Upon arrival in the car park the panels concealing the current building work proclaimed ‘exciting things happening this summer.’Hmm, I thought, there was no mention of any building works taking place at the time of booking or in my confirmation email. Strange, and I wonder why?Entering reception to the sound of heavy drilling was not quite the peaceful welcome expected but, you know, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. The young lady ‘crowd busting’ in reception was doing a great job offering soothing ginger tea and directing guests to the cafe while they waited for the large queue to diminish, but she missed a second opportunity to apologise for any potential inconvenience due to the building work. Having made it through a very busy check-in (why don’t you stagger arrival times?) I made my way to the Salt pool area only to find it more like a cheap package holiday destination. Hot Chairs and recliners were taken or else bagged with towels and it was loud and very busy. Finding no tranquility there I ventured to the sauna to be affronted by not only the sound and reverberation of nearby drilling but also the complaining of disgruntled guests bemoaning the lack of the expected relaxing experience they had paid for.I headed to the Nordic fire and ice area, again full and with no access to the hydrotherapy pool due to a leak of some sort. I wandered through more busy and noisy areas, seeking the blissful relaxation I had signed up for but to no avail. Admittedly the sauna and steam rooms offered some respite but were again busy and hot beds for disgruntled chatter.Lunch came and was delicious, but service was slow, food not that hot and the room was cold. When you sit in a damp dressing gown to eat lunch you do need a bit of warmth. Afterwards I went to the sleep room and bagged a wonderful warm water bed and managed a snooze, but that was not without interruption. People banging through the door to check whether any empty beds. Staff banging through the door to return blankets to the basket. Some electrical intermittent buzzing was also taking place along with the rumblings of trolleys being pushed along the floor above.To top it all, the girl checking me out was apathetic and didn’t even make eye contact when I paid for my £5 coffee and £10 glass of wine.I hate to moan but a relaxing and peaceful spa day as an escape from my busy, noisy week was what I was looking forward to and expecting. My expectations were not met and I left feeling jangled and overwhelmed by the cacophony of too many people in limited spaces.A spa environment should welcome clients into a safe and relaxing space where they can forget their troubles for a while. Today really wasn’t a soothing spa experience and you really should have told your guests in advance about the building work.
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Hoar Cross Hall Spa Hotel is a Grade II listed stately home retreat in Staffordshire that pairs period style with modern luxury and attentive service.
