Hotels Near Public Art: Discovery in Northampton

Had arrived from the Hilton in Harrogate which was brilliant. Had high hopes for the brand when I arrived at this hotel. Walked in to reception and all I can say is appearances can be deceiving. Once you look past the chandeliers and flowers it’s evident this isn’t up to the usual Hilton standard. The first receptionist I spoke to was either shy or new. Very basic service, more time spent looking at the screen. Had to ask the usual questions, breakfast times/location:car parking payment etc.. Got told it was on my key card. That’s great but I’m asking you in person and having stayed at many hotels this is usually standard. The rooms are very basic and the hotel does need modernising. The receptionist kindly moved me (thank you Eva) as I could hear everything in the original room I was allocated, and the adjoining door between my room and the one next door didn’t seem to secure.. I found the family room I was given slightly more modern but the beds creaked awfully. Luckily I always take ear plugs. Bathrooms had those horrible shower heads that emit shed loads of spray, not ideal if you are trying not to get your hair wet and just have a wash. They do provide shower caps though. There is also a reminder to be vigilant with the shower curtain as the spray shower heads soak everything! Food in the restaurant was mediocre but prompt. Hilton prices without quality. Had the risotto which was essentially pea and cream, no taste of mint. It was a huge portion though and served quickly. Girls on service were very friendly but had to be reminded as to service. I was also given pudding without a spoon, had to go exploring as there were no staff to help find one. Pudding was bizarre, a lemon sponge thing on a bed of granola. Tasted like a dandelion. Had intended to use the gym, but to be honest I didn’t want to stay here longer than I needed to. In sum, not awful but not great. Standard no higher than a Holiday Inn, albeit they are more modern and don’t charge their guests for parking.

Really easy when checking in, staff were very friendly and helpful. Even though we had booked without breakfast, they still gave us all the times in case we changed our mind as well as the times for the food and the bar. The room was clean and just what we needed for a getaway. Plenty of space and it had really good space to store our belongings away. Good amount of plugs, especially having one either side of the bed. Bathroom was clean and a really good size. Wifi was included, which made it more appealing as usually when we go away we have to pay extra!

Very good food, family friendly. Had lots of gluten free options for me and could adapt the menu to suit. Good service. Parents stayed at the hotel and were very complimentary about their stay. Clean and comfortable rooms. Lovely little village too.

Having recently discovered The Falcon had gone through a massive transformation, we decided to book Sunday lunch at Eyas restaurant at the Falcon Hotel. The car park is large, well maintained, and in the shadow of the beautiful hotel. You are greeted as you enter and temperature taken as per the norm these days. You then go through a series of little lounges to the restaurant, all part of the hotel seating and resting areas, beautiful. The restaurant is large and the decorating is amazing. The menu is quite small but everything is cooked and prepared perfectly. We had roast beef main courses, preceded by pig cheek, salt baked celeriac and another starter. When they were served, there were about 4 staff doing the serving, one holding the tray of food, another serving etc. So nicely done. The starters have all kinds of goodies with the dish, hints of and touches of which make the dish amazing. The beef melted in your mouth. Individual pots of cauliflower cheese. Nothing too much of a problem. We had the chocolate dessert, can't remember the name, and the cheese board. Truly wonderful. Yes it isn't cheap, but this is fine dining, not just a £20 Sunday roast. You are made to feel special, and makes for a special occasion. If I didn't live so close it would be a great place to stay, the hotel looks so inviting and the staff so friendly. Will definitely come back. Enjoy

Very quiet considering it's right next to the A14, i didn't hear anything from the traffic. Supported by a Starbucks and a Petrol station. The hotel was great the staff were all very helpful and happy to help with any questions i had. Clean towels, tea, coffee, milk refills means that you could stay there without going anywhere if you wanted to just chill out on your own. With a TV and my crime magazine i was happy to chill in the evening. Would be really happy to book this hotel again in the future.

Stayed here at the weekend with friends; lovely room, enjoyed the evening meal and a fab breakfast. Would recommend. The only downside was that there is a service charge payable on all drinks that you are not notified of. We queried our bar bill as it didn’t make sense and was told by a member of staff that on all purchases a 10% charge is payable. There is no signs up around the bar area notifying you of this. We were told that the staff are not allowed to tell you about this. To me that seems fraudulent. Surely you can’t be charged for something that you don’t know about every time you go up to the bar and purchase a drink? Not sure if the staff get this money or the company. If this is company policy are they breaking the law by not notifying you of this? Please be wary.