We stayed for 1 night at the Balmer lawn as a special treat for my birthday and were hoping for a luxury 4 star experience. Well the good points first -the hotel is in a beautiful location with a lovely outlook. The service in the bar is impeccable, we had a tasty dinner and the hotel was lovely and cosy on a very cold night. The swimming pool was warm,clean and nicely decorated.
However the room was not what I expected from a 4 star hotel. The website states a unique feel with modern touches. I paid extra for an upgrade and was looking forward to something really nice with a wow factor. As someone who travels a lot for business I thought the room was really standard. The bed was a standard double, the telly was small and could hardly be seen from the bed. And the bathroom -well it was small,plain and utilitarian. Yes it was clean and white but so are hospital bathrooms. There was not even a toilet roll holder. There was no tissues,cotton wool,moisturiser,shower cap let alone robes and slippers as you would expect at better hotels. In short the room did not meet my expectations. I think it would be fine for a lot of people especially if you got a good deal but I was left disappointed.

Firstly, when we arrived and were checking in, we realised that we were not the only people to have taken advantage of a deal via Groupon, as the couple in front of us had too.

Immediately, upon entering the reception area, there is a lovely feeling to the place. Some places have this, most do not.

Our room was number 50, which was on the third (top) floor so we did not hear footsteps above us during the night although there is supposed to be a ghost in the building. My wife (who really should be a hotel inspector, as she misses nothing) noticed that there was'nt a support to put your suitcases on in the room, or enough pillows.

We squeezed in going to the steam room, jacuzzi and swimming pool before eating, which was very pleasant.

Our evening meal was excellent, although some items on the menu were not available and I had the very last Guinea Fowl, so now it is extinct - sorry about that but I was hungry. The Czech waitress was truly excellent and obviously loves her job - well done.

The evening was enjoyable after the meal, in the very comfortable lounge area.

However, when we got back to our room, it was hot and there was no control to turn it down. In the end, my wife got up and opened the window but in the early morning we heard the traffic noise from the nearby road, which goes up to the M27. Not a very restful night!

At breakfast, things went a bit Fawltesque with various guests meals being muddled up, however everybody took it in good humour and at least we did eat, even if it was not exactly what had been ordered.

We relaxed in the lounge area again beofre packing and going home and the staff in that area were pleasant and attentive to our needs.

I think we will come back, probably to one of the larger bedrooms and maybe on the side of the hotel rather than the front.

We booked 2 nights short break in January as we had stayed many times in the past with the children and as a couple. The hotel has refurbished to a high standard and we were upgraded to a superior room on arrival. The charge per night was an absolute bargain at £79. The room was huge and immaculate with a 6ft bed and forest views. There was a deal on dinner too however the portions were quite small but a 3 course meal with a drink for under £60 is not bad. Breakfast was relaxing with lovely staff and good food. The pool and spa facilities were good too and due to how quiet the hotel was we had the luxury of the pool to ourselves.
I cannot fault my visit and look forward to returning.

My mother and I stayed at this hotel for one night in January with my 2 year old daughter. I always rather dread taking her to hotels as some say that they welcome children but in reality this is not the case. However from the moment we arrived I was comfortable and did not feel like I had to keep my daughter seen but not heard. During meals they brought a highchair and colouring things and they had a children's menu. They provided a cot in the room and the swimming pool is just perfect for small children as it is really warm, clean and safe.
The room was nice and well appointed and when we had a problem with the towel rail (I couldn't see the switch to turn it on) they sent someone up immediately to sort the problem. The only problem i had with the room was the bed; they were very very soft and I did not sleep well.
The service in general was very good but we did have one issue during our lunch. My mothers chicken in her Caesar salad was very over cooked and tough, to the point she couldn't cut it let alone eat it. When the very young waiter asked the obligatory "Was everything ok with your meal?" in a rhetorical fashion my mother told him of the inedible chicken and he seemed bit flustered, didn't even really apologise, let alone inform the Chef and take salad off the bill. I think that there should always be a policy about dealing with this sort of complaint, either offering something else to the customer or at least a sincere apology.
Over all I would highly recommend this hotel and will be going back. I put the issue with our lunch down to an inexperienced staff member and the rest of the service was very good.