfast , including full English and was extremely tasty. Pastries were lovely too. Unfortunately the toaster was very slow and often caused queueing - they need to find a better solution for providing toast. The hotel was very busy and seems to be a popular option in Harrogate. There was also of course that Agatha Christie, mystery vibe going on. The lift at the hotel is too small for a large, busy hotel and didn't give any indication as to which floor it was on. Possibly age of the hotel prevents adding a larger or additional lift ? We enjoyed our weekend stay and felt we got value for money. All the guests we chatted with seemed very happy with the hotel too.

less

“Privilege Card a waste of time”

Before we went to the hotel we joined the Privilege Club about a week previous to our booking. Since there was a possibility the card would not arrive I emailed enquiring would I still be eligible for any offers including the welcome pack on arrival. Unfortunately I never received a reply but I got… more

Before we went to the hotel we joined the Privilege Club about a week previous to our booking. Since there was a possibility the card would not arrive I emailed enquiring would I still be eligible for any offers including the welcome pack on arrival. Unfortunately I never received a reply but I got a few emails with offers for Privilege card members, hence I assumed I was now a member and kept the emails to show to reception on arrival. On arrival we mentioned the Privilege Card dilemma but was told there were only hotel booking offers and nothing about a welcome pack. The hotel was aesthetically pleasing but probably needed a lot of maintenance, as one of our bathroom windows could not be opened as part of the mechanism was missing. The radiator in the main bedroom the valve must have been broken as we could not turn the heating down as it was very warm. The beds roll away from the headboard which makes sitting up difficult but reception told us the beds were fitted with castors so the cleaners could move them in and out for cleaning. I offered a very easy economical solution to this and she said she would raise it at the next meeting as it was a good idea. Dinner in the hotel was fine and the dining team were excellent and very helpful. My wife really enjoyed the steak and was cooked perfectly to her liking. Breakfast staff yet again were brilliant and the Eggs Benedict was delicious and on one morning they allowed me to substitute the ham in the Eggs Benedict for smoked salmon which was like heaven on my tongue. The bar staff also were excellent and were very pleasant to chat to. On our second day I mentioned the Privilege Card welcome pack to Jamie the reception manager, and he told me it was a bowl of fruit on arrival and did I show my card on arrival. I explained my plight as the card had not arrived but I could show him emails to confirm I was indeed a Privilege Card member, but he just repeated you need to show your card on arrival. After his very “computer says no” behaviour from the show Little Britain I thought just thought let it lie and cancel my subscription after the next email. Apart from the few issues in our room and the Privilege Card fiasco we enjoyed our stay.

less