Amberley Castle

I booked afternoon tea to celebrate my husband's 90th birthday and invited a friend, also to celebrate her birthday. When I booked in person, I made the hotel aware of the 2 birthdays, also please could we have an alternative to strawberry jam. I was offered raspberry. A few days later I had a phone call to confirm our reservation and special requests. After being shown to our seats, a waiter appeared to take our tea preferences and we also ordered 3 glasses of champagne. We were in no rush and eventually the pots of tea arrived plus cream and strawberry jam. Apparently nothing else was available, but after a discussion, we were presented with according to the waitress, cranberry jam. Turned out to be very nice blackcurrant jam. Some time later our food arrived, but no champagne. I asked the waitress what had happened to our order. She hadn't a clue and said the waiter had gone home. So I repeated our order, and still nothing arrived. I had to go to reception twice to find out what was happening. In the end I asked for a manager. A surly lady appeared. I told her how upset I was as we were celebrating two special birthdays. And it was embarrassing. After some discussion and prompting, we were offered a free glass each. But it was not done gracefully. I didn't expect special treatment for such a special birthday, but some curtesy would have been nice. And unfortunate experience from staff who really didn't care, or put themselves out to put things right.

The location is amazing. Right out of a storybook. The grounds are beautiful and the surrounding village is charming. Everything is wonderful and delightful until you actually have to stay at the hotel. The public spaces are holding up – because they were redone around 2010. But the new owners have not put a dime into them since then, and has fallen into neglect. The staff are well meeting and working hard – but obviously do not have capable management guiding them. The Front Desk was frequently unattended with the phone ringing off the hook. My “ upgraded room” smelled moldy, chipped paint in the wall, dents in the wall, a friendly bug walking across the floor. The new owners are letting it fall into neglect.

I wanted to write to say how much we enjoyed the family afternoon tea experience on April 11th from the beautifully presented cakes and sandwiches to the delicious tea selection . Everything was absolutely lovely . The atmosphere was warm and relaxing and the Service was good and we were not rushed at all. Thank you for a fabulous experience .

Spent two nights at Amberley Castle with family. Brilliant place to stay full of history. The staff were amazing, nothing was too much trouble. Their knowledge was exemplary. Would recommend a stay here.

We were checked in on arrival early with a friendly smile and shown to our room where our cases were waiting and jackets hung in the wardrobe. Had a quick walk around the grounds, but the weather wasn’t that nice. We opted for the 5 course menu with a wine flight. The service was impeccable and the meals were delicious. There were plenty of staff on duty even though a big function had taken place in the big hall. Breakfast was equally nice.