Our stay at Leonardo Hotel Cheltenham on 23rd–24th January 2026 was so poor that we checked out early and found another hotel. What was once a reliable place to stay has clearly suffered a serious decline in both standards and leadership.On arrival, we were informed by the duty manager on shift that due to a power cut we were being downgraded from a suite to a superior room. This was not communicated to us in advance, which is completely unacceptable. Had we been informed prior to arrival, we would have cancelled and booked elsewhere. This lack of transparency alone shows a disregard for guests. The duty manager’s manner during check-in was cold, dismissive, and unprofessional, with no attempt to apologise or offer a reasonable solution.The hotel itself felt poorly managed. The automatic front doors were broken, leaving the lobby and restaurant areas freezing cold. Guests were expected to sit and eat in coats while a handful of cheap portable heaters were scattered around as a token gesture. This was uncomfortable and frankly embarrassing for a hotel of this size.Restaurant service on the evening of the 23rd was painfully slow. Although the waiting staff were polite and clearly doing their best, we waited over 30 minutes for starters and then another 25 minutes for mains. What made this even more frustrating was that there were only around six tables dining at the time, so there was no obvious reason for such excessive delays. No explanation was offered and no apology given.Breakfast the next morning was extremely disappointing. Food was barely warm under the heat lamps, overall quality was poor, and my vegetarian sausages were undercooked. Breakfast standards have clearly dropped significantly compared to previous visits.We were booked for two nights but, after returning from the races on the 24th, we chose to leave early as we simply could not face another night. To make matters worse, when passing the same duty manager that evening, she deliberately avoided eye contact and blanked us, putting her head down rather than offering even basic courtesy. This behaviour is utterly unprofessional and completely inappropriate for someone in a management role.It is genuinely astonishing that someone with such poor customer service skills holds the title of duty manager. This stay felt badly run, uncomfortable, and dismissive of guests at every level. Until there is a serious improvement in management attitude and overall standards, I would strongly advise looking elsewhere.
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