The Elephant, Exclusive Hire

Not only did we stay here for 4 nights we also hosted our baby shower. The stay: Check in was super easy, on the website says payment is collected on departure: the payment is on check in. As stated the parking at hotel is small (5 spaces) so we had to park in the pay and display next door; similar hotels we've stayed (no or small car park) have offered a discount, the elephant does not. It's £8 a day and £1 over night. It is no longer free. The rooms are clean and well looked after, very impressed with the tea and coffee selection in rooms. I think due to the age of the hotel the rooms are not sound proof, I could here people walking past room at all hours, the TV from the room next door and as we was on top of the bar any noise coming from there, so if you're a light sleeper might be a problem. The breastfast is very good: good section of food and their cooked breakfast was superb, good quality produce used!! The few times we used the bar had to wait a while or most often then not had to go and find someone to get served. The baby shower: organising this shower was the easiest thing I've ever had to do. Emily was amazing with emails; Very responsive, could not fault. We had afternoon tea which was delicious, served I a timely manner. All of our guest complimentary of the food. Only two negatives: I did inform staff that I will be coming to set up for baby shower between 12/12.30. This was agreed in emails and on the contract (Room hire paid for). At 12.20 they was showing a couple around (looking for a wedding venue). The person showing them when entering the room did look surprised we was there and did feel awkward. The other negative is if guests and myself wanted anything more to drink other then tea and coffee offered in the afternoon tea, we had to go to the bar and again gonon the hunt for someone to serve us. All in all I would book again.

The Elephant Hotel is in a fantastic location, right by the river and nestled amongst some wonderful shops, pubs and restaurants. The location really couldn’t be better. With that, the value for money is fantastic, especially if you book one the ‘offer’ packages which, in our case, meant breakfast was included and we enjoyed a discount on the dinner meal. The room, as others have said, does feel a little tired, but, for the money, I can’t really complain. The bed was large and comfy enough, although the pillows were a little flimsy, even after recruiting the spares from the cupboard to try and provide more support. The bathroom was decent, although I struggled to get hot water from the shower at around 8:30am in the morning. The provided toiletries were lovely, though. Dinner in the ‘Babar’ (as we were there with our dog) was a great experience. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. The steaks we ordered were top notch and cooked perfectly to our request. The only thing I would say is that the staff seemed a little shy when ordering cocktails. My main negative was the experience dealing with the main reception desk. At check-in, we were really given any information related to our specific package, e.g. that breakfast was included, what time it was, or where it was; that we had an allowance towards dinner; that we had a late checkout; or really anything other than out room key and number. There is definitely room for improvement here. On that, as part of the package, our dog was supposed to receive a complimentary breakfast but we were never asked about this so it went missing. Indeed, I had to claim back the dinner allowance the following day after paying for the meal in full the night before which, although partly my fault, would have been avoided with better communication. All in all, a great experience and I would return as it’s a fantastic option for a stay with a dog! Having access to the garden area directly from our room is also a wonderful plus.