The castle is very grand and the surroundings are stunning . We stayed over Christmas so had a lovely time as a family . There are alot of positives and unfortunately a few negatives . We were charged 3 times the price of a normal stay with a cost of £9036 for 5 days. Therefore at this price are expectations were pretty high. The castle needs alot of TLC , whilst most of the rooms were wonderful . On arrival there were dead flies ( or dying flies ) in all the rooms on the first floor . It appears there was a issue with cluster flies . This was consistent throught the stay . Room 9 was filthy, stains on floor and walls , badly maintained and the mattresses were old and springy . Room 5 mattress sloped down and had another one underneath that was broken. Enamel on the lovely baths had peeled off and 3 of the showers weren't working . One leaked out , one never got hot and the other needed the head replacing . The downstairs was freezing but upstairs super hot . we had to buy my mum and electric blanket to stay warm downstairs !! The Microwave wasnt working , the food in the fridges froze some if the food which was a nightmare trying to cook on Christmas day !! No washing machine as advertised and the sauna didnt work although we chopped wood to use it that way. The hot tub and sauna are outside , there is a door that leads from the conservatory which was also unuseable due to the roof falling in . This meant you had to walk outside and around to access these . Unfortunately it was pitch black as no lighting ! The caretaker was lovely and tried his best to support . He replaced the Microwave and washing machine a few days later . Although it wasn't the best as one if the kids had been sick on the first night so I had to wash the sheets in the bath. The pool table had no working cues so we had to go out and buy some . The tv and Xbox didn't have leads so the kids couldn't use those . Only one TV throughout and WiFi is terrible . We raised all of this mostly on the first day and the caretaker advised that group retreats advised us to flip the mattresses and there nothing they could do . They flatly denied this when I spoke to them . Whilst the castle has some great features and is huge , the response re a complaint was why I give them 2 stars . Whilst they acknowledged some if the issues , the response was condescending and implied that we were making it up as no guests before or after have had these issues . Customer relations needs alot of work , I don't ever complain about anything but it was duely warranted on this occasion ..I sent in videos and photos to reflect my concerns . I was worried as I have seen other reviews where they have refused to give deposits back . To be honest we left the castle cleaner than when we arrived. We didn't have any issues with this being refunded . In a snapshot group retreats need to work on there customer service skills and take some accountability instead of reacting it back when there are issues . Although the team leader who I spoke to about the response to the complaint was lovely and tried to be as accommodating as she could .
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Group Retreats provides large-group high-end accommodation in unique and beautiful country houses.
Recognising that large groups often struggle to find appropriate accommodation and that luxury housing for such groups was in short supply, we set out to find the perfect country homes for our customers to enjoy.
Our vision is not only to provide your group with a comfortable stay, but to give you an unforgettable experience of staying in a quintessential English country home. You will discover unique settings for a family break, corporate function or a milestone celebration; which you can enjoy in your own way.
Typically, our properties are large historic listed buildings with extensive grounds and beautiful gardens. Swimming pools and spas are features in most of our places, along with games rooms packed with snooker, pool and other games. Our properties are generally in quiet, isolated locations, surrounded by countryside – perfect for exploring.
At Group Retreats we can help you plan an unforgettable trip.See more
