What can I say!! We booked the Fountain Court Hotel for a function in November. The owners were very keen to have us there and suggested that some improvements would be made to the function room... none had been. We booked a good DJ, suggested by the hotel actually and they provided a buffet. Whilst we were aware that it was not going to be the highest quality venue, it was outstandingly bad! We had a 70's themed party which worked a treat with the dodgy decor, anaemic buffet and fawlty towers atmosphere. My brother ordered me a red wine from the bar, when he pointed out to the barman that he had been given Rose wine the barman just deadpan said, 'best I could do mate!'.... changed it for a bottle of beer in the end! I also bought some cheese to supplement the buffet. When the bought it out they had cut it into massive chunks and shoved it on a doily.... most peculiar. God only knows where the chef was trained. We pretty much booked the hotel out with our friends.... luckily they all have a good sense of humour! I dread to think what sort of nights sleep most of them had! I went back a few days later to pick up a couple of things I had left behind (lost obviously!). I was in utter awe when the receptionist pointed out that she couldn't phone the cleaner of the function room as she only had her mobile number and the reception phone could only call landlines. Apparently she had to borrow the owners mobile to call another mobile number. This is truly and exercise in how NOT to run a business, and it could be a cracking place. Despite all of this... and more... we had a fabulous night with our friends... probably made better by the utter dreadfulness and ineptitude of the hotel. East your heart out Basil Fawlty!!!!

As I often travel for work, I'm used to staying in soul-less chain hotels, so it was a nice surprise to arrive at the Fountain Court. The building itself is very nice and full of character, rather than some box stuck in a city centre, and the staff had a friendly attitude. I was even pleased to find that on Friday night there was a live band in the cosy bar.

I'm sure that some people might prefer to stay in a corporate box with "Yes, Sir... No, Sir" staff, but, believe me, that can grow pretty tiresome when you come back after a hard day at work and want to relax in an informal atmosphere.

We visited this hotel for my sister's wedding and reception and we were very disappointed. On arrival we were not made to feel welcome and having travelled some distance, found it difficult to arrange a cup of coffee.
We had no idea where the wedding was to be held and were left hanging around in the foyer until we were ushered through to the conservatory for the wedding ceremony. If it wasn't for the flowers on the wedding table arranged by my sister, the room was very plain, lacked atmosphere and was decorated with plastic trailing ivy and very simply furnishings.
There was no bar made available to us after the ceremony and we had to use the public bar with sports TV and pool tables at the front of the hotel.
After hanging around for some time we were summoned to the dining room by one of the wedding guests as no-one seemed very sure what was happening.
Some of the waiting staff were extremely scruffy and when asked for our meal preferences using scrappy pieces of paper, we had seen no menu to make an informed choice. The choice of dessert was very limited and there was no choice for a main course. When the food arrived, it was bland, uninteresting and not very appealing. Roast beef with no yorkshires or accompaniments like mustard or horseradish on offer!
Th 6 desserts offered included 3 types of cheesecake. Not great if you don't like cheesecake!
Food was served across other guests and meals were interrupted by waiting staff with poor manners and waiting skills. No drinks were offered other than the single bottle of white wine and jug of water per table provided by our hosts
The weather outside was a beautiful Autumn Day, but the wedding breakfast took place with all the curtains drawn in artifical light.
When it came to the cake cutting, The hotel had even forgotten to provide a knife and this had to be sought out.
If it wasn't for the fact that my sister and new brother-in-law seemed very happy and oblivious to the appalling service it would have been a very disappointing day.

Booked 2 double rooms on the 16th Oct, 2011. The first room was dirty, smelly, bathe held together with masking tape. Had to change rooms, still not much better. One room was freezing, the heating was found not to be working at all. Breakfast was without doubt the worst we have ever had anywhere in the world! Inedible. Even the toast was thin cold and dried out. The whole place was shabby and grubby looking. Do not stay.