Bowood Hotel, Spa, and Golf Resort

Absolutely perfect experience. There was one downside however. You can’t access the gym or pool on your own until you are 16. Apart from that, fantastic place, friendly staff and relaxing environment. Good views as well as a lot of activities.

We had a private lunch with a group of friends to celebrate a special occasion. The food and service was outstanding. I would like to specifically mention Rebecca who went above and beyond to make it a special event; she was friendly, professional and engaging, and an absolute asset to the hotel.

This is the 4th visit to Bowood hotel. I had a two day business trip in Bristol and my husband decided to accompany me. We made it into a 4 day break with dinner included. This is as good a 4* hotel as you will find anywhere. All the staff without exception are charming, well trained and professional at all times. Beautifully designed hotel with so many thoughtful features. We will be back!

Gave Bowood 4 stars as it's set in super grounds and a wonderful property. Nothing I can specifically say is bad but the overall experience is not quite as satisfying as might be expected, especially given the prices. The chap who stands in the lobby is super helpful and engaging, definitely a big plus. Most of restaurant staff seem ill at ease with their roles, not coherent. Ask one for something and it takes ages and you have to ask someone else. There were a few organised people,e but generally the exception. Sitting out on the patio in nice weather is hard to beat.

The carpark is scruffy and distant from the hotel Throughout the hotel there is an air of excellence as described by many reviewers. The staff are universally bright and polite, and, apart from when we booked in, competent. Our bedroom with the balcony was superbly equipped. However, the extra large bathroom only partly offset the sleeping area being too small for a second easy chair. For £366 per night, two people should be able to sit in comfort. [My son’s room with no balcony and costing only £220 per night was significantly longer and had two easy chairs]. The toilet seat was made of flimsy plastic and creaked, groaned and shifted. We unplugged the fridge overnight because it gave out a loud murmur. The service in the Shelburne restaurant lived up to expectations, although the food did not suite me Our experience of private dining in the old dairy office was exceptional, especially for allowing the two grand children freedom of movement. We ordered from the Shelburne menu and my guests were euphoric about the fillet steak. Liam with extreme patience ensured the efficient flow of food and wine

Had a marvellous stay yesterday – we had two fabulous spa treatments followed by drinks & dinner – all the staff very attentive even to a pair of grumpy professional moaners (fellow diners) which proved the only low light to our stay – I hate to see hospitality staff berated when the complaint only came AFTER consuming their meal!. The room was very comfortable – we both slept well – overlooking the front of the hotel we thought they may be noise from people coming or going but neither of us heard a thing! Breakfast was simply exceptional – husband is a big fan of a full English but asked for substitutions and was given a large plate full of his very well cooked favourites. I tried the Smoked Haddock potato cake (not something I’ve come across previously) what a revelation! Delicious and possibly the best breakfast I’ve ever eaten. Again staff were exceptional – a big shout out to Betti who served breakfast with a smile and nothing was too much trouble. The reception team were lovely and very helpful with information and assistance with bags – all in all 10/10 – we’ll be back!

Booked a two-day spa stay at Bowood, after reading a lovely review in The Times. The first problem arose before we left; we received a call a day before to move one of our treatment times, meaning we were no longer having both of our treatments together. This was disappointing, particularly the short notice, given we had booked months beforehand. On arrival you can use the spa although you cannot check into the room before 3pm. No problem, the spa has lockers. However, these have individual padlocks that are provided by Spa Reception, and one we were given, once locked, did not reopen with the key provided. Staff tried, unsuccessfully, to open, and eventually had to get bolt cutters, mentioning it was not the first time. Perhaps better to upgrade the lockers and use wristbands as other establishments do? Pool area looks out over golf course, beautiful views, limited seating if busy. Spa treatments were lovely, and afterwards they bring you a complimentary hot drink of choice and a biscuit in the relaxation area which has a fire, which is a lovely touch. Room itself very pleasant, plenty of space in room and bathroom. Balcony tiny, room for two chairs to be placed opposite each other but not to sit facing the golf course. Bar staff lovely and a very pleasant area to sit. Dining room lovely if seated by the window; the rest of the room a bit dark and muted. Menu was nice but identical the two nights we stayed which was a shame, a bit of variety would have been welcome. The food itself was delicious and probably the best part of the stay. Breakfast was a bit disappointing; for an establishment trying to provide luxury service it fell short on the buffet options (small selection of pastry, sad fruit salad) and charging extra for "speciality coffee" - anything other than tea or filter coffee. This seems incongruous and when queried we were told this was because when it was included in the breakfast the staff couldn't keep up with the orders. So, rather than get another machine or an additional member of staff to assist with coffee orders, they charge an extra £2 for each drink requested... Clubhouse; had a very pleasant lunch here, great food, service, and views. Hotel guests get free access to Bowood House and Gardens which was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. It was a comfortable relaxing stay but wouldn't be worth a repeat, and we expected more for the amount we were charged for the stay.

Well, where do we start!! We had a fabulous stay here to celebrate a birthday. From the moment I booked online, it was clear that this is a well managed, first rate hotel. Great attention to detail was made in accepting the booking with advice given about spa treatment bookings, restaurant times, etc. Check in was fast and efficient, and what a treat to find a gift in the room, even though my wife's birthday it had only been briefly mentioned in an email two months previously. My wife found the spa treatments the best experience, and the whole spa impressed with its facilities, staff and cleanliness. We also enjoyed the complimentary access to the House and Gardens, and again found the staff there were excellent in their welcome and knowledge of the history of the property: for those with children the adventure playground looked an absolute must, and I hope to return and play the fabulous golf course at some point. Finally a mention to the restaurant staff, would provided great service both in the evening and at breakfast, where the menu choices matched everything that we quickly came to expect at this terrific hotel. Being a relatively new hotel (2009), everything had been built to a high standard, but maintaining that quality requires great management and Bowood is very fortunate in Having Jeff at the helm: well done Bowood!!

Friendly but mainly untrained staff, great location, good rooms, nice spa facilities but that’s where the positives end. Anyone who has been lucky enough to have a positive experience has really been in the minority. My friend booked the deluxe spa break for my 60th birthday for her, me and my husband. At over £850 for the three of us in two rooms for one night, plus the hotel’s own promising website, it’s fair to say we had high expectations. I don’t like to leave a negative review and do this hoping it will come to the attention of the owners of this hotel as they need to consider their management. No bar or restaurant manager, service standards appalling (asking for our drinks order after 30 minutes, one drink arrived and husband had to go to the bar to ask for his drink). The roast beef nor belly pork could not be cut by the steak knives supplied. Belly pork’s fat had not been rendered down and was unappealing. The beef could not be cut and finally I asked a server for the chef to use his knife to cut it. He did, it was unchewable. All beef left. No one asked if we wanted a dessert. Finally gave up and asked to speak to a manager who didn’t exist and the lovely ladies Shannon and Zara did their best to resolve the situation. At dinner we were shown our table, again lovely staff but we weren’t told we had a £50 credit per person to apply against food. At £50 for a fillet steak (which the lady behind us ordered - and couldn’t cut) and mid 30s for pretty much any main, we ordered far less than had we known about the credit. Next morning was all about spa treatments- except the therapists available couldn’t provide a deep tissue massage. Husband waited 30 minutes only to be told he couldn’t have his chosen treatment, he had to have a 30 minute facial. Then my friend and I had to decide who had a 30 minute treatment provided it wasn’t a deep tissue massage. We were only allowed 30 minutes facial or neck and shoulder massage. By this point it was clear every aspect of the deluxe spa break could not be adequately delivered. We asked to speak to the manager, we saw Hayley the duty manager who seemed to be well versed in the script “we are so sorry to learn of your experience, and can assure you this is not our usual standard. What we do in such circumstances is offer you the chance of a complimentary return on the same basis “. Forgive us for being sceptical about this being such a rare occurrence. We asked to speak to the general manager and we waited for him to come and see us in reception. He was polite but seemed a bit battle worn as there had been a number of complaints about the service and food quality. He repeated the same script and said all he could offer was a refund or a free return. It’s not every day you turn 60. Serious illness and many other issues had made this an important occasion. We didn’t feel if we returned, that it would be any better and so the refund was accepted. So, poor quality food and service and spa staff