Without the dog muck, which attracted my son’s shoe like a magnet, The Elms
would have been kiddie heaven. But Christian's messy shoe, courtesy of the
hotel’s labrador, was a small price to pay when you consider the free
crèche, brimful of toys, an outside play area, child meals and complimentary
milk.
Devotees of Von Essen’s Luxury Family range have long called for a new
addition to the stable of properties that service their UK peregrinations.
But while The Elms, which joined the group in August, is just as family
friendly, it is not as luxurious as its sister properties Ickworth and
Moonfleet Manor.
When the brochure says the bedrooms have been “painstakingly restored to their
former glory, a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary style”, the
reality is a room my granny would be proud of; only the flat-screen TV with
DVD qualifying as contemporary. The twin beds were pushed together because
of lack of space and made up with sheets and blankets. There were no single
duvets and, as we discovered to our horror, no mattress protectors. The
“power shower” in the small bathroom was more of a dribble.
My 12-year-old niece, Charlotte, and I couldn’t get out of the room and down
to dinner fast enough, having left Christian sleeping in his cot using the
baby-listening service (babysitting is available at a pricey £50).
The food, though, turned out to be an extravaganza of Michelin-star quality
with an unusual blend of flavours, marrying seared tuna with carpaccio of
pineapple and pepper essence, and roast rump of lamb with celery and goat’s
cheese ravioli. The peanut butter iced parfait was superb, but the pièce de
resistance was a trolley heaving with delicious local cheeses – Hereford Hop
and Lightwood Chaser.
A shame, then, that breakfast didn’t live up to the night before: the orange
juice wasn’t fresh and the cooked breakfast wasn’t memorable.
But let’s not quibble. With both meals included in the £145 price I negotiated
with the hotel after finding an internet deal, it was a bargain. And once
the spa opens in April, there’s even more reason to return.
Bottom line: Jane Knight paid £145 for a room, including dinner and
breakfast for two.
Sampling the fare: The à la carte menu cost an extra £10 a head and a
child’s high tea £7.95.
Best thing: Kid-tastic
Worst thing: Not being warned about the wedding party with noisy music.
Need to know: The Elms, Abberley, Worcester WR6 6AT; tel. 01299 896
666; www.theelmshotel.co.uk
Access all areas: No.
Value: 8 out of 10.
Room: 4 out of 10.
Food: 9 out of 10 for dinner, 6 out of 10 breakfast.
Service: 7 out of 10
Child-friendliness: 9 out of 10.
Have you stayed at The Elms? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Post
a Comment using the form below
I am not sure if your comment about the bed being made up with sheets and blankets is an observation or a criticism. I can only say that I delight in finding a hotel that still uses sheets and blankets.
In most hotels, in anything other than a Siberian-style freeze, the duvet just makes it far too hot. It is usually filled with non-absorbant polyester so that I wake in the night in a sea of sweat and have to remove the duvet contents and just sleep covered by the 'sheet bag'. It is far easier to regulate the temperature, and to remain properly covered in bed, if it is just a case of casting off an unwanted blanket rather than having to dismantle the entire sleeping apparatus.
My worst nightmare was in a hotel in Peatra Neamt in Romania. It was minus 8 centigrade outside but in my room the radiator was stuck fully on and it was about plus 28 degrees. I jetisoned the duvet contents and turned the air conditioning up to maximum and managed to get a comfortable night's sleep!
-Peter
Peter Smith, Bridgnorth, UK