I have stayed at the crown a number of times when working nearby. In the past I have found the staff overworked but helpful.

There is a huge variability in reviews for this hotel and I think it depends where they put you. . On most occasions I have stayed at a house (Claire House) they own about a mile away. The rooms are big and they will also take you to and from this location to the main hotel for free. However it is really like being in a B&B with a drive for breakfast! Unfortunately on this occassion the room was freezing as the cleaners had turned the heating off during the day. Once turned on the room slowly warmed up and was warm by the morning but certainly not on the first evening.

On the second evening the heating would not come on and I moved out. Barry,the hotel owner, moved me into the main hotel annex that was warm and comfortable. He told me later that the boiler had run out of oil but at no point apologised for my inconvenience. A simple apology is worth a lot.

Later I had salmon for tea that is advertised with warm salad. I asked if this came with any veg and was told 'no' so ordered a side of chips. It came with a bowl of veg and new potatoes and my chips! Again the waitress noted that i should have been told this, but did not apologise or offer any way of putting things right.

This is typical of the disorganisation at the crown and why I will find it difficult to stay here again.

Later in the evening I did tackle the owner, Barry, about the problems I had suffered and he did agree to remove the charge for the chips. I told him that an apology would have been nice and he said that of course he was sorry. I said that if he had actually vocalised this that would have made all the difference....

Also on the first night two other guests came to the bar when I was checking in to report that their rooms had not been made up for them and still had unmade beds from the previous guests...not good. The bar was also, as is often the case, full of VERY drunk locals at 7pm who as other reviewers have commented are very loud and obnoxious. I'm really not sure why the hotel puts up with their behaviour - presumably because they spend a lot...

Don't get me wrong the location is lovely. The pub is an oldy worldy gem. It's just that the service is disorganised and the staff lacking common curtesy. If you stay in the right room on the right night when the obnoxious locals are not in the bar it will be fine (as on my first couple of stays). If however you are unlucky it will be awful! I am not sure I can take the risk again and have now found somewhere else to stay in future.