Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kendal, Cumbria and Luzon
Programs: BA Bronze, PR Elite, Avis Preferred Plus, IHG Plat Ambassador, Avanti Platinum
Posts: 1,621
Crowne Plaza Stratford upon Avon England UK
Crowne Plaza – Stratford upon Avon, UK
What is your Priority Club status? Diamond (Ambassador)
Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive? I booked the cheapest standard super king room (same rate as all other standard rooms). Was called the previous day to tell me I had been Upgraded to Club Premium and my lounge access had been added to the booking. Very pleasant but suspect the motive was to try and secure a dinner booking LOL.
How are the rooms? Room was very standard UK CP = = HI in Asia! The premium room included a walk in shower but seems to be the same size as standard that comes with bath shower combo. Bath robe but no face towels. Lowest floor with little view other than the external plumbing! (6th out of 7 UK CP’s this year with no vista – Newcastle was the exception.) Room in good condition – above average for visits this year (but got suite UC everytime outside UK at CP'S).
What was good and what was bad? Good:- Location: Lovely reception right next to the river/canal system and very central. But a 15 minute walk from the railway station. Really is a fabulous location. Reception/entrance reminded me of CP Hunter Valley in Aus
- Décor/Layout/General Ambience: The external areas by the river (creek?) are delightful.
- Swimming Pool: Small but very pleasant
Neutral:
Breakfast: caveat I’m not a great fan of Western breakfasts – and living in Cumbria pork breakfast items really need to be good. Sausages were just pork slurry – the Cumberland sausage was a travesty. Bacon had a very wide layer of unrendered fat. Bread and oily croissants were rubbish.
BUT ordered from the menu. Decent kippers for her – and poached eggs with smoked salmon on toasted bloomer was the best poached egg I have had for years in a hotel – except the bloomer was a slice of soggy toasted industrial white!
Staff: typical UK 2023. At best untrained at worst disinterested. Very average. Better than CP Leeds/Harrogate/Chester but nowhere near Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle etc.
And Nowhere near anything in Asia/Aus in 2023.
How is the exec. lounge?'
Weird – and food quality just did not compute with the breakfast buffet offer.
Only posted this review because of some of the staff comments meet my observations of what may become an issue with the Lounge Pass. (As previously 7 UK CP’s in 2023 – plus 2 in Aus and one in The Philippines)
Opening hours were a very length 6-9p. Low occupancy.
Service started at 6.05p.
Warm (hot!)wine bottles dropped in an ice bucket.
Beer was draught (draft). But no gas. Took them to nearly 6.30p to get the tap running. No bottles of beer/cider etc – and here is the rub. Not serving bottles because guests are taking them away in quantity – I know – and I probably know who (not me – lounge pass corporate travellers) . LOL
The canapes were limited but of good quality. Cocktail sausages (light years superior to the breakfast sausages), vegetable samosas (Very spicy but good), dips with some warmed speciality breads (again light years better than breakfast bakery), cold cuts. All good plus...
-----Then they ran out of food at 7p! So a regular guest “HAD WORDS” it was replenished at about 7.30p including a huge bowl of chicken wings.
Interesting “process” experience – that the hotel needs to review.
I suspect Shakespeare could have written a decent work after observing the lounge guests and staff on this evening.
Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return? Picked an unusually low cash price. Well worth the £84 paid. In season usually 2X.
Would return if in the area again –
Last edited by Modo; Oct 23, 2023 at 1:13 am