We stayed at this hotel in 2007 and had a good stay. Therefore when we were passing through this area of the country again recently we decided to stop off there again.

Unfortunately our stay this time was far from ideal and we will not be returning! The main reasons for this are:

~The closure of the main restaurant is a real loss. It was one of the main attractions of the hotel - the Brazz is no replacement for it (it is perfectly adequate as a place to eat but that is all).

~The decor of the hotel is definitely getting tired (as a number of others have commented) - walking into the lobby was actually slightly depressing we felt.

~The town centre location dod make it very noisy (at least for the rooms we were in) - there was actually a fight right outside our window and revellers returning home disturbed us right into the early hours.

~The car park was fine (some comments say otherwise) but, on the night we stayed, our car was scratched all the way down one side even though it was parked well away from the entrance - unfortunately the hotel CCTV was not able to pick up this area of the car park.

~Most of the staff did their best to be helpful but were clearly overstretched - there was however one member of staff who stood out (but not in a good way) and that was the NIGHT PORTER who was extremely RUDE and AGGRESSIVE - there is at least one previous review that mentions this and I wish I'd read it before our stay.

Overall, it was one of the worst experiences we have had in a hotel...

Situated right in the town centre, but its not noisy. Small free carpark but plenty of staff to help you park and move your bags to your room. Its a real castle and the character seeps through. The room was OK, it had a bath, it was warm and was quiet. However, the small single bed had an arrangement of covers made of materials that appear to be designed to slide off in the night. I like a duvet.

1. I'd be tempted to eat out, the evening meal wasn't that great. The cheese board disappointed most.
2. I like the snooker room. Made me feel good, like I was lord of the manor, rather than a low life, the feeling I get playing in the usual clubs.
3. Don't be alarmed if you think someone has been through your room when you get back, someone has, they come in and turn down your bed covers.
4. The museli at breakfast really is the best I've ever tasted. They say its their own recipe, but they should make more of a deal about it. The rest of the breakfast was good.
5. Colleagues also staying had a double bed room but said it was too small for two people.
6. The meeting room was the penthouse and had great views.

If I go back to the centre of Taunton I'd stay in the Castle again for £70. I don't know why I'm not giving it a 5.

My husband treated me to an overnight stay at The Castle.

The building itself is an absolute stunner and is situated right in the middle of the town, near some great pubs, restaurants and the excellent Museum of Somerset.

The staff at reception were all really friendly and helpful. All I would say is that the hotel owners are really missing a trick with the decor of their rooms!! We were given a fabulously enormous room (practically a suite) but the decor was very dated and slightly shabby. It would not take much to whisk this otherwise fantastic place into the 21st century! Swap the moth-eaten blanket on the bed for a fresh duvet, get rid of the polystyrene ceiling tiles in the bathroom, replace the two broken tiles on the floor, sort out the artwork on the Walls (they are very random and cheaply framed- they bring the room down badly!)
Small details, but I think it would make a big difference.
Otherwise though, a great, relaxing stay.

I do in fact live only 9 miles from Taunton but decided to stay in town and have a few drinks one night. So I checked my Booking.com app on my iPhone and saw a single room that night for £63. I went into the hotel and the [rather abrupt] receptionist said that she would honour that rate, which felt like more of a begrudging favour than it truly was.

I checked in and went out on the town for what turned out to be a very dull night (well it was a Tuesday - I'm a silly boy sometimes). I returned at about 1230am to find a familiar face at the reception; a former colleague of my student job at ASDA! He served me a much needed brie and cranberry toastie and not so much needed single malt (there were more after that). After an hour or so and a lovely chat I retired to a room that was more than ample in size and comfort. With period lead lined windows and plush carpets, this room was very nice.

I had a beautiful hot shower and got into my sumptuous single bed.

Verdict: Well worth a night or two - girls on reception need polishing.