Bedford Swan Hotel Reviews 

Room was robbed while we were out for the evening. Apple Watch, iPhone, AirPods, and a Kindle were stolen. Appears our room was entered (with a key; the door was not forced) and burgled soon after we left at 4pm, so quite targeted. Rooms are not secure. First time in our lives this has happened in the hundreds of hotels we’ve stayed at. Stolen items were visible on FindMy location app at two different addresses less than a half mile from the hotel, reflecting a neighborhood in decline around a High Street that feels dodgy at best. Night manager was unhelpful, disbelieving and said to come back in the morning. The morning manager, Tom, was much more helpful. However, we still cannot recommend this hotel. An Update have not received an apology or anything apart police report number.

I visited with my mum for lunch. It is a lovely restaurant. After sitting for the best part of 20 mins we were eventually asked if we would like to order. I asked for a Gluten Free Sandwich, from the Gluten Free menu. When our food came out, I said the GF sandwich was mine. He said that he was not sure it was GF. I said that I could tell from the size of the bread that it was and that on the main menu it only came as a bagel. He left and returned minutes later and said "have you eaten any chips?" I said yes, he explained the chips were not GF so needed to return the sandwich. I said ok. He took the plate away and came back after 5 minutes with the half eaten sandwich on a clean plate with new chips. It should have been a new sandwich if it had been in contact with gluten containing chips! When we finished our meal, nobody came for ages, so we took ourselves to the bar to pay, we waited 10 minutes before someone came to take our payment. They told us the bill and pushed the car machine at us. Once we had paid we were then able to see the receipt, which included a service charge. I would not have paid the bill if I had known the amount we would get charged as we did not have good service at all.

I returned to the hotel on Saturday as I had a pre-booked afternoon tea. We waited an hour for our food, we had to ask to get drinks and they only served us one hot drink. They then asked for over £28 in service charge. When we explained why we would not be paying the service charge, there was no apology, just walked away and removed the charge. Nobody seems to take accountability for the poor service.

Why not 5 stars ? The hotel is not trying to be a 5 star Hotel, it is a Good 4 stars. Good points: I had room service, which was prompt and the steak was good. The room was good , clean tidy , and spacious , I stayed in a King Room for 1 night. The breakfast is a buffet breakfast, I am not a fan of self service buffet breakfast the quality of the cooking is so variable. I am also disabled which can be a problem at times: I asked for assistance because I am unable to carry hot tea without spilling it - without hesitation Charlie the waiter got me some tea and brought it to my table ( thank you Charlie) this act of kindness gets the Swan one star added to my review. All in all a nice nights stay with good food and a nice room and value for money.

The hotel was lovely, but I will not be visiting again. A top was taken from my room, I reported the lost for two consecutive day to reception. I was told by the reception staff that they could only deal with the matter via email once I checked out. I sent the email as instructed and it took the manager a week to reply, saying because I didn’t report it when I was in the hotel ( which I did) they could not take responsibility for it. Therefore I have little trust in the staff and evidently the customer service is utterly shocking.

The receptionist, Hayley, was so helpful and very polite to us everytime we came to reception. Very friendly and polite service from her.

Regards
Hayley

I went to the Spa for my birthday and I had a very nice experience with the pool, cold showers, the steam rooms, the cold bucket 🪣and sauna. All the services were great and I had a great birthday and the price was really good. I hope to come back again. If you are in Bedford or if you are living there, you need to go and try the Spa in the Swan hotel. You will feel very relax and is a great gift for yourself or someone that you care and love.

Went to the pen & cob bar Sunday bank holiday and had a brilliant time. Great music and atmosphere. Katy Clark the manager made sure everything ran smoothly. Pity it’s only 3 hours long

Popped in for the buffet breakfast with friend. Have to say setting was lovely, but surprised at the average breakfast buffet. Bacon was so over cooked, sweet black pudding, only scrambled eggs. The tea available was horrendous, like dish water.

We stayed at the hotel, ate at the Penn & Cobb and spent time in the Thermal Spa. The room and food were lovely, but the spa was occupied by other guests recording their experience. Not wanting to be recorded in this way, I got out and was given a refund. I emailed the hotel to ask why the staff had allowed this and that i had to leave rather than them, to be told very rudely that there is no policy on recording devises in the pool and so people can take photos of anyone if they liked. I would suggest customer service training for members of staff is required to make this lovely hotel a nice place to visit again.

Afternoon tea on 18th Dec 2023 with friends. Seated in the 'den' area, Pink chair had a large brown stain in the middle, was there on previous visit in Nov! Prosecco was extortionate £££, asked 4 x for a jug of water. Cake stands too large for table size, couldn't see each other! Food was nicely presented.

2.45 am December. Beautiful hotel. Absolutely freezing in my room. Reception lovely, had a look at control, not sure why not working, provided 2 bedsheets, not blankets to try & stay warm + maybe 15% discount. Bring your thermals & own heater to stay warm!!

Terrible experience due to 3 large generators outside the window of room 124 making it impossible to sleep due to noise and vibrating. Also as the machines were so close to the window and the bed l was worried about the fumes and toxins even whether it was carbon monoxide??.l was charged £132 for this room which in my opinion should not be chargeable or allocated to any guests. I complained in the morning and was given a 50% refund but feel the whole amount should have been refunded for the distress caused. l would not recommend this hotel because it they can treat guests like this it tells me the don’t care about quality just making money even at the risk to their guests.

We stayed for a Saturday night in late September. Room was ok but a bit tired looking. Lots of chips on the bath enamel and only one towel between us. The light in the bathroom did not work. We had air con which worked well but was noisy. Room was extremely noisy. There was an event in the function room beneath us. I was quite surprised that the disco did not finish until 1am. We ate in the hotel restaurant in the evening. Food was ok but It was almost impossible to get a drink. Only one of the servers seemed to be taking orders. We ended up having to go to the bar ourselves. Breakfast the next morning was self serve from a buffet. It was quite good. but there were not enough tables so had to wait for one to clear.
We have stayed here in the past and had a much better experience. I won’t hurry to return. Overall I don’t feel that this was a 4 star experience.

Stayed at the swan hotel for 1 night as we were having work done at home. We live in Bedford and because the hotel always looked good and is well known in the area we thought we would give it a go. BAD MISTAKE! Reception staff (NO CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS) room so HOT air conditioning not working. Bedding very poor bed very poor. Breakfast average over priced. If this was FOUR IN THE BED series they would have got half the money for the 1 night. You know the old saying (word and mouth speaks volumes) avoid at all costs!

We had the fright of the fire alarm going off twice at 2 am. Nobody came to say it was a false alarm. Also the room was left unserviced as apparently that is only done every other day. Dirty cups, dirty towels, dirty glasses and bed undone when returning after a day with family at 10 pm. We were reimbursed after complaining but shouldn't have had to. Breakfast was self service and food cool, tables left with used plates etc on. Not a good experience.

Have been trying to book New Year’s Eve. Have a special needs adult so was quoted £45 to have a sofa bed in our room which I expected at the front desk and also over the phone. Nearly 4 weeks have passed so I phoned again. Only to be told that I would have to pay for and adjoining room that would be more. Staff have no clue what they are doing giving two different answers. Special Needs adults treated badly. Very very disappointed with them.

Car parking is a disaster stayed in May 23 and didn’t rate this as a 4* hotel. Delux bathroom dated, 30mm step between entrance and bathroom. Only one towel.
Much better value at Embankment and kingfisher hotels.

Comfortable but nothing special. Too high a price for what you get.

As a wedding photographer, we recently had the privilege of capturing a beautiful wedding celebration at the Bedford Swan Hotel. The venue is truly a hidden gem, nestled along the banks of the Great River Ouse in Bedford, Bedfordshire. The stunning combination of contemporary design and 18th Century features creates a truly unique and elegant atmosphere for a wedding or any special event.

The hotel rooms are luxurious and comfortable, offering guests all the amenities needed for a peaceful and restful stay. The air conditioning and elegant bed linen added to the experience, making it a perfect place for the bride and groom to relax and rejuvenate before their big day.

The venue itself is a perfect blend of modernity and traditional charm. It's clear that great care has been taken to preserve the original features of the 18th Century building, while incorporating contemporary touches that elevate the space. The result is a venue that is both stylish and full of character, providing the perfect backdrop for a wedding celebration.

The staff at the Bedford Swan Hotel were a joy to work with. They were professional, compassionate and dedicated to making sure the wedding day was exactly as the couple had envisioned. They were on hand throughout the day to guide the couple through the many possibilities and ensure that everything ran smoothly.

In conclusion, we highly recommend the Bedford Swan Hotel as a wedding venue. It's a unique and stunning location that offers a luxurious and comfortable stay, combined with a touch of history and charm. The dedicated and professional staff will ensure that your special day is everything you have ever dreamed of.

Kindest regards,
The Kensington Photographer

Just been completely screwed over by the not free parking at this hotel. Signage NOT clear.
Attending a friends memorial service at the hotel and find out this week their preferred supplier ParkingEye are demanding £100 for a parking fine. Had it been clear I would have paid or parked elsewhere.
Appalled.
Had thought to recommend the venue to local friends for gatherings but certainly won’t be now.

I was a guest at the hotel for a wedding party and was left with a complete mess on my hands after their parking company gave me a ticket. The staff didn't help me out, they couldn't really care less. Avoid this place although my experience was unusual, it did highlight their lack of gratitude for their customers.
The car park is pathetic for the size of the venue and they did not advise us on an alternative car park, It was poorly lit and extremely busy we had drive around it repeatedly to find a space. If you do happen to find yourself in any trouble with their unscrupulous parking "enforcers" don't count on any support from the hotel staff. The attitude is essentially it's not their problem and they couldn't really care less. I'm still waiting for an apology let alone any financial help with the awful situation they've left me in.