Barceló Premium The Lygon Arms Hotel

Disappointing

The building was charming. The service was disappointing. When staff were present we could not fault them, but too often we could not find anyone to serve us, waiting 20minutes on one occasion for coffee, and giving up waiting for tea on another. We queued for 15 minutes to check out. In the spa area, the pool was cold, the steam room was not functioning properly, the showers were cold, the hot tub was cold and the coffee machine was broken. We were not told about the Brasserie when we checked in, but the very restricted menu was disappointing, so much so that we went to a restaurant in the village. The bedroom was fine, but a very long way from the main hotel building.

Lygon Arms, Broadway

Had a "nice" stay at the Lygon which would have been better if the staff had been a little less pompous & patronising and a little more human & friendly!! Our room was very small but adequate for the price we paid. Breakfast was at best fair...very little choice on hot dishes (bacon,egg sausage tomato & beans...beans??) and lukewarm both days. The prices in the bar were extortionate which must have explained why it was empty on both nights. £16.40 for two gin & tonics!! served with disappointingly standard salted peanuts. The restaurant was also empty both nights..we only saw one couple dining there. We ate at The Swan which had friendly service, atmosphere & reasonably priced excellent food served with a smile. We saw several other hotel guests in there too. The hotels public rooms are lovely with log fires etc but again pricing is too prohibitive to enjoy a nightcap or cream tea which is a shame. The village of Broadway is an excellent base from which to explore and has some perfect individual shops & excellent art galleries. Would go back when the Lygon accepts that there is a credit crunch and it needs to cater for a wider audience than the Cheltenham set.

Some good point and some bad!

When we arrived in Broadway the hotel stands impressively in the middle of the beautiful Cotswold village. We were told to park to the back of the hotel and walked through the ground at the rear. Right in front of us stood the beautiful original part of the building and to the right stood what looked like some 1970s style apartment buildings, which they called the new part. As we arrived at the hotel we were told that we were to stay in the new part, however we asked if we could be put into the older part of the building on a recommendation from friends that had stayed there before. The reception staff were very friendly and offered us an upgrade to a premier room. The rooms were compact but very tastefully decorated, we were certainly happy that we were upgraded because the new part of the hotel looked so much less impressive! Bad points- The lunch we had there was expensive and under cooked. My night cap of a small red wine for me and a diet coke for my husband came to an extortionate amount, I nearly choked!! The new part of the hotel looks a bit run down and very 1970s. The waitress staff questioned whether I had booked breakfast for two people and then spoke in a foreign language to her colleagues which made us feel they were talking about us and was extremely rude!

Traveller's tip on saving a few bucks

Maybe look at the nearby public houses for food, that served well priced, good food! This is an expensive hotels and drinks dont come cheap, so maybe think of prices before you have a nightcap in the bar down stairs!

Disappointing especially the food

The Hotel is lovely but service leaves much to be desired. Our bath was dirty and the requested double room a twin - housekeeping sorted both issues The food though was veryt disappointing - dinner an unappetitisng tasteless lamb with tepid accompaniments - breakfast tinned fruit, congealed cold eggs and soggy bacon. And at a premium price The acquisition by a large group has led to poor standards Im afraid

Traveller's tip on local attractions

Broadway is a lovely village

Lovely Hotel

The Lygon Arms is a lovely traditional hotel. The service was excellent and it’s the perfect place to stay for a relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds.

a little pricey but well worth it!

We had an excellant stay everything about the Lygon Arms was 100% ................. our one and ONLY ’quibble’ was that breakfast could have been a little warmer but then again we were one of the last few to eat!

Traveller's tip on dining

the food at the Lygon was 2nd to none and the pubs in the surrounding area were very good too, all serving local dishes

old world charm

Old coaching inn style with great hall dinningPleasant outside courtyardlots of parking at "back lane" behind hotelGood gardens for wedding photos

Traveller's tip on getting the most out of your stay

For a hot bath don’t use the cold tap at all

can,t wait to go back

We loved this hotel and its wonderful location and hope to stay again soon

Lovely Hotel but believes its own hype.

Lovely hotel with real character. Apart from the drab 1970s extension. Main old part of hotel is lovely with real character. Standard double room is spotless. Good selection of comforts but strange mix of old & modern furniture. They need to decide what style room is. Bed a bit too soft for myself.Room is however not worth the list price. The expedia rate we got made it a good deal. Main restuarant terribly overpriced, for 3 courses & extra for steak or cheese. Try Goblets restuarant next door (part of Hotel)still a little overpriced for what you get but cheaper by far. Black swann down the road does very nice food at a very good price. Service very good. Drink prices very high as one might expect. Overall I have stayed at many 5 star hotels & this hotel was lovely but is definitely charging well above its status. Made other 5 star hotels we know seem better value. Still enjoyable stay & Broadway is beautiful.

Relaxing break

If you like ’old world’ charm and antiques, then you will love the Lygon Arms. Some rooms are beamed but some are modern, so you need to be specific when booking if you want to stay in the old part of the hotel. Food is good and the staff attentive.

If you want to eat evening meal in the hotel, you need to book a table when you book your room, particularly when the hotel is busy. We didn’t know that and had to find somewhere else to go as both restaurants were full until 9:30pm which we felt was too late. Disappointing as the food at the Lygon is usually excellent.

Top Class Hotel

Booked a standard room at a very good rate via Hotels.com On arrival we had been upgraded to suite in the old part of the hotel. Huge room and bathroom. The staff were friendly and helpful. There was no evidence of the reconstruction mentioned in other reviews. Breakfast was good. Dinner was expensive and we ate out locally at Russells and The Swan. However, on the last night we did get an opportunity to sample the hotel’s first class cuisine as their guests following disturbances on 2 nights due to faulty fire alarms. The spa was excellent, and there was nothing we could fault. We will definitely return to this hotel.

week-end of 5 star luxury

WE attended the hotel for a family wedding and were very impressed with all aspects.Very helpful and pleasant staff, a very high standard of food,cleanliness and pampering, highly recommended.

Pleasant teashops and pubs in village all within walking distance.

We would go again

We were very happy with our stay at The Lygon Arms. Our room was very comfortable, although we would have appreciated having tea and coffee making facilities. As the weather was poor we did not make use of all the facilities such as the garden but the pool made up for this.

Visit the gardens of Hidcote. Wonderful!

Excellent hotel in Broadway

Historic and comfortable hotel, high levels of service, good restaurant & wine list. In the heart of Broadway, perfect and picturesque location for a short break.

Lovely, we enjoyed it - just be wary of the two rosette restaurant

The hotel was wonderful and the Spa fantastic. The hotel staff were polite and helpful. The only downside was the restaurant. The staff were not knowledgeable about the menu. As a result I really did get only one King Scallop for my starter! (And I wasn’t the only one who looked very surprised when it arrived) The main meal came without veg and the waitress didn’t tell me and then she described the desserts and they weren’t like that at all! At 42 quid it was overpriced. We ate the follwing night at Russells and had a better meal 20 quid cheaper with better service. The breakfast the first morning was waht we expected but on Sunday it was cold - tip here is for the hotel to provide warm plates rather than cold ones - it might help.

Traveller's tip on dining

Eat at Russells just down the road from the hotel - it;s fab the staff really care about the food and the service - makes for a wonderful night out.

Brown water and terrible food

The Lygon Arms did not meet our expectations at all. The hotel itself is lovely however the bar service was pretty poor and slow, the water out of our taps was brown and the food in the brasserie was terrible. We would definately not pay the money to stay here again.

A bit hit and miss at times but overall enjoyable stay

I rang ahead of our stay and asked for a room in the main hotel and was told that this had been arranged. It was disappointing, therefore, upon arrival to be taken to a room which was in the modern annexe. Fortunately this had more character than we’d anticipated. We didn’t appreciate having to ask for tea/coffee making facilities though which we’d expect as standard for a 4 star hotel. The housekeeping team failed to clear the dirty crockery on the hospitality tray or a used water glass the next day, again, disappointing service for this hotel rating. Otherwise, the reception, restaurant and concierge staff were all very friendly/helpful and we thought the main restaurant food was generally very good (this was only let down by the weekday hot buffet breakfast that spoiled after a couple of hours sitting in the hot tray - the "Full English" was cooked to order at the weekend and was far superior as a result).

Traveller's tip on local attractions

Lots of picturesque villages in the vicinity and fair share of stately homes/gardens eg Sudeley Castle to visit.

We were impressed

We could not fault the service at the hotel; it felt very quiet and relaxed for a weekend in June, pleasant courtyard for afternoon tea / drinks, the best bit for us was the use of the Spa swimming pool. Also breakfast was waiter-service and excellent quality. Hotel is centrally located, lots of pubs, shops and restaurants in walking distance.

Would definately go back again, had a great time.

Booked this as a last minute 40th birthday present for my wife. Arranged for a bouquet of flowers to be in the room which looked amazing for the price and also there some free chocolates. We had to take our 6 month old with us so we were expecting a few problems but the hotel staff couldnt have been more helpful. Clean travel cot was already made up as requested. The point about no tea making facilities is a little annoying but its not the end of the world. Pool/jacuzi were a good size, and there were lots of other spa treatments etc available if you want them. Room itself was in the old part of the hotel and was a good size, tastefully decorated. Bathroom was showing a few signs of wear and tear but was generally ok. Hotel is right in the centre of Broadway so within easy reach of shops etc. Food in the great hall was superb and not as expensive as I expected, although you need to go easy on all the extras if you don’t want to get a big bill! Breakfast in the morning was also excellent - I can recommend the full english breakfast! We had a fantastic stay at the hotel. A place like this is never going to be cheap but the quality of service and the atmosphere of the place made it worth it.

Traveller's tip on getting the most out of your stay

The best rooms are in the old part of the hotel. The new modern rooms look very small from the outside with not much of a view.

The little things aren’t being dealt with

The room had a poorly designed bathroom. The mirror had no direct lighting above it so your face was half shaded. The bathroom floor flooded whenever the shower was turned on. The bathroom fan was noisier than a plane landing at Heathrow. Little things were annoying like the pen didn’t work. Neither did the latch on the back of the door. Toast as breakfast was actually bread - it couldnt have seen more than a few seconds in the toaster and a request to replace it was met with more of the same. It’s no wonder this is no longer a member of the ’Leading Hotels of the World’ as the little things aren’t handled well. Having said that, the restaurant was excellent, staff were helpful and overall the beauty of this hotel is its location, age and history which remain largely unaffected by the current owners.

Traveller's tip

The restaurant in the Great Hall is expensive but wonderful and romantic. Nearby National Trust properties are also beautiful and well worth a visit.

Disappointed

2 years ago I enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Lygon Arms and was impressed with both staff, the food and the hotel itself. Returning to spend a weekend recently I found the room we were given very small . The staff at reception were very helpful and attentive but in both the bar and restaurant the service was very bad in the evening, part of which was attributable to understaffing, but improved at breakfast . However the food was the major disappointment - at £48.50 for 3 courses I think we were entitled to a superior standard but I would have had difficulty justifying £25 for the quality presented to us. The menu was poorly executed and food either bland or over cooked. 4 of us dined and 3 of us were unhappy with all 3 dinner courses and the English breakfast. I would have difficulty recommending the hotel again and I would advise strongly against eating there.

Eat out of the hotel

Great Way to Visit the Cotswolds

Although they are undergoing a long-term renovation, and we were switched from a renovated room to an older room because it was large enough to accommodate an extra bed for our 3-year-old, the older room was still very nice and comfortable and perfect for us. Plus, the service and food were excellent. Their scones were the best I’ve tasted in England.

Wonderful for a break

Had a great time here with two friends for my 40th birthday. Got upgraded which was lovely, and a box of chocolates and a card. Service brilliant, they could not do enough for us. Food in the brasserie and the great hall exceptional. Used the spa and had a really lovely afternoon there. Would avoid deep tissue massage though!! Gardens were nice, and easy to walk around. Had turn down service in the evening. All staff very helpful.

Traveller's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Speak to the concierge. He is really lovely and had plenty of tips on what to see and do.

Unimpressed

The hotel has been extended, but the new rooms are ill-equipped and too small, dark and cramped. The hotel restaurant cannot cope with the volume of guests. The staff are quite helpful - but a bit patronising at times.

Traveller's tip on local attractions

There are some lovely walks in the area, and the nearby Buckland manor offers a wonderful afternoon tea.