inncollectiongroup.comReviews of inncollectiongroup.com

Myself and my husband had lunch at the Kings Head Newton under Roseberry on 28 November. We weren't that impressed with the food or service at the time. However. 3 weeks later we received a car parking charge notice for £100 from Smart Parking who run their car park. We parked for less that the 2 hour limit, in a disabled bay having correctly displayed the blue badge. At the bar there was a screen facing customers which was completely blank and none of the staff mentioned it so we assumed that the machine was not working correctly or switched off. We have experience of similar systems and the screens are usually lit, prompting patrons as to their function as do staff-not the case at the Kings Head. On receipt of the parking charge, we rang the Kings Head to discuss but were met with complete ambivalence and disinterest except to advise that we go through Smart Parking appeals process. I would point out that this process requires proof of purchase - paying by wifi the Kings Head did not issue a receipt! Staff must be aware of the system so why do they not automatically give a receipt? This raises the question - perhaps the establishment receives commission on fines? We shall not be paying the fine, nor shall we be patronising this establishment again and would advise everyone to vote with their feet and stay away.

Stayed at the Kings Head in Unbelievably our room had been booked in twice, no mention on arrival so you can imagine how annoyed we were to find our stay cost us twice the price. On contacting customer service we were met with no understanding of the situation just tough ! Why was it not mentioned on check in? The room had mould all around the windows ,shower room tiny. Food was average . Asked for a taxi for 7 pm , at lunchtime, went to the bar at 6.30 ,oh sorry we forgot. Had to wait for one to come all the way from Middlesbrough. Was asked to leave early on the Monday as the hotel was being closed for a refurb . Only us and another couple there but there was no offer of a refund as we were told we could have let the room, but had we been told on check in we could have cancelled 2 days! Stayed in this hotel chain before many times but will not use them again absolutely atrocious customer service, poor guest relations , as a company you should train your staff in guest relations and some empathy. Your customer services Manager is just rude and needs to look for a job she is more suited to .

I booked to stay at the Seaton Inn on the 29th September was going to arrive late but you cannot contact them to tell them, when i arrived the hotel was locked up the EMERGENCY number on the door for late arrivals was switched off had to sleep in my car. DISGRACEFUL they dont even respond to your emails or feedback.

We had high hopes for our stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn, but it sadly fell far short of expectations. Firstly, after paying online, we received no email confirmation of the booking. I had to phone the hotel myself to check whether we were actually booked; not the kind of uncertainty you want when you've already paid. On arrival, we discovered there were only five guest parking spaces for the entire hotel. We were lucky to get one, but were then advised to leave the car there for the entire stay or risk losing the spot. We had requested a quiet room with a firm king-size bed due to back issues, but ended up in room 12, which was neither quiet nor as described. The bed was uncomfortably soft, and the room was directly above the beer garden and kitchen extractor fans: incredibly noisy, more like staying at an airport than a coastal inn. We were told the fans would be switched off by 9pm, and we presume switched on early (however we didn't stay long enough to find out). We asked about moving rooms from the first night, but none were available. The only option offered the next day was a downgrade, which wasn’t acceptable. With no decent alternatives, we ended up cutting the trip short and driving home. I had driven for over six hours in one day, not ideal at all, especially for an 81-year-old. Upon returning home, we enquired with the reservation team about the possibility of a discount or refund. This was promptly denied as they claimed we were offered alternative accommodation. Not true for our first nights stay, as the place was full, and nothing more could be done on that night. This was not the relaxing break we’d hoped for, and unfortunately, we won’t be returning or recommending it.

On the 7th April, at The Black Swan in Helmsley, I booked a double room with a shower, preferably on the ground floor, as my wife and I have mobility issues. I was told there was only a small flight of stairs to our room number 23, On arrival we were shown a corridor and told the room was down there. It was quite a distance to walk and there were a few flights of stairs to negotiate. There is no lift. We are both Blue Badge holders and I was told parking was available. There are no guarantees that there will be a space available, if you leave the car park. Parking is very limited especially on a Friday when its market day. Our room was basic and out dated. On looking round I found a note saying to leave used towels in the shower, there was already one there left by the previous guests. There were no toiletries only a soap dispenser which provided very watery liquid soap. The toilet was small, wedged between the shower, the wall and the toilet roll holder. Underneath the toilet seat was badly stained with urine, looked as if it had never been cleaned. On the Friday we reserved a table for dinner at 6pm. We chose a starter of garlic mushrooms, the portion was very small. I had the steak and ale pie which was poor quality, with a few chips, a bit of cabbage and two slices of carrot. We were asked if we wanted a couple of free drinks instead of the daily room cleaning service, as we were stopping for only two nights we accepted the drinks. We had breakfast on the Sunday morning. The full English consisted of: 1 sausage, 1 rasher of bacon (over cooked} 1 egg 1 hash brown (nugget size) 1 small piece of black pudding 1 small spoonful of baked beans ........................over priced at £13 !!! My wife had porridge which was too thin, would have been better served as a drink in a mug. The counters for the continental breakfast were poorly organised, along with the tea/coffee. The rotary toaster was in use with no supervision, definitely too dangerous for children to use. Overall an overpriced weekend, and on leaving we had to pay £75 for evening dinner x2, and 2 packed lunches.

3rd Review update: Almost a week and no response from a General manager. 2nd review update: Since emailing the restaurant I was told it was my lack of communication during my visit that was at fault. As I didnt communicated regarding my meal, after multiple attempts of communicating which all felt short at previous issues. At this point I gave up trying. To which I asked should I have trained their staff whilst I was at it? No sincere apology and a lack of acknowledgement of the restaurants fault. However the assistant manager then did agree the meal was not up to the normal standard after reviewing a photo I provided them with, yet offered zero compensation. Just my fault as I didn't tell them then and there, after communicating different issues. Shocking customer service, the tone of the response kept putting the blame on myself rather than taking ownership. Would personally say avoid. You go to a restaurant to relax and be a guest, this certainly wasn't my experience during and with the aftercare. Apparently it'll take over a week for another manager to get back to me 'as they have a busy schedule ' I'm glad to hear customer care is far down on priorities of the list. Review: wanted to share some feedback following a disappointing experience at your restaurant recently. Upon arriving, I went to the bar to order two espresso martinis and was told to wait. After several minutes, I politely asked if I could sit down and have the drinks brought over, as I have a bad leg and standing was causing discomfort. Unfortunately, I was told no and to continue waiting, despite explaining my situation to the staff member. Later, when ordering mains, I attempted to change my order moments after placing it, due to the kitchen not having the order I wanted so wrongly chose my order. Instead of checking with the kitchen promptly, I stood at the till for 5–10 minutes while staff tried to figure it out. I was eventually told the change was fine, only to be informed just before the food was served that it hadn't gone through after all. When our meals arrived, we were not given any cutlery. A staff member eventually fetched some, but not before another rolled their eyes at the situation. The food itself was disappointing: the corn on the cob was burnt and inedible, as were the potatoes. Throughout the evening, empty glasses remained on our table despite staff regularly walking past. For the price of the meal and drinks for two people, the level of service we received was extremely disappointing. I don’t usually leave complaints, but I felt this experience needed to be shared. I hope you take this feedback seriously and work with your team to improve the service and attention to detail, especially when customers raise genuine concerns, please come back to me on the above. Unable to email via website.

Booked a few days at Ambilside inn for 2 pensioners with mobility issues, no mention of no parking in the description for Ambilside amenities had free cancellation until week before after this date with us all packed and ready to go they sent a text including the fact there was no parking and we had to use public car parks and walk to the inn, disgraceful, why not state this in initial info not make potential customers hunt for it. Why ? because you would lose booking which you are then taking money for after cancellation date. When booking beware of this atrocious practice. Needless to say we couldt go and are now nearly £500 poorer.

The Midland Morecambe. I booked a suite for 2 nights as my husband has life limiting illness so wanted to make it a special stay...where do I start? What would you expect in a suite? Luxury? Air con....bottled Water..Wine glasses...bath robes...slippers...a safe? NONE OF THESE. One of the sliding doors would not lock so without a safe we could not leave anything of value in the room. As the room was all glass fronted and side, the temperature was unbelievable. The bathroom had a huge circular bath with an overhead shower which took 2 members of staff to work out how to work it. The bath was plastic so stood taking a shower was unsafe as it was not solid, so my husband could not use it. The bathroom door did not close flush so privacy was a no no. However, my MAJOR concern was the balcony. It was huge but no part of it appeared safe so my husband could not go outside which was the whole point of booking this suite. This is a major health and safety concern. The suite should not be available until this has been made safe. The decking was literally like walking on sponge, unlevel and dangerous. The jacuzzi was obviously out of use and looked very run down and filthy. Inside.....dirty stained walls. Damaged furniture, very very basic, worn and tired. I instantly brought my concerns up with reception, they showed me the only available room which was not adequate so she told me the assistant manager would speak to me. Joel was very professional, kind and understanding. If it wasn't for him I would have packed up and gone home. Joel did not seem surprised with my concerns so obviously he is aware of the sad decline of a once beautiful hotel which we have visited many times over the years. Such a shame it is allowed to advertise how it used to be. The website really needs to be honest in it's description and photographs. It looks like a dilapidated building dirty and grey. Breakfast room was sad and a little embarrassing. The cups were stained as was the seating. I wish I could upload my photos which are totally different to what the Midland advertise. The Inn Collection which now own the hotel should be ashamed and need to address all the concerns pointed out by many customers esp on Trust pilot. I would not recommend The Midland, please do not waste your money as it will be a huge disappointment. We were offered a large refund but it did not make our stay any better. An iconic building no longer stands out. They can not ignore Major concerns especially relating to health and safety issues. I have tried to contact the Inn Collection directly but very difficult to navigate and as people have pointed out in other bad reviews, they do not bother to respond anyway! Disgraceful!