I was just browsing through the different categories and fell upon the Abbey House Hotel in Barrow in Furness so I just had to write about it seeing as it is just up the road from my house, and no body has written an op on it as yet.

I have never stayed in the hotel over night but I have visited the establishment on numerous occasions so I will be totally fair when I write this opinion!

The driveway leading up to the front of the hotel is very impressive and the grounds are superb, my son actually got married there last year and we have some wonderful photographs taken in the gardens.
The hotel itself is very posh and regal looking, the restaurant area and main bar are decorated to perfection, but alas this is where the niceties end.

The main reception is a shambles, the staff do not seem to know what they are doing and I have only ever had dealings with trainees, the manager always seems to be unavailable.
Bar staff are scruffy and don’t seem to like rushing to serve anybody, actually they don’t like to serve anybody full stop.

The main restaurant prides itself on the Sunday ‘carveries’ but do give it a miss. I have been twice now and it has been cold on both occasions. I think they use all the weeks left over vegetables and reheated roast potatoes to be quite honest! Not a very nice Sunday lunch at all.

The wine waiter thrusts a menu at you as soon as you are seated but he looks scruffy and sniffs all the time, it quite put me off to be honest. Once you have attempted to chew through the tough roast beef and feel the need for a soft dessert like cheese cake or an ice cream you have to wait for about thirty minutes for a waiter to acknowledge your existence. By this time you have totally gone off the idea and just want to get out of the place.

I know I must sound like a ‘Moaning Minnie’ but the food is terrible at this hotel and it is such a shame for a lovely hotel to
fall down so badly in this department.
I put it down to hiring cheap labour; the management really should look into the service and quality of food at this hotel.

You must be thinking now why didn’t I complain about my meals? I tried to, but a manager or even a supervisor was never available.

I mentioned at the beginning about my son holding his wedding at this hotel. He called in the day before to pay the remainder of the bill and to check that everything was going to plan and found the flowers on display and everything ready twenty four hours too early.
The Abbey House had got the day wrong and yes when the wedding took place on the right day the flowers looked decidedly wilted. Now that is what I call bad management, but we did enjoy the wedding and didn’t let it spoil our celebrations.

If you are visiting Barrow in Furness and want a nice hotel with good food don’t go to the Abbey House Hotel because they just don’t seem to have got their act together somehow!

I will say one thing well about it though; they hire a very good gardener because the grounds are outstanding!