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Reviews of Tunbridge Wells Retreat

3.5 out of 5
Tunbridge Wells Retreat
54-57 London Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, England

Reviews

6.8
Rating 10 - Excellent. 26 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 83 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 45 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 38 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 15 out of 207 reviews" "

7.2/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

6.2/10

Amenities

6.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Barbie

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Dirty
Cleanliness was terrible. Dirty room. Coffee left caked on teaspoon. Plastic fork with dust by bed by radiator. Stained sheets. Yuk. Had to park a distance from hotel. Breakfast was not good either.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
Response from reception on 15 Mar 2020
Thank you for your review, this has been passed onto the relevant department to investigate your feedback

2/10 Terrible

Michael

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Honest review
Very poor on all counts we will never return.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020
Response from reception on 13 Mar 2020
I'm sorry your stay didn't live up to your expectations

8/10 Good

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Reasonable price.
Staff great , breakfast good. Hotel just a little tired.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from reception on 13 Mar 2020
thank you for your review

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from reception on 22 Feb 2020
thank you

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
The rooms were nice enough for a budget hotel but the toilet did not flush, we did not have flannels nor -any mini toiletries you expect to find in a hotel. However, comfy bed and friendly staff!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from dave on 20 Feb 2020
Thank you for your comments, your issues raised will be investigated.

4/10 Poor

Nicole

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Tired
Fantastic location easy to walk to all the attractions. Unfortunately accommodation quite basic, and our family room was tired, tatty and a bit grubby although the beds were clean and comfortable and the room was very spacious with a separate bunk bedded room for the kids which was perfect. Plastic tea and coffee cups in our room were not great! Again at breakfast!!??
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from reception team on 10 Jan 2020
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. we will shortly be redecorating of all the rooms and hotel and hopefully you will try us again

6/10 Okay

Aaron

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
A little over priced for what you get.
Reasonable place, basic room, shower was a little mouldy.The mushrooms at breakfast were stone cold.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from aaron on 1 Jan 2020
thank you for your feedback

6/10 Okay

Adrian

Travelled with group
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from GM on 18 Dec 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your time taken to share your feedback with us, is much appreciated. Kind Regards, Reception Team

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We really like the bathroom , brand new with unique lighting and with bath and shower separated , overall the room was really spacious an quite definitely we will come back
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from GM on 18 Dec 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your time taken to share your feedback with us, is much appreciated. Kind Regards, Reception Team

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
The carpets in the stairwell and landings were very worn and dirty
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from GM on 18 Dec 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your time taken to share your feedback with us, is much appreciated. Kind Regards, Reception Team

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Rooms were basic and functional - served a purpose but didn’t go the extra mile. Internal doors were quite heavy and banged a lot behind you and the funny maze of steps made for an interesting trip back to your room!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from GM on 18 Dec 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your time taken to share your feedback with us, is much appreciated. Kind Regards, Reception Team

8/10 Good

Martyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from GM on 18 Dec 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your time taken to share your feedback with us, is much appreciated. Kind Regards, Reception Team

2/10 Terrible

c

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from GM on 18 Dec 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your time taken to share your feedback with us, is much appreciated. Kind Regards, Reception Team

6/10 Okay

CARL

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from dave on 1 Dec 2019
thank you for your review

4/10 Poor

Jess

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019
Response from dave on 28 Nov 2019
thank you for your feedback

8/10 Good

Frankki

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My room was great, I'd asked for a z bed which never showed up, quite a few of our group had not hot water in shower, the water in our shower was boiling and not able to turn it down
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019
Response from dave on 28 Nov 2019
I'm sorry the z bed didn't arrive, I wasn't working that day but if you had said to reception they should have made sure you had one

8/10 Good

Joanna

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very friendly staff. A small issue was dealt with swiftly. Lovely spacious rooms. Would stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from dave on 20 Nov 2019
thank you very much for your feedback and hopefully see you again soon

8/10 Good

Alison

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Short visit
Quick flying visit for me so only needed a comfortable quiet room but I got upgraded to a lovely large room. Only downside was it was on the front on the building and traffic was noisy. There was also no soap so I had to use the complimentary shower gel as soap. Staff I encountered were nice especially on check in.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from dave on 19 Nov 2019
Thank you for your review, I have taken note of the small issues and will direct them to the relevant departments

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from dave on 28 Nov 2019
thank you for feedback

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The staff are brilliant at this hotel. Very helpful, polite and friendly. It’s an old building but has been decorated in a modern style suited to it. It’s bright and tastefully done. The public areas are very clean. The breakfast area is in the conservatory, which is very nice. The full English was hot and cooked well. The down side, the scrambled eggs tasted a bit powdery. The bedrooms are tastefully decorated, clean and are a good size but are starting to look abit tired. The carpet showed old stains. The bathroom was very disappointing, cracked tiles on the floor repaired with sealant, black mould sealant round the sink and shower area. The window’s need replacing as the wood is starting to rot. The bed was extremely comfortable. Tea/coffee facilities are in the room. It could do with electrical sockets by the bed. The hotel is in a good location, not too close to the shops but in easy walking distance. Despite the negatives I would stay here again for one or two nights but no longer unless the bathrooms were sorted out. We were with other people who had better rooms and bathrooms than me.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from dave on 20 Nov 2019
thank you for your feedback, I have passed on your comments to the general manager

8/10 Good

Peggy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019
Response from TunbridgeWellsRetreat on 30 Oct 2019
Thank you for your feedback. Tunbridge Wells Retreat

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Some staff were nice some not so much. The room was small but thats fine. All the walls were scuffed, carpet had stains on it the grout in the bathroom was black. The shower was clap cold. I messed around with it for half hour and it was still freezing. There was also no toilet brush The milk for the coffee was also off The iron shorted and burnt my clothes The breakfast was okay. The friends who i was staying with said the dinner was nice too. The parking situation is awful. They should do permits or something. I think thats it all covered. There are better hotels near by. This one is old and tired and needs a full scale revamp. Dont go for jt just because it is the cheapest!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from GM on 29 Nov 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your feedback. We do feel sorry we didn't rise up to your expectations on this occasion. Some bits could have been easily resolved if we would have been informed some like age-related marks on carpet or painting we are looking in too and will deal with ASAP. The parking situation is well known in Tunbridge wells and guests are informed via confirmation email. We don't hide this to attract guests but not all read their confirmation. We had no issues with the hot water but to some rooms on the second floor, it takes a few minutes to come which is not ideal but because it's a listed building we are limited in what we can install. We would have been more than happy to show you how to work it out if asked. Strongly believe we are offering the best value for money in town Best Wishes GM

8/10 Good

Lynne

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Facilities lacking.
Generally our stay was a good experience. We were disappointed with the general condition of the room, the paintwork was very sad we had no charging facility for the Toothbrush, no surface to put a Toilet Bag, no Coffee Table.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from dave on 28 Nov 2019
thank you for your feedback. we have taken your comments on board and are working to rectify them

2/10 Terrible

James

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Tunbridge Wells Retreat on 30 Oct 2019
Thank you for your feedback. Tunbridge Wells Retreat

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Nothing we liked web site for hotel false advertising carpet filthy, torn dirty net curtains, table insecure, only 2 electrical points for the room mis match cups
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from GM on 29 Nov 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time and leave the feedback. Do apologize we didn't rise up to your expectations on this occasion Kind Regards GM

6/10 Okay

Martin, Peterborough

Travelled with partner
Very basic , ok if you are using it as a base for touring , room is very in need of modernisation , shower and bathroom facilities very tiny , parking for this location is limited .
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from GM on 18 Sept 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated. Kind Regards, Reception

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not recommended to stay at current condition
For the price we paid, the quality and the condition of the hotel was pretty poor. The hotel is outdated, it was smelly, the room door to the toilet was not closing anymore, the shower was working poorly and breakfast very limited. Other than this there is free parking in front of the hotel and at walking distance some nice restaurant. Disappointed in hotels.com accepting a hotel in this condition especially for the price we paid. The balance was way off.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from GM on 11 Sept 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to leave the review. I am sorry to see you didn't enjoy your stay. Would have been easier to address the issues if fe knew the room number. We are always on hand to help if guests are experiencing any issues.I am sorry you choose not to inform us of any issues while staying with us. Regarding the rates on Expedia from £54.00 per night, we think we are very competitive. Kind Regards, Gabriel

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel location is the best in Tunbridge wells and having certain very good hotels nearby.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2019
Response from GM on 6 Sept 2019
Dear Guest , Thank you for taking the time and leave the review, much appreciated Kind Regards Gabriel

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Center of town very run down property . Staff did their best in poor environment.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from GM on 6 Sept 2019
Dear Guest , Thank you for your review and feel sorry you didn't enjoyed your stay. Kind Regards Gabriel

8/10 Good

Bruce

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2019
Response from GM on 6 Sept 2019
Dear Bruce, Thanks for the review , much appreciated. Kind Regards Gabriel

10/10 Excellent

Anthony

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
"Champagne taste beer income" reviews........ :-D
I stay in hotels a LOT. Usually they're covered by work but on this occasion I needed somewhere for personal reasons and had to foot the bill myself. Let me be very clear. This isn't the Ritz, BUT it IS 1. Clean 2. Convenient 3. Staffed by lovely people 4. Comfortable 5. Somewhere where you have everything you need including decent food, a bar and every cuisine you can imagine within five minutes. Too many people on here moaning and groaning about this place - the same kind of ridiculous people that moan about budget airlines when they're paid £13.99 to travel 1000 miles. Champagne taste and beer income fools. To address some of the moaning. 1. My room (29) was comfortable and clean, with a (hurrah!) window which actually open properly to let in fresh air and an excellent shower. 2. There is MORE than ample parking within 50 yards of the hotel. At least 20 spaces. I could see my car parked in the road from the bar. If you're too lazy to walk 100 yards then you need to have a word with yourself. 3. I ate in the bar as I was tired. I had a basic burger and fries with a fried egg. It was well cooked and had plenty of fresh tomato and salad in it. Delicious. Not the Ivy, but again people have millionaire taste and bin man money. 4. The staff were really superb. Young and friendly and happy to do everything to help. Added to which the receptionist in the morning was stunning :-D In short, don't hesitate to book this place if you want somewhere well priced and comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from GM on 3 Sept 2019
"No comment" Dear Anthony, thank you for the time taken to leave the review, i can assure you this has been sent to all staff as the others but this one, in particular, made everybody's day brighter not because is a positive review only and all staff feel valued but because its so impartial and so much comon sence ,thank you Hope to see you soon again Best Wishes Gabriel

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from GM on 3 Sept 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your feedback, is much appreciated. Kind Regards, Gabriel

6/10 Okay

Michelle, Cornwall

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Aarron on reception was great. Unhappy that my tv didn’t work in my room he swiftly offered me another room. He was very pleasant. Overall the hotel is tired and dated. In the new room the cold water tap in bathroom didn’t work. The large windows let in a lot of noise from the road outside. The cooked breakfast was really poor quality ingredients and not very appetising. Overall nice friendly staff but hotel didn’t quite hit the mark.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from GM on 29 Aug 2019
Dear Michelle, Thank you for taking the time to leave the review. I am sorry to hear that we didn't meet all your expectations but glad staff was friendly. Best Wishes Gabriel

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely peaceful and welcoming to me and my young son. Particularly nice staff serving breakfast who chatted to him. Room was nice and spacious and comfortable with a good shower. Everything we needed!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Reception Team on 14 Aug 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment, your opinion is very important to us. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and do hope we will see you again. Kind Regards

2/10 Terrible

emma

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Team Reception on 14 Aug 2019
Thank for leaving a score even if it is a bad one. We are sorry you did not enjoy your stay as much as we would have liked. Rest assured your feedback has been passed on to Management. Kind Regards

10/10 Excellent

Mandy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We were greeted and made to feel very welcome from the moment we walked through the door. The fact we were given a a larger room was delightful. Breakfast was very enjoyable and server to you rather than having a buffet as so many do. It was cooked to perfection and the choice of what you wanted and how you wanted it cooked was lovely. I’m vegetarian and they even offer a full vegetarian cooked breakfast. I shall go back without a send thought.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from GM on 3 Sept 2019
Dear Mandy, Thank you for taking the time to leave the review and we are very glad to see you enjoyed your stay and we are looking forward to welcoming you back. Kind Regards Gabriel

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Charlotte the evening manager went out of her way to welcime us! **** I want to visit this property again! Charming atmosphere and outdoor dining area especially quaint!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from G on 12 Aug 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your feedback.I am trilled to hear that you have enjoyed your stay and that Charlotte went out of her way to accommodate you. We are looking forward to welcoming you in the near future. Have a lovely day Management Team

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

I did not stay there as the trip was cancelled. What more can I say
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
this property could be amazing but as is, is dirty (dead bugs and cobwebs around windows) and nowhere near what it should be. Staff helpful enough though.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from G on 12 Aug 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your time taken to leave the feedback, much appreciated. I am sorry that you were not impressed with your stay but glad to see you have appreciated the staff. All your mentions have been addressed and dealt with. Kind Regards Management Team

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Only there for a very short time 1night .comfortable room bathroom a bit small but ok . Good Breakfast selection and reasonably priced for a hotel. Would recommend for a short break.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from G on 12 Aug 2019
Dear Guest , Thank you for your feedback, is much appreciated. I am glad to see you enjoyed your stay and that we are a good value for money accommodation still. Best Wishes Management Team

4/10 Poor

Frances

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Tatty
Room was tatty, dirty and things like cutains, lock on bathroom door needed replacing/ fixing. Carorts stained. Mirror lopsided & shower door came off hinges. On the plus side bedding & towels clean.
Net curtains torn
Curtains hanging off rail
Stained carpet
Broken lock on bathroom
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from G on 12 Aug 2019
Dear Frances , Thank you for your feedback and are very sorry to see we didn’t rise up to your expectations. All the issues have been addressed and fixed. Have a good day Management team

10/10 Excellent

ROGER

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from G on 12 Aug 2019
Dear Roger, Thank you kindly for your review , is much appreciated. We know that we are not perfect but all staff work very hard to be and always on hand to help with anything. Have a lovely day Management Team

2/10 Terrible

Chloe

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very poor
Room and hotel itself was not clean, felt very outdated. Cold showers and not somewhere I would stay again
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from G on 12 Aug 2019
Dear Chloe, Thank you for taking the time to write the review and feel sorry we didn't meet your expectations on this occasion.The hotel has no problems with the hot water and we are on hand to help if Guest can’t work out the shower. Best Wishes Management

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Good location and helpful staff. Shabby hotel, needs updating.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Front House Manager on 16 Jul 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment, your feedback has been passed on to Management. Thanks again for staying in our hotel

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Our room was far too hot , no fan , no air conditioning system but did open window , just too stuffy and stifling to sleep!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Front House Manager on 16 Jul 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment, rest assured that your feedback has been passed on to Management. Thanks again for staying in our hotel

8/10 Good

Des

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
T Wells
Nice hotel ,, could have s few more sockets,, otherwise nice an quite nice staff
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Reception team on 20 Jun 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to see you again

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
It had the basics. Which is what we paid for. The staff was very nice.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Reception Team on 20 Jun 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment your opinion is very important to us as it will help us grow as a hotel. hope to see you again.

8/10 Good

Candice

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Reception Team on 20 Jun 2019
Thank you for the high mark you gave us, it means a lot to us. Hope to see you again

4/10 Poor

Jack

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location but very tired hotel
While the location of the hotel is good - a short walk from the station, restaurants and bars. The hotel itself is very tired and not particularly comfortable. Throughout our stay the hotel seemed to smell of deep fat frying, while the room we had smelt quite strongly of bleach, a bit off-putting. Very uncomfortable bed, with a thin, very soft mattress (basically lying on the bed frame) and hard pillows. Staff were nice and friendly and service was efficient. Just feels like the hotel needs a full refurb to bring it up to date.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Reception Team on 14 Jun 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment, your opinion is very important as it will help us grow as a hotel. We are very sorry you had some issue with the room, your feedback has been passed on to Management and will be dealt with. Merci de votre visite.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Reception Team on 10 Jun 2019
Thank you for taking the time to score our hotel. We are sorry you did not enjoy your stay as much as we would have liked. Merci de votre visite