Best Western Priory Hotel

Initially we were put in 'classic double' - this room was the worst room we have ever stayed in. It absolutely stunk of mould and I found excessive mould in the cupboard in the rear of the room covering the wall and the fan in the cupboard (see pictures). The floors were also stained and there was mould around the bath. It was so bad that some of our clothes retained the mouldy smell after we had arrived home and I suspect it may have caused problems for anyone more sensitive to respiratory infection. How anyone could clean that room and think it was acceptable to rent out it beyond me. As there were no other rooms available we were forced to stay in this room for one night. After showing the staff the photos of the room they upgraded us to another room ('Superior double') for the Sunday night (as the hotel wasn’t full). This room was far more acceptable but not perfect (no mould but still some stains on floor, around bath etc) Overall other parts of the hotel were ok, a bit tired and dated but reasonably clean. The breakfast was good. The only saving grace for the place really was the staff who worked hard to sort out the issues and were generally friendly and helpful (hence 2 stars rather than 1). The issues raised were highlighted with Best Western directly too and I have requested an email and offered to share photos, however I have had no response so it seems Best Western has no interest in the problems here. I could not recommend anyone comes near this hotel and I would personally avoid Best Western bookings again given their apparent apathy towards the state of this hotel and the effect on the guests (seems there are plenty of other reviews highlighting similar issues).

Problems with FIRST room, you couldn’t swing a cat in there as there is not enough room for two adults and a cat. The roof was so low next to the window that I had to remain on the other side of the bed! The bed was a very small double, more like a large single. It was too short for a 6’5” person to sleep in without feet hanging a long way off the end of the bed. The heater in the room had a foot missing, this begs a question: - why does a new section of the hotel with central heating require an additional heater when the room is so small. There is plaster missing from the celling where the plasterboard has been attached. The walk-in shower is a joke, you can walk in but once wet have to get out to apply soap and shampoo then go back in to wash off. It was possibly the world’s smallest shower. The soap tray is loose on the wall, possibly because someone hit it trying to have a shower. The shower cubical was itself disgustingly dirty with residue and mould growing around the door and some of the lower tiles. There is evidence that the toilet has leaked on to the bathroom floor. The radiator in the bathroom shows evidence that it has also been leaking. This, along with the problems in the restaurant, all shows an extension that has been built to the very lowest cost scrimping and scraping the very last penny out of the task. I have been a guest at this hotel for around 20 years, my wife and I have jointly been staying here for around 12 years but feel that it’s time to find elsewhere to stay. Premier Inn do it so much better in all areas and at a better cost. A computer can’t welcome you as a Best Westen member, especially as we had to go to the kitchen to get a human to help. The computer didn’t have our booking. The breakfast was very basic and the chef could not lightly scramble eggs! Food at breakfast was basic and un appealing.

Went to the hotel for an afternoon tea I bought via Groupon! No staff members around when we walked in so went through to the bar where a pleasant staff member showed us through to a side room! We were the only ones in there-afternoon tea was bought out and that was the last we saw of a staff member again! Sandwiches were plentiful-ham and tomato, cheese and pickle and egg mayo along with a sausage roll. Scones were dry and crunchy and cakes were the worst i’ve ever seen-dry and looking sorry for themselves! Had to find a staff member to show my groupon voucher to as no one appeared at any point! Would not hurry back!

Today we came for a carvery with the family for Fathers day. We have been several times and never been disappointed. Food was absolutely delicious, Great selection of meat, the best roast potatoes and a wide range of veg. All the food was piping hot and fresh. Service was absolutely fantastic from Danny, Fin, Callum and John. Will definitely be coming back again soon.

My review is for the Afternoon Tea experience. What I took away from it was the conviction that if it can’t be done well, it shouldn’t be done at all. No one NEEDS a formal afternoon tea. It is an indulgence, and meant to be pleasant and enjoyable. There were only 2 tables booked for the time I selected. Both parties looked in vain for a means of attracting a member of staff to the reception desk. We were eventually taken to the dining room. The floor near our table was dirty, as was some of the crockery on the table. We were offered tea or coffee to drink. No choice of tea. We were then brought a cake stand to share. We were not asked about allergies, etc. The good parts were the warm scones ( one each) and the sausage roll ( one half each). The sandwiches were awful; cheap fatty ham, bland grated cheese with a tomato chutney, and egg sandwiches with cress, which were slimy. The sandwiches were also stale, and one so badly that it made a noise when I ran my nail down it. The ‘selection’ of cakes were 1 slice of Lemon Drizzle between us, cut diagonally so that one of us had no ‘drizzle’, a Brownie cut in half, and bizarrely a square of fudge each. There was some fruit to garnish. All the time we were there a member of staff was stomping around clattering cutlery, etc, whilst setting all of the other tables in the room. The noise obscured the ( quite pleasant) quiet music playing, and sometimes our conversation. I had been given a voucher for this, had to ask for the Prosecco which should have come as standard. If it hadn’t been pre paid we would have just left. As it was our ‘experience’ took less than 30 minutes.

Hotel is well positioned on the west side of town. Lovely quiet and clean room. Dining facilities great with a comprehensive breakfast menu. Plenty of space in the restaurant and breakfast was unhurried despite arriving quite late in the morning. Attentive helpful staff. Will stay again.

The most extreme example I've ever seen of a hotel staff being brilliant and the room (56) being unsuitable by any modern standards of hotel keeping. Positive: Everyone, from reception, to the bar/restaurant, to the breakfast room, was welcoming, kind and helpful. Negative: the room (56) was actually dirty. The carpet hadn't been cleaned for a long time. The toilet barely worked (REALLY had to work the handle!), the bed was hard and the pillows lumpy. It had not been upgraded for years, as the location of plug points (bar one) behind the bed demonstrated. As someone who uses a breathing machine, this was awkward. Not desperate, just awkward. I expect more. I may have been unlucky with the room they gave me. Even if that's the case, it's still wrong.

My wife and myself enjoyed a very relaxing weekend stay at this hotel where the overall ambience felt very welcoming and comfortable. The hotel room was a superior one with a classical style, very clean and spacious. The hotel restaurant provided a lovely environment overlooking the extensive well-kept gardens to enjoy meals prepared using good quality ingredients. The hotel staff were friendly and attentive. The bar area was also good. This hotel is conveniently situated within walking distance to the very nice town of Bury St Edmunds with a good variety of shops, historic buildings and of course the wonderful Abbey Gardens. We will be staying again at the Best Western Priory Hotel sometime in the future.

Probably the worst stay in a hotel ever. My room, number 47 was cold, the heating didn’t work, smelly, the bedside drawer had been used as a bin and an ashtray by the previous guests and not cleaned by the cleaning staff. I was woken two mornings running by a pump that supplied the wing with water despite having complained on the first morning and been told that the problem had been solved. Despite having booked a table I was told when I arrived at the hotel restaurant that they had 60 guests arriving and the staff with whom I booked should never have taken my booking. When I was finally seated the Chorizo potato dish I ordered had bacon pieces rather than Chorizo. When I questioned the waiter he told me that the chef had probably run out of Chorizo. When finally I was moved to a different room, for the rest of my stay the room wasn’t cleaned or the dirty teacups changed. Fawlty Towers comes to mind.