Orsett Hall Hotel 

We went to this venue for one of my best friend’s wedding and the dissatisfaction we all have with the service of this booking and the events surrounding the wedding day.

From the outset, communication was poor. You originally booked their wedding at a time when the venue was undergoing renovations and was not fully operational. This should have been the first warning sign of the further issues to come.

Additionally, guests were only informed the day before the wedding that a £50 per person deposit hold would be applied. This was particularly frustrating given that the room had already been paid for in full. Such important financial information should have been communicated well in advance to allow guests to prepare accordingly.

The most disappointing aspect of the experience was the conduct of a member of staff on the wedding day. Our (groups) wedding manager had advised that we could take photographs anywhere on the venue grounds. However, whilst taking photographs, another manager approached us and abruptly instructed us to move. The manner in which this was handled was both rude and unprofessional. Rather than politely clarifying any restrictions, we felt as though we were being shooed away. This behaviour caused unnecessary distress to the bride on what should have been a special and memorable day.

The conflicting instructions provided by different members of staff resulted in the wedding party being repeatedly directed from one location to another during a heatwave. This lack of organisation caused considerable frustration and discomfort for the couple and the guests. While I appreciate that the staff member may have been managing another wedding, this does not excuse the attitude displayed towards our party or the distress caused. If you don’t want your wedding on at the same time as another bride then pick another venue – don’t create issues for the other brides who are trying to enjoy their day because you don’t want another bride having their photos before your guests have even sat in the chapel and your wedding has started.

Further concerns have arisen regarding the deposit holds taken from members of the wedding party. Many guests have still not had their money returned. Rather than simply placing a temporary hold on funds, payments appear to have been processed, and over a month later some guests are still waiting for reimbursement. This reflects poorly on the venue's booking and payment systems and has only added to the dissatisfaction surrounding our experience.

As a result of these issues, I would not recommend this venue for weddings, events, hotel stays, or spa visits. Since our experience, I have noted numerous reviews from other customers raising similar concerns regarding communication, customer service, and payment processes, suggesting these are not isolated incidents.

While the venue may be investing in renovations and improvements to its appearance, these changes alone will not address the underlying issues. Significant improvements are required in customer service standards, staff professionalism, communication practices, and deposit management procedures. Without addressing these fundamental concerns, any physical refurbishment will do little to improve the overall customer experience.

Overall, what should have been one of the most important and enjoyable days of my friends’ lives was overshadowed by poor communication, disorganisation, unprofessional behaviour, and ongoing financial issues. I hope these complaints and negative reviews are taken seriously and used as an opportunity to make meaningful improvements for future customers.

It advertises with pictures it has a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and gym but on arrival it has been shut down for sometime without any information when booking it. You are unable to get an massage treatments because it has been quiet so they don’t have so many staff. Very disappointed and will not be coming back

Not a bad hotel but antiquated in just about every way you can think…food is poor, the bar is not very inviting and the staff not overly friendly. But two massive issues 1) the heating in the rooms is controlled by reception staff and you have to ask if you want it switched on or the temperature adjusted, and 2) the scam pre-authorised payment they insist you pay. We paid £100 on check in and at check out they said it would be released back to my bank…and here I am more than 2 weeks later and they still haven’t released it. I’ve called the hotel twice and emailed about it and they sent me ‘proof’ that it had been released but all it is is a ‘suspended’ transaction…meaning I’ll have to wait 30 days to get it back. In the meantime, mine (and others) funds will be propping up the hotel’s cash flow! THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT SCAM AND IF YOURE CONSIDERING STAYING THERE JUST PLAIN REFUSE TO PAY IT. DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT…Read the other reviews on here and it will make you think twice. Try somewhere else.

we book restaurant paid deposit , we hade to cancel
4 days before the day as two of the family had covid
we was told you won't get you deposit back
you can't move it to a different date ,
so call back to got on the Sunday with some other to use the booking ,,,, sorry you cancelled you have to pay again , under new owners , just a shit service
PLEASE SAVE YOU TIME AND GO TO SOME WHERE BETTER JUST NOT THE FOOD WAS OUT NOT OUTSTANDING LAST TMIE THERE

I had my 50th birthday party on Saturday at Orsett hall. I can't thank enough how wonderful it was! Thank you Roseanna for looking after me from the beginning! Thank you chefs for amazing meal! Thank you all waitresses for wonderful service.
And the rest of the team who made my party so special. Highly recommend your venue as ir was best party I ever had! Thank you xxx

I have just got back home after an amazing afternoon at the spa. From start to finish myself and my best friend had such a wonderful time celebrating our 50th birthdays. The food for the afternoon tea was out of this world, the service was attentive and friendly and we loved the relaxing atmosphere. The spa facilities were brilliant, the reception lady made us feel so welcome and kindly showed us round. We loved our time in the pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi and enjoyed a peppermint tea in the relaxation room before a relaxing full body massage with Indian head massage. We felt so welcomed, relaxed and not rushed at all. Thank you so much to all involved. We would highly recommend Orsett Hall and will be coming back soon. Thank you so much, it was worth my long drive from Timperley, Manchester to come x

BE VERY CAREFUL!

LAST NIGHT 21/12/2025 we arrived at Orsett Hall to attend a Christmas function, we booked this event in June, fully paid for. It was a surprise for our friends 40th. We arrived to be told the event had been cancelled in November. We even had a confirmation email sent on the 20th December. To say we were angry and disappointed is an understatement. The reception staff were totally embarrassed by the appalling mistake made by the events team. Alot of time,effort and money went into organising a special evening for our friend and we will be contacting the new owners of Orsett Hall and making a formal complaint. Absolutely shocking that an established venue such as this, can be so unorganised and amateurish with their events and us as paying customers. I think it's very telling that Orsett Hall do not acknowledge reviews on trustpilot, perhaps because so many of the reviews are so negative 🤔

Our daughters kindly gave us an afternoon tea for two. Our granddaughter who was born 6 months ago has been hospitalised a few times and we were unable to book within the time span of the voucher.
We fell fail of a few weeks and have now lost the total value of the gift which was £102.00. Alice from their Reception & Reservations Team showed no empathy to our situation, and just referred to the validity of the voucher.
I hope no one else falls fail of their petty T&Cs
My wife has on many occasions used their spa with other friends, which will now stop from all of them.
Laws regarding gift vouchers need to be reviewed as Orsett Hall have lost absolutely nothing and taken 100% profit from the things life chucks at you.

The Events team were very great responding to all my questions in time and updating me as the date approached.

Great team to work it. Made the planning on my end seamless.

We had a twighlight vow renewal at Orsett Hall. Although we didn't have the top of the range package, we were never made to feel second rate. The Planning assistance and advice given by Jemma was amazing. The buffet we had was great quality, although maybe a little short on quantity. With our own bar staff, I never noticed any real queuing. The only downside really was breakfast. This had quantity, but the quality lacked as freshly replaced food was not hot. Also one toaster for a full service was not adequate.

Good customer service

SCAM DEPOSIT SYSTEM! RUINED WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A NICE VISIT TO THE AREA. Paid the deposit and I AM STILL WAITING 12 DAYS LATER! Called twice now and reception can only give excuses as to why it hasn’t happened and are not really interested, said I had to take it up with my bank even though they know they have not processed the refund, one person even told me that I would have to wait until the accounts person was back from holiday! Absolute nonsense! Poorly run place in general pretending to be an up market location!

Review in detail:
1. Hotel is run down and basic at best. Food was sub standard on the days that the kitchen actually was open, advertised that food would be served every night until 930. Friday night the kitchen stopped serving at 845. Had to drive out and find somewhere to eat in an area we did not know. On the day that we got breakfast it was served cold. Very limited choices.
2. Poor parking facilities with no real security for cars.
3. Bed was uncomfortable and the window could not be opened to let any air into an already stuffy room with a poor air circulation system.
4. Staff seemed overworked and not interested in customers, spent a lot of time discussing their private issues at the desk.

In general a very disappointing stay at and now left out of pocket for a deposit that looks like I will never get back.

Had afternoon tea. Disappointed. Had the pescatarian and no fish sandwich at all..not tuna or salmon or prawn.. Just egg and cream cheese. What's the point of pescatarian sandwich? 4 little fingers.
What a waste of money. Cakes okay. All left hungry and flat.

We visited Orsett Hall for a family Sunday lunch at 13.00 on 9 March 2025. A party of 10. We have often visited over the years, for many occasions, but after this experience I’m afraid never again.
We were seated in an elevated position in The Garden Room. One of our party is a wheelchair user and had to be wheeled out the side door, around the building to another entrance, luckily it was a good day. No assistance was offered from a disinterested, presumably room manager. Another family member uses a walker, he struggled up the 2 steps, with help from a younger waiter, most apologetic and helpful.
Not a good advert for inclusivity.
Once seated, the service was slow and haphazard.
First course, the 2 soup dishes were forgotten and arrived cold. The second course, meals arrived with the wrong selections, the beef was sinewy, vegetables sparse, gravy already added, and no extra offered, accompaniment's had to be asked for, and these meals were not hot.
Deserts ordered, all arrived at different times, ice cream not added to the crumble.
In all, it was very disappointing.
We have wonderful memories of previous times at this venue, but alas it has gone down hill.
To top this all, my relative who kindly arranged and payed for our gathering, rang Orsett Hall, to offer feedback to be told the Manager wasn’t available and they would get back to her within 14 days

Stayed with my partner for a last minute spa getaway and was excited to stay in a (supposed) 4* hotel…. However, on arrival, we were told that the swimming pool and spa facilities would be chargeable (at £10 per person, per hour) and that one of the on-site restaurants was unavailable/closed. All very disappointing, as it was the main reason why we had chosen to book here, thinking it was all included!

The reception in the evening wasn’t always manned - with no staff in sight - and the hotel interior itself was all VERY dated, with mismatched stained carpets or cheap laminate flooring (that was separating/coming up) throughout, as well as mismatched furniture and cheap decor scattered on walls and around hallways etc.

The room itself (a superior double) was a good size but the bed was two single beds pushed together, which meant it dipped deeply in the middle. The decor was also very basic and aged, with stains all over the extremely dirty carpet and over the furniture too (like it hadn’t been cleaned/wiped down in ages). The bed cushions looked knackered (with loose thread everywhere and beads missing off them both) and there was also stains and dirt on the window sills.

However, the saving grace was the bathroom, which was really warm and retained the heat from the radiator on even the coldest of nights and also the big bathtub - perfect for soaking in! Also the water pressure from the shower and taps was insanely strong, which was definitely a big plus! Toiletry products are apparently from ESPA (although all the bottles were old looking and refillable) so it wasn’t overly convincing…

The swimming pool itself was very small, with limescale coating all the sides. The jacuzzi was small with murky water and the steam and sauna rooms were both very small (befitting only 4-6 people at a squeeze!) and both with signs of faulty taps etc in each room.

The ‘relaxation room’ was basically a small room full of chairs, some throws and with changeable ceiling lights (green hue, blue hue etc) and magazines and the changing rooms were small, basic and only equipped with a single hair dryer.

Food at the Cafe Sartoria was overpriced and so bad/burnt/overcooked/late, that it was rendered inedible but the staff there are lovely (Kayley the manager and Frankie were particularly nice), so eating off-site would be highly recommended.

All in all, an OK stay as it’s a big hotel with lovely grounds but definitely more a 2*-3* hotel.

Avoid at all costs!!!! Terrible customer service for such a pretty hotel . We booked to stay over new years for 2 nights paid £460 for the room the bar shut at 9pm and we couldn’t have dinner as there was a New Year’s Eve party celebration we wasn’t told about but they would not let us in the the venue …… the next morning we arrived for breakfast after we pre payed for it as they was busy the lady seating people said sorry we are full so we can’t seat you but you can use our other restaurant but you will need to pay for it I was outraged!! We then tried to use to spa on New Year’s Day as this was the main reason we booked this hotel but it was closed that day and we wasn’t informed. We was woke up at 9am by the cleaners knocking . I asked to speak to a manager but there wasn’t anyone that could do anything until the day we was due to check out . What was supposed to be a lovely chilled happy couple of days turned out to be so stressful and rude . But we was called on the day of checkout by the manager to offer a refund for breakfast how generous of them . Please don’t waste your time here there are much better places to stay for the money that actually respect their guests and do there upmost to accommodate them avoid!!!!!! The least they should have done was give us a night stay so we could enjoy the spa and actually have the breakfast we paid for .

MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN LET DOWN SO BADLY WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WONDERFUL XMAS LUNCH TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE WORSE THAN FAWLTY TOWERS...I AM STILL AWAITING AT LEAST AN APOLOGY...7 OF US ON OUR TABLE WROTE REVIEWS...NO MORE MASONIC FUNCTIONS, WEDDINGS OR XMAS LUNCHES HERE...WHOEVER WAS OVERSEEING THE EVENT SHOULD BE SACKED...NO ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS WHATSOEVER...BEYOND DISGRACEFUL...FELT SORRY FOR THE STAFF TRYING THEIR BEST JUST NOT ENOUGH OF THEM

My previous experiences at Orsett Hall have all been great, with exceptional service and food. Today, Orsett Hall has probably provided me with one of my worst ever dining experiences!

My family and I booked (at £119 Per head) Christmas lunch in the Pavillion. We arrived at 12.45pm, and by 1.45pm we had not been approached by a single member of staff or asked if we would like a drink; so I had to remind the bar staff that were seated and thirsty!

It is important to note the juxtaposition between the beautiful grounds surrounding this venue and the austere simplicity in the way that this event was set up. It was non-welcoming with the stark lighting failing to create a convivial atmosphere, I did question the standard of this festive fayre upon discovering the paper napkins that adorned our table. For this special occasion I would have expected a linen napkin, and not something that you would find at a children's tea party or a burger bar on the M1 services. However, I would have overlooked this lack of table setting etiquette (which included crackers with the 'bang' taken out) if the rest of the dining experience had been favourable.
Bread rolls finally made an appearance (20 minutes before our starter) with only two butter pats for a table of 6!
Our starter arrived at 2.10pm, and we had to wait over an hour for the main course. This was served with gravy already added (I hate gravy) and not offered separately in a gravy boat as would be expected: even in a Toby Carvery! I did not want to send back my meal as I had already waited an hour and was super hungry, so I didn't fancy a further delay. No condiments were offered and when requested came 15 minutes later, and were now completely pointless. Were we expected to allow our meals to go cold whilst we waited for them to arrive!

As we looked around there were chaotic scenes as other diners were complaining to the poor young waiting staff - who I would like to pont out were the best part of this fiasco, and clearly had to bear the brunt for this disarray , as there didn't appear to be anyone with any authority in sight.

Perhaps a complimentary drink could have softened the angst during another protracted wait for our desserts, which took a further hour to materialise. Once again, our disappointment was exacerbated by the shocking lack of any form of apology!

When we complained to the deputy manager, we were told that the actual manager, Victoria had gone home and that the service had not been up to the usual standards because of staff shortages. This is totally outrageous - at £119 per head surely a contingency should have been used to combat this! The first rule of event planning is preparedness. It beggars belief that any manager would go home leaving a trail of incompetence, and a group of young people to carry the can! Once again it is only fair to point out that all of these young people were a credit to Orsett Hall, as they were clearly doing their best, and this negative review is not aimed in their direction.

This ruined our christmas. It was the first time we had decided to spend this away from a cosy home setting, and chose Orsett Hall based on both our previous experiences, and the high praise that we read from the reviews of previous years.

The management of Orsett Hall should be ashamed of this debacle, which has left a massive dent in its reputation. The decision to remove the all important 'bang' from the Christmas Crackers didn't augur well, as I fear the rest of the magic of Christmas disappeared with it!

Christmas lunch was absolutely vile,no staff,the dinner had shop bought yorkshire pudding,had to beg for a meal to be boxed up as one family member was ill and couldnt attend,they said they were not allowed yo box up the starter or dessert,and told us to box the main up ourselves.we left halfway through the overcooked salty mess on our plates. Paid £120 for this rubbish

We had heard great things about this place, so we were really looking forward to our Christmas Day celebration, but unfortunately, it was a huge letdown. Perhaps things were better in previous years, but based on our experience, it was a day we’ll never forget – for all of the wrong reasons.
The biggest issue was the lack of staff. It was clear that they were severely understaffed, which led to a poor overall experience. We were seated in a separate building away from the main restaurant, which felt like an afterthought. The atmosphere was far from festive, with cheap serviettes and crackers, and no one to greet us upon arrival. We were also left waiting for over an hour between courses, which was unacceptable.
As the meal dragged on, the children, including my 3-year-old, started running around, 3.5 hours is simply too long. It quickly turned into a chaotic scene, reminiscent of a canteen rather than a special Christmas meal. Even M&S's canteen would have felt more organised. Several guests left before the meal even ended, which says a lot about the experience.

To make matters worse, the General Manager refused to address any concerns, leaving without offering an apology. This is particularly disappointing for someone who works in events and hospitality, as it reflects poorly on the professionalism of the management team.
The staff, who were clearly overwhelmed, were also put in a difficult position. They were initially told to say that staff members had called in sick, but after a few hours, one of them admitted that this wasn’t true as everyone on the rota was there and that there simply wasn’t enough staff hired for the day. I sympathise with the waitstaff and bar staff, as they received a lot of complaints, and I truly hope they were compensated fairly for the extra work.
In hindsight, it was clear that the event was doomed from the start. We didn’t get to enjoy the special day we had hoped for, and while we can’t get that time back, we’re now hoping for a refund or some form of compensation.