Family-friendly Hotels in Stratford-upon-Avon

The hotel is generally good and the staff are attentive, but we would suggest avoiding the restaurant.  The hotel doesn't warrant a 4* with areas showing wear and tear such as water-damaged wood, mouldy seal in the bathroom, broken window locks, etc.  Our room was not ready when we arrived, so we were given a drinks voucher. After being advised our room was ready, we arrived at the room to find the maid still cleaning the room. The room included basic tea and coffee facilities and toiletries.  The pool/spa is limited and has a cold pool, a steam room, a sauna, and a gym.  We had booked into the restaurant for an evening meal, but when we arrived there was a table complaining about the food. They had sent their food back to the kitchen twice, and the staff were suggesting they send it back again. They walked out of the restaurant. Based on this, we thought we would order something that was pretty safe, so we ordered a burger and a chicken. However, the meat tasted cheap and of poor quality. The restaurant is charging gastro prices, but the quality is nothing better than Wetherspoons or worse. Again, the puddings were basic, with a vegan coconut ice cream that had an odd texture to it and a sticky toffee pudding that was no better than a cheap microwave pud. In our opinion, the staff were inappropriately dressed, with one waitress having such a short skirt that every time she moved you got to see more than you wanted. The bar staff were assisting in the restaurant, and one barman was dressed in hip-style jeans, which kept falling down. Although all very attentive and polite, it seemed that the hotel as a whole had very limited staff, with everyone just mucking in.  The breakfast was not much better than our evening meal. We arrived at 9.30am to find the milk, pastries, hot water, etc. had run dry. There was a selection of hot food, but once again the meat tasted cheap. The main waitress was incredibly young and either didn't communicate or spoke so incredibly quietly that you could not hear what she said.  At check out, we were not asked how our stay had been, and we felt that everything was done to avoid such communication.

On this, our third stay at the wonderful Howard Arms, being older and less mobile we were in the Garden Room which has two windows looking over the large, pretty garden. We were very comfortable in this clean, spacious and luxurious room. The large bathroom has a tub and a separate shower and there is plenty of surface space for washbags, etc. I did have a minor niggle with the hangers in the wardrobe. These were the sort that have the anti-theft security rings attached to them which you get in most hotels these days. Usually the hangers can easily be lifted out of their rings to ease the process of hanging up your clothes. However, most of these were tightly wedged into the rings and so I found it difficult to hang my clothes up. The first evening we chose the Sunday Roast and plumped for pork loin. This consisted of two slices of pork, a splendid Yorkshire Pudding, and gravy, accompanied by a huge heap of veg, and I mean HUGE - roast potatoes, greens including broccoli, various root veg such as carrots and celeriac, and a generous portion of cauli cheese. Adam Richman and Casey Webb would have felt at home here but we were completely over-faced. That said, however, we were a bit disappointed to get only two small slices of pork loin per person, which seemed a bit mean compared to the overwhelming amount of vegetables provided. We’d have preferred at least three slices of pork and a ”normal” amount of vegetables. But it was all nicely cooked. Our meal on the second evening was superb. We were delighted to see Creedy Carver duck on the menu and this turned out to be a generous portion, beautifully cooked and presented, and absolutely delicious. We couldn't fault it. I highly recommend this lovely, comfortable old pub in the beautiful village of Ilmington. All the staff were polite and friendly and we would certainly stay there again when next in the area. In fact, we were very sorry to leave.

With a stay at Broom Hall Inn in Alcester, you'll be steps from Bidford Grange Golf Club and a 4-minute drive from Bidford Grange Golf Course. This inn is 3.4 mi (5.4 km) from Ragley Hall and 5.5 mi (8.9 km) from Coughton Court.Make use of convenient amenities, which include complimentary wireless internet access and wedding services.At Broom Hall Inn, enjoy a satisfying meal at the restaurant. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. Breakfast is available for a fee.Free self parking is available onsite.Stay in one of 13 guestrooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Conveniences include electric kettles, and housekeeping is provided daily.