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Reviews of The Retreat, Elcot Park

4 out of 5
The Retreat, Elcot Park
The Retreat Elcot Park, West Berkshire, Newbury, England

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 67 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 23 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 7 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 101 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

KEISHA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved my stay. Thank you to all the staff for their wonderful hospitality!
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

4/10 Poor

Marta

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our stay at this property was really underwhelming. While the gardens and outdoors are beautiful and well kept, the interiors are quite tired, particularly the rooms. Lots of scratches on the wall, no wardrobe in the room, terrible shower where it is impossible to regulate the water temperature. The spa was probably the biggest disappointment, it is very small and the outdoor pool is not heated despite the description ( and the staff) says it is. The highlight of the property is definitely their asian restaurant on site, both service and food were exceptional. Otherwise, the staff at the spa and reception seems clueless most of the time, we had to chase them up for everything we needed and were mostly dismissive and not helpful. This is not what you would expect from a luxury hotel, definitely not good value for money and a lot of room for improvement.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Ed on 26 Mar,2024
Thank you for your feedback, it was a pleasure to host you.

10/10 Excellent

Phoebe J

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Ed on 26 Mar,2024
Thank you for your feedback, it was a pleasure to host you.

8/10 Good

Stefan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Wessex rooms were really nice. The pantry at the end of the aisle was a unusual but very nice feature too.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Feb,2024
Dear stefan Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. The team and I look forward to welcoming you again very soon Kind regards Vinny

8/10 Good

Neil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Weekend break
On arrival, what a lovely friendly greeting we had from reception staff Even had a complimentary drink, Then we were showing to our room what was beautiful overlooking the swimming pool? The sauna steam room and indoor pool was lovely. The only downside and it was our fault for not reading the description further was there were a lot of dogs at the hotel. What we do not have a problem with just normally when you sit down for an evening meal, it would’ve been a lot nicer not to have the animals in the restaurant.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Feb,2024
Dear neilThank you for taking the time for leaving us such a lovely review. I am sorry to read that your experience was slightly impacted by the number of dogs at the hotel.Kind regards Vinny

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A disappointing stay for my son and I
My son and I spent one night at this hotel with the goal of having a relaxing day and night. Staff were very welcoming and first impressions were that this was a lovely hotel. Our room wasn’t ready as we arrived early so had a light bite however it took far too long for us to be noticed and then drinks and food to come. Our family room (which was on the ground floor) had one bedroom with bunk beds and then the other with a superking bed. The bunk bed mattresses were embarrassingly old and uncomfortable for my ten year old. We could feel every spring so ended up having to put two towels and double over a duvet to make it more comfortable. There were some sticky stains on the walls which had been missed by the cleaner and the fan in the bathroom had clearly seen better days due to large clumps of dust falling into the bath. The shower head also only delivered targeted power. For the price we had paid I was beyond disappointed.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

emma

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice hotel
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Feb,2024
Dear Emma Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. The team and I look forward to welcoming you again very soon.Kind regards Vinny

8/10 Good

Zeshan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Feb,2024
Dear ZeshanThank you for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. The team and I look forward to welcoming you again soon Kind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Giri

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 12 Dec,2023
Dear Giri Thank you for the fab feedback We look forward to welcoming you againKind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Margaret

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved internal decor. Very competent staff
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 12 Dec,2023
Dear Margaret Thank you for taking the time to leave us such fab feedbackWe look forward to welcoming you again Kind regards Vinny

8/10 Good

Gail

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 12 Dec,2023
Dear GailThank you for taking the time to leave us such great feedbackWe look forward to welcoming you againKind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Lucy

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 12 Dec,2023
Dear Lucy Thank you for taking the time to leave us such fab feedback. The team and I look forward to welcoming you again soon Kind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Love everything about this place!
Absolutely loved everything about this hotel! The grounds were stunning, the hotel itself was beautifully decorated with lots of quirky little touches, the spa area was so relaxing, food and staff both great. I came here for 2 nights to relax and recharge, alone, and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to do so! I booked a classic room and it was spotlessly clean and super comfortable. Loved the pantry outside the room where you can help yourself to soft drinks and snacks! I could write so much about this place and am already booking to come back, with my partner this time! Highly recommend having a manicure or pedicure in the beauty salon in the courtyard, the staff in there are amazing. Can’t wait to return!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Reservations on 24 Oct,2023
Thank you for your kind review and feedback. This will get passed along to the respective departments. We are delighted to hear you are rebooking with us and we will see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Geoffrey

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Lovely hotel, beautiful location
Lovely luxury country hotel in a beautiful location.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Reservations on 24 Oct,2023
Thank you for your kind review and feedback. We are delighted to hear you had a lovely stay with us. We hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Laura

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a lovely 1 might stay with our children. The family room was massive and had some toys in the kids room which was a hit! I especially loved the decor of the property and the orangery where we had dinner and breakfast was stunning. The food was excellent too! Will definitely be back.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 11 Sept,2023
Dear Laura Thank you for the great review. We look forward to welcoming you again. Kind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely surroundings - very peaceful & relaxing Staff went above & beyond to make sure our stay was superb
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Reservations on 14 Sept,2023
Thank you for your kind feedback. It will be passed along to the respective departments. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay and we hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Kathryn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely facilities - spa a very welcoming area to relax in Great food Staff amazing - nothing was too much trouble, readily accommodated all our requests (including swapping my Mum's room to ground floor). Very relaxing environment / atmosphere throughout the hotel Thank you for a wonderful weekend away
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Reservations on 23 Sept,2023
Thank you for your kind feedback. We are delighted to hear you had a lovely stay.We will pass this along to the respective departments. We hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Brilliant food & accommodation. Super helpful, friendly staff. Great spa facilities.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Reservations on 23 Sept,2023
Thank you for your kind feedback. We are delighted to hear you had a lovely stay with us. We will pass these comments on to the respective departments. We hope you are able to visit us again soon.

8/10 Good

Marcos

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Reservations on 23 Sept,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We hope you are able to visit us again soon.

8/10 Good

Susan

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disappointing visit
Hotel is in beautiful grounds, but there were things not to our liking. First of all we booked a room ensuring it wasn't the cheapest one. We found ourselves in a room overlooking car park/dustbins. Breakfast was not included with our stay, £16 per person was the cost. After we saw what was being offered for breakfast we decided to decline. We have never seen such an awful breakfast - bagels, cakes, cereals. If you want an egg dish they bring you a menu and it is extra! Dinner was nice but expensive. Would we visit again? Not sure. If the weather is nice you can sit by the pool, but there actually isnt much to do there
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

suzanne

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Reservations on 23 Sept,2023
Than you for your kind review!We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay. We hope to see you again soon.

4/10 Poor

Suzanne

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Chloe

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Reservations on 23 Sept,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay with us. We hope we see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

charlotte

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love this hotel! Incredible facilities and a really generous spirit; love the pantries and welcome drink and general relaxed and welcoming feeling. Perfect for a real spoiling break!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Aug,2023
Dear Charlotte Thank you for your great review of our hotel. The team and I are delighted that you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to welcoming you againKind regards Vinny

8/10 Good

Stephen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Aug,2023
Dear StephenThank you for your kind comments The team and I look forward to welcoming you again Kind regards Vinny

4/10 Poor

Hattie

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Overall a disappointing stay. Room was basic and outdated, and felt too small for the price we were paying. We had a few issues with our room which weren’t able to get sorted which was disappointing. The hotel spa is fairly small so gets very busy quickly, and whilst we were the hydrotherapy pool wasn’t working, but no one apologised or flagged that to us. Food is very good and nice to have two options, but breakfast is overpriced for a basic buffet.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

William

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent in every way.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Reservations Team on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear you had an enjoyable stay with us. We hope to see you again soon.

8/10 Good

Andrew

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely spot. Probably not the best option for families but we enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Reservations Team on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay wit us.We will pass along that feedback and hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Samantha-lynn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic hotel!
An amazing hotel! Fantastic service, great food. Lots of attention to detail!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Reservations Team on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear you had an enjoyable stay with us. We will pass that feedback along and hope to see you again soon.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from Reservations Team on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Markus

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from Reservations Team on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear you had an enjoyable stay with us. We hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Beverley

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from Reservations Team on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear you had an enjoyable stay with us. We hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Charlene

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Absolutely love The Retreat. Still my favourite hotel ever.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 22 Jun,2023
Dear CharleneThank you for your great review. we are proud to be your favourite destinationKind regards Vinny

2/10 Terrible

Stuart

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
After spending 30 mins waiting to be given the room key as they were having issues with the Expedia booking I finally got to my room, as soon as I walked in I heard the industrial extractor fan which was installed just outside the bedroom window on the flat roof over the kitchen, the noise was the same as being in an aeroplane , I went down to reception to say that I wouldn’t be able to accept this room due to the noise of this kitchen extractor fan to be told that the fan would be switched off at 11pm and normally they charge a lot more for rooms hence the reason why my room was so cheap (all I did was book through Expedia, there was no mention that the reason my room was £120 per night was due to an industrial extractor fan just outside the bedroom window) the reception spoke to her manager and came back and offered another room for an extra £20 which I declined, the good news is that the constant noise of this industrial extractor fan did stop at 11pm but started up again at 6am, the room was hot and you couldn’t open the windows as the latches had been painted over so many times but if you could open the windows to let some fresh air in then the noise would be the same as standing next to an aeroplane on takeoff, hotel is nice but the rooms near this extractor fan should not be offered at all and to say there is a reason the rooms are so cheap due to this is not acceptable, I would not recommend this hotel due to my experience with the time taken to check in and the fans

6/10 Okay

Catherine

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Very average - not family friendly
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Reservations Team on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for your review. We will pass this feedback along to the hotel managers. We hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Taylor

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 6 Jun,2023
Dear Taylor Thank you for such a great review of our hotel.The team and I very much look forward to seeing you again soon Kind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in May 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 6 Jun,2023
Dear Jacqueline Thank you for taking the time to leave us your lovely review. The team and I look forward to welcoming you again very soon Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Bella

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
So many nice little touches and friendly staff ee will be back !!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 6 Jun,2023
Dear Bella Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. The team and I look forward to welcoming you again very soon Kind regards Vinny

8/10 Good

Becky

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel close to Times Square!
Really enjoyed staying at the Arlo Midtown. It was great location for first time travellers, with Times Square a 10 minute walk away and the high line near by. The rooms are very compact but if you are only visiting for a few days it is great! I think if we were to visit again we would stay nearer Central Park or Brooklyn, as it was very loud and touristy. But overall, we enjoyed our stay!
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Travelled with family, Travelled with pets
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was one of the most relaxing stays we've had in a long time. The courtyard has a fabulous shop, the spa has a flotation tank and there is an overwhelming ease moving through this hotel. There is a 24/7 pantry with bottled drinks and cookies(!). This hotel is also genuinely dog-friendly with an adorable bed, toy and treats for our cavalier. We were surrounded by gorgeous farmland and walking paths. As it's so near to London, we can't wait to return.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 24 Apr,2023
Dear Sarah We can't wait to have you back either. The team and I would like to thank you for such great feedback. Kind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Emma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a beautiful hotel. Everything was perfect
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 8 Apr,2023
Dear Emma Thank you so much for such a lovely review. The team and I look forward to welcome you again soon Kind regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Claire

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such wonderful amenities and beautiful interiors make it worth the price tag. Couple of minor feedback points: Give slippers or flip flops in the spa or the bedrooms Breakfast price is variously listed as £15 or £16- ensure consistency
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 7 Apr,2023
Dear Claire Thank you for the lovely review and thank you for your useful comments I look forward to welcoming you to The Retreat again soon Kind regards Vinny

6/10 Okay

Oshrit

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bhavna

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

6/10 Okay

Lee

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Three blown windows and a smell of sewage in the bathroom which was not dealt with was slightly disappointing. Otherwise this is a great hotel, in a great location with a great spa.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Steve

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely place.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 2 Mar,2023
Dear Steve Thank you for taking the time to review our hotel. I am delighted you enjoyed your stay with us and I hope that we welcome you again very soon Warm regards Vinny

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Mar,2023
Dear Jennifer Thank you for the great rating of our hotel. the team and I look forward to welcoming you again very soonVinny

10/10 Excellent

Jessica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Response from Vincent Freulon on 10 Mar,2023
Dear Jessica Thank you for the great review following your stay. We are glad that you enjoyed your time with us and look forward to welcoming you back again soonKind regards Vinny

8/10 Good

Tony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice stayed but didn’t live up to my expectations
I was really looking forward to our stay at The Retreat, as it had just picked up some impressive award for the best hotel in Britain or similar. The greeting from the reception team on arrival was excellent, we were seated on nice sofas and given a glass of wine. Then we were shown to our room which was a nice size but a little limited in furniture, but ok. There are pantries near the rooms where you can help yourself to drinks and snacks etc which is a really nice touch. We booked dinner in the hotel, there was a big party in that night as well so the service was terribly slow and the food ok, but not too special. In the morning we used the outdoor swimming pool and spa facilities, I had a facial as well which was all nice, I especially liked the pool. There was the odd touch missing ie no slippers in the rooms to go to the spa with. Breakfast was continental and if you wanted anything else it was an extra charge which was a bit strange, but actually ok and there was plenty of choice. In summary we had a nice time, some bits were really good, but it didn’t live up to what I was expecting have read about the hotel.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022