Stratford-upon-Avon
Macdonald Alveston Manor

Macdonald Alveston Manor

Clopton Brg, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Cafés • Coffee • British • European


"I'd like to preface my review by acknowledging that my experience might not be representative of what most guests encounter, as I suspect the hotel might have been having an off day. However, overall, I found this stay to be less than the value it should have been for the cost. I'll break down my experience into different sections: Arrival The hotel's location is excellent, just a short walk from the town center. Check-in was relatively swift, with a second staff member stepping in to assist their colleague who was already engaged with another guest. We received information about our booking, directions to our room, details about breakfast, and an overview of the spa and pool facilities. Room Upon entering the room, it left a positive initial impression. The room featured charming period details alongside modern amenities like air conditioning, a fridge, and a generous selection of tea and coffee facilities, including Nespresso. There were a few cobwebs around the light fixtures on the vaulted ceiling. The bathroom, bed, and sheets were clean and well presented. However, I did notice a few old red stains (presumably either blood or wine) on the carpet, which was a bit concerning. Pool Facilities We visited the pool facilities after returning from an evening meal in town. The changing rooms were clean and well-maintained. We essentially had the pool to ourselves around 9 pm. The pool, while 18 meters long, had a constant depth of 1.2 meters, making it suitable for lane swimmers. The sauna and steam room were good. Unfortunately, I didn't get to experience the gym or spa facilities, so I can't provide feedback on those. Sleep The bed, while of a good size, had a mattress that was overly soft, possibly aiming for luxury but causing backaches and neck cramps. Additionally, the room's air conditioning resetting to 24 degrees throughout the night disrupted our sleep. We couldn't open the windows due to the proximity to the main road, which would have subjected us to noise from passing cars and pedestrians. Breakfast Our breakfast experience was marred by a lengthy wait. We arrived around 10 am and joined a queue of 10-15 people who had already been waiting for a considerable time. Waiting for an hour in the queue before being seated, we noticed that the entire restaurant was covered in dirty plates, and hardly any guests were seated. The staff struggled to clean the tables, and only after a guest complained did a manager from a sister hotel across the road intervene to address the chaos. While breakfast was acceptable, it hardly justified the wait, as some items were already unavailable despite the service continuing for another hour or so. A nearby guest had to request a pot of tea from three different staff members multiple times before ultimately giving up and lodging a complaint with the management. Other Notes An evening visit to the hotel bar revealed a bustling scene with only one person serving. After ordering drinks, we were told they would be brought over. However, several patrons walked in and stood at the bar, waiting for service for a good ten minutes before the server was available to make our drinks. When the drinks were brought over, the table was cleared, but the server spilled milk from a previous guest's coffee on the table and never returned to clean it. If any staff from the hotel would like to discuss this stay with me, please reach out. I'm uncertain whether I would choose to stay again, given the cost, as I've had more satisfying experiences in 3-star hotels, despite this one being a 4-star establishment. Nevertheless, the beautiful grounds and the period building are distinctive and noteworthy selling points."

The View

The View

Swans Nest, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Fish • Beer • Seafood • British


"We sat outside in the covered seated area.amd ordered with ease via the QR code. The food arrived quickly and was tasty, I had the chicken sandwich which was really tasty and slightly different to most other chicken sandwiches. That said I think it was a bit overpriced for what you get. My husband had the pepperoni pizza and enjoyed it too. I've marked the service down a bit due to a mix up with our drinks. I'd ordered a full fat Pepsi on the QR code and was given a Pepsi Max. I wasn't told it wasn't full fat, which even though they knew the difference should have pointed out incase of allergies. After a couple of sips I decided to check at the bar of it was full fat or not. I was told it wasn't and that it need to be changed when ordering off the QR code as they changed it that day to not having full fat Pepsi. The lady wasn't overly apologetic but said I can change my drink if I'd like. Having checked the menu I decided on an apple juice, to be told it then had to be a draft drink and not just any drink that it would replace?!! So I asked for a lime and lemonade instead, this was sorted after I'd paid the additional 75p for the cordial addition. Now I feel that either an apple juice as a replacement (same price) or the lime and lemonade (75p extra) could have been swapped regardless and for no extra cost as the error was the bars error and not mine. Simple things like this go along way with customer service and wouldn't have left an annoyance still lingering. This is a well situated bar/restaurant with loads of tables to enjoy a drink and/or meal at."