Dunston Hall, Exclusive Hire

We spent one night at the hotel, the staff, room and location were great. However we thought the food could’ve been better quality for the amount that we paid. Furthermore, whilst the pool and spa facilities were very fun, they could’ve been a little cleaner. Overall had a great time.

Avoid at all costs – shocking experience! My partner booked a stay at Dunston Hall as a birthday gift, primarily for the spa, as we rarely get time together. Unfortunately, the experience was incredibly disappointing and far from the luxurious spa hotel advertised. It’s more like a run-down community pool than a spa hotel. To begin with, the hotel did not have robes or slippers available for guests, despite being marketed as a spa hotel. All of the robes were being laundered (on a Saturday...) and they have stopped giving guests slippers...this set the tone for what would be a terrible experience. We only had one opportunity to use the spa, and it was a nightmare. The floors were dirty, dated, and tiles were coming loose which was painful without slippers and dangerous. Worse, the ladies' toilets had leaked all through the changing rooms, flooding the entrance. Without slippers, we had to walk barefoot through toilet water to get into the spa – absolutely disgusting and unhygienic. Staff were also using the towels meant for guests to tidy up the mess, which I understand they may not have had a choice but to use. I'm surprised they let people into the spa, asking them to walk over the wet towels, not letting them know it was unsanitary toilet water. Once in, we managed to swim one length of the pool, which had a rickety step, and spent just 10 minutes in the sauna, which had dirty, mud-stained windows, before a staff member came in and told everyone to leave due to worsening flooding. We were forced to walk through the filthy water again to exit, spending a total of 20 minutes in the spa. To make matters worse, the 'fresh' towel in our hotel room smelled strongly of swimming pool water. When we asked for a refund, the staff were unable to and instead offered us a free drinks voucher and waived the late checkout fee – something we weren’t even going to use given the terrible experience. This felt like a completely inadequate response to the appalling situation. To the company that owns this hotel, please give us our money back. It's the right thing to do given the experience. This was meant to be a birthday gift that turned into an absolute nightmare. It would mean so much if my partner could receive a substantial refund, considering the kind intention behind this gift and the fact that we spent a total of 20 minutes in the spa. To anyone considering staying here: this hotel is absolutely not worth the money. The facilities are dated, poorly maintained, and misrepresented. I urge anyone considering booking this hotel to save their money and look elsewhere. Even on a good day, it’s not worth it. Avoid at all costs!