From first arriving, immediately nothing felt warm or welcoming. Someone was checking in ahead of us so we waited only a couple of seconds but the girl who called us over didn't even look up, I wasn't sure if she was even speaking to us at first. She took our names and my card and asked if we'd been here before (we hadn't) we were then sat down to fill out our forms and given a drink-- which was nice. We then headed back to reception as asked and took the spa forms with us - this time a different member of staff, again no warmth or a smile, just said you need to keep those to take to your treatment and asked if we had one booked? We were given no information of the location of anything ie: where the spa was, treatment rooms were, or where the restaurant is, how to access the outdoor pool, where the private pool is. Literally nothing. We were given a slip of paper with our key with some opening times on it.The rooms are warm and decorated nicely with all amenities and little touches - this has not gone unnoticed. However we quickly noticed there were no flip flops or slippers in the room. Which i know is not unusual these days with hotels being more environmentally friendly, however this was not mentioned in any of the booking process to either make sure you bring some (lots of hotels make this known) or we can provide some at a cost, which wasn't communicated to us at check in. I called down to reception, as I had already got changed I had to ask reception if they wouldn't mind bringing them up - which appeared to be a big inconvenience. We had a treatment booked for 4:30pm but having not been told where to go we headed back to reception only to be sent back the other way. After the treatment we wanted to use the spa, I asked for a couple of towels and the reception staff were ust leant on the wall and said they're over there just take them yourself. No smile, no warmth, just made to feel like I was an nconvenience for asking for a towel.The spa is nice but no idea where or if there is a sauna, another guest also said the same thing to me when she overheard me looking for it. The outdoor pool was a nice touch but again we weren't told where it was or any info. We headed up to the bar for a drink before dinner, again the decor is lovely and a great setting. The girl behind the bar was nice. However there were 3 young men at the bar who appeared to know the girl working, not sure if they were staff having a drink after work but they were loud, swearing and having phone calls on loud speaker. The dining experience is where the wheels really came off. We were seated promptly and our order was taken swiftly. However that was where it ended. While I appreciate that it was a busy evening, 90 minutes after being seated and receiving only our starters — along with a single drink offered at the beginning — falls well below acceptable service standards. I eventually raised my concerns with the host/restaurant manager, who appeared genuinely perplexed when I explained the situation - which only highlighted his lack of attention and awareness of the restaurant. Within minutes of doing so, our mains arrived. While that may have been a coincidence, the condition of the steak suggests otherwise. It was completely dry and cooked well done, despite us ordering it medium rare. This leads me to believe it had been sitting at the pass for a considerable time and had continued to cook itself before being served.Aside from the young man working behind the bar, the service team appeared largely disengaged. Several waitresses were standing around talking while basic service tasks were overlooked. The couple seated next to us waited approximately 30 minutes just to receive their bread and oil, and their table remained uncleared for at least another 30 minutes after finishing their mains. Interestingly, once they requested the bill, the card machine appeared within seconds — which unfortunately speaks volumes about the priorities demonstrated that evening: minimal customer care, yet impressive efficiency when it came to taking payment.Frankly, I would be embarrassed if this were the standard of service delivered by my staff — particularly as part of a £700 spa package experience. With The Tawny just up the road, whose service I have always found to be impeccable, you either need to significantly improve your standards or reconsider your pricing structure.
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