The Wiltshire Hotel and Country Club - golf ahoy! (Best Western Hotels)

Member Name: MeganFF

Product:	Best Western Hotels
Date:	22/05/09 (34 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely room

Disadvantages: Restaurant staff

I was lucky enough to get tickets for Radio One's Big Weekend in Swindon (2009), and so needed a place to stay for the weekend.

After a very lovely stay in a Best Western near Sheffield (Mosborough Hall) I opted for another BW - The Wiltshire Hotel and Country Club.

For £133, the two of us stayed for two night, with breakfast thrown in. I didn't think this was bad, so booked in. Have to say I was quite surprised that we got in so easily (only get notified if you get tickets a week or so before the event) as 40,000 people were going to the festival over the two days.

So we set off to Swindon. After a long drive (I live in Peterborough, so it's about two n half hour drive, yawn!) we arrived in Wooton Bassett - the village just outside Swindon were the hotel was located.
We even found the hotel rather easily. All praise the sat-nav inventor!

The hotel looks pretty modern from the outside, set to the side of a golf course, so pretty quiet and lovely grounds to look at.
We carted our bags into reception, and was dealt with straight away. It turned out we was in a suite, not the double standard I had booked. Great!

The room was huge, the bathroom the kind I'd love at home, the towels large enough (I hate it when you find the 'bath' towel isn't big enough to wrap around you) and clean. The bed was comfy, even the pillow's weren't bad. There was an annoying alarm clock that beeped everytime you put the room card in the elec slot (like being in Greece the elec slot thing!) but my fella quickly unplugged that haha.
The TV even had a few satellite channels, so we got to watch parts of the Big Weekend on the red button.

When we checked-in we was asked if we'd like a table in the restaurant for dinner. As we didn't fancy driving back into town, we agreed, although we were told they had two parties in that night, so would after 8pm be acceptable.
Dutifully, we dressed for dinner, and arrived promtly at 8.15 as booked. Now restaurant isn't exactly how I would describe the corner of the bar area that they'd cordonded off with tables in it. But hey, first impressions can be wrong, right?
Ten minutes later, we were still stood at the bar waiting for attention. We did eventually get seated - without menu's. When one of the waitresses came to see if we'd picked yet, my fella (bless him) pointed out that we'd just nicked the menu's from another table, so hadn't chosen yet.

When the waitress who seemed to be the best of the bunch came to take our order, we was told there was specials. Great timing!

I do have to say, when the food came, it was delicious. It was just the staff that seemed to let the whole shebang down.
We were seated next to one of the parties (was a bunch of golfing blokes, so it was alright) and when it turned out that the main guy was missing his dessert, and his pre-booked choice was off, it took him ages to get the staff to agree to get him a simply ice-cream. And even worse, when the waiter brough it out, he didn't even know which table it was for!

The prices were quite normal, considering we were in a hotel. Although we did have to say three times that we were paying the bill, not adding it to our room.

Breakfast the next morning was even worse. No-one was interested in us, so I had to nab a waiter to find out where to sit (anywhere you like, the answer) so we picked a clean table, although it wasn't set (none of the clean ones were) The waiter did give us some cutlery when he delivered the tea pot and toast. Shame really that he didn't think to also bring us milk and butter for the things he brought the first time.... I mean really, my fella had to fill a glass with milk from the buffet table just so he could have his cuppa, and we had to eat our toast dry.

But again, the food was lovely.

The second day's breakfast was almost as shambolic. Although we did get a table that was laid, we had to nick the milk and butter from another table.

The restaurant staff really spoilt what was a pleasent stay. Besides them, I'd give the hotel four stars.

There was notes up around the restaurant area saying they apologised, they were due a refurb, but it wasn't the decor that drags my rating down for this hotel.

Summary: If you're in the area, it's a good quiet base - but go into town for dinner