Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa, Exclusive Hire

Attended an amazing wedding which was fortunately held outdoors in lovely weather. Staff were lovely. Its not for those who might be financially challenged. Drinks are an example. I suppose you get what you pay for. Overall an excellent venue for celebrating any occasion!

I’ve visited twice, once last year with my partner and again this year, as we enjoyed it so much the first time and hoped to make it a tradition. Unfortunately, I doubt we’ll be back for a third visit. Since last year, a lot has changed- the hotel and spa experience feels stripped back, yet the prices have increased. For example, access to the spa/gym up until checkout was included during our first stay, but this time it wasn’t. The staff were generally lovely and helpful, though at times service felt a little unpolished. On a couple of occasions we were inconvenienced, but no gestures of goodwill were offered. One incident that stood out was when a section of the poolside decking gave way as a guest stepped out of the jacuzzi. We later caught up with them at dinner and heard the staff member that saw it happen offered no gesture of goodwill such as a complimentary drink, dessert, or small treatment. We were also woken up during the night by loud guests walking through the corridors, and there was only 1 cocktail in the room as oppose to two, despite them being included in the room booking. For a 4-star hotel, these instances felt disappointing, as those little touches are what make the difference. Another frustration was that the hotel hadn’t informed us in advance that two surrounding roads were closed, which made arriving more stressful than it needed to be. The food was good, but not exceptional or particularly filling- and at £140 for two people (two courses and one drink each), it didn’t feel like good value. For the price and the 4-star rating, the experience felt underwhelming, and sadly, not worth repeating. I do feel guilty writing this, as I had so much affection for the hotel after our first visit. Our stay this time was still enjoyable in parts, and there were positives- but the changes, coupled with the lack of those thoughtful touches, meant it just didn’t live up to the standard we had hoped for.