Hillbark Hotel & Spa

We celebrated my Nan’s 100th birthday with Afternoon Tea with the D Day Darlings at Hillbark and it was a fantastic experience. Couldn’t fault a thing, the staff were so lovely, the afternoon tea was unlimited until you were full, really nice selection of sandwiches and cakes. Everybody made such a fuss of us , it was a day we will never forget. We hope the D Day Darlings come back soon.

We were greeted by the lovely Jon, who was absolutely amazing and a thoroughly good host. All staff were brilliant and cannot fault them. We were in room Deva (205). I wasn't impressed for a 5* hotel if I'm honest. The bed/mattress was really comfy, and the duvet etc felt luxurious. The jacuzzi function of the bath didn't work, and the water wasn't as hot as I'd like (I ran it with 100% hot and it was only just at the temperature I'd expect). There aren't tea and coffee facilities in the room, but you can order and they bring it to your room. This is probably expected to be a fancy touch but to be honest I'd rather make my own at my leisure than need to order. Maybe that's just personal preference. Our room had a huge mirror affixed to the ceiling (hung with chains) which actually made me a bit stressed as I kept thinking that it would fall on us. If I wanted a huge, heavy mirror above my head, I'd book a different kind of hotel to he honest! It wasn't for me, but I think their intentions were good. Also, I usually find that hotel rooms are quite warm, but this was definitely on the cooler side. Not cold by any measure, but there was no option to impact the thermostat (i.e the hotel decides when the heating comes on, not the guest) which is uncommon in my experience. Would I book again? Based on customer service, yes 100%. Based on room quality, nope.

Went to Hillbark for their Afternoon tea. Set in a stunning location with exceptionally friendly and professional staff greeted us from the moment we arrived till the moment left. Unfortunately, the Afternoon tea let the whole special experience down. We had left the hotel know in advance one of our party was vegan and when the food was brought out it was pointed out which items of food were vegan, it was clear that the mini meringue made from egg white was not. We pointed this out to the chef who admitted his mistake but the whole attitude was one of indifference which left was questioning if the rest of the vegan food was really vegan. Shame that experience clouded the what would have been a lovely afternoon.

We had our wedding and reception at Hillbark and the experience was perfect. The team at Hillbark were so supportive - nothing was too much for them, especially our planner Charlotte and colleague Sherrie. We were made to feel so welcome at every planning session and on the day any possible stress was taken away by the team. The food was sublime - every dish was perfect and they even made a bespoke starter for my wife who wasn’t able to eat her favourite starter owing to pregnancy. The space was a dream - such a beautiful location in a cosy building. In the cold weather there’s always a fire in the hearth. Unlike other venues, the spaces need minimal decoration and the tables look the part because they are. A fantastic experience with fantastic people… we’ve found where we’re going for every anniversary!

We stayed overnight in a Junior Suite after attending a family wedding. I cannot fault the wedding. It was spectacular. My issue was not having any hot water at 8 am the next morning. A maintenance man came to our room and acknowledged this. We had been excited to use the in room spa facilities but were unable to and had to suffice with a cold wash before breakfast. The reception manager said that this happened when other guests were bathing / showering at the same time. I don’t feel that this is acceptable in a 5 star establishment but our comments and emails have not really been addressed. We were just brushed off with ‘we do not offer refunds.’ That wasn’t our issue at the time but because of the price that we paid and because of lack of response by hotel management, I feel that this is pertinent now.

We had the pleasure of having Hillbark as our wedding venue on the 7th September. The whole day from beginning to end was fantastic. The staff can’t do enough for you, believe me! Special shout outs to Craig the owner and our driver, Charlotte our amazing coordinator, John on reception, Luigi for his excellent service and Sherry. I apologies if I’ve spelt names wrong! From getting picked up in the Rolls Royce in the morning to settling down to sleep in the bridal suite in the early hours of the next morning, amazing. My wife Chloe, loved getting ready in the morning in the Spa! The food at the wedding breakfast was amazing and we have been getting compliments about it since. The evening food was also very delicious and our guests loved these too! Ignore the negative comments about the bar, the bar is fine. We put money behind the bar and this tab wasn’t exceeded. Fireworks of an evening are awesome and highly recommended. We both could not thank the staff enough for their efforts on the day and we would highly, highly recommend Hillbark if you are considering it for your wedding. An amazing place!