January 2025 by mark wrigley
Lovely afternoon tea, the staff were fantastic, as was the food!
December 2024 by Harjit H
I really dislike writing negative reviews, and at first, I wasn't going to bother, but after thinking it over, I feel it's important to share my experience. Last year, my husband and I had a small wedding registry event at Rookery Hall, followed by a lovely Sunday lunch with our family. The staff were fantastic, and the food was exceptional (although, looking back, maybe it was the champagne that made everything seem even better).
For our anniversary this year, we decided to return for the same Sunday lunch and relive the wonderful memories from the year before. Unfortunately, this time, our experience was disappointing.
We were warmly greeted at the door and seated at our table in the beautiful, formal dining room with high ceilings. We chose the two-course lunch, and eagerly anticipated the meal.
We both ordered the prawn cocktail to start, followed by the roast beef for our main course, just like last year. However, something had changed. Either there had been a shift in the kitchen or the quality of the ingredients had dropped, but the food was not up to the same standard.
Let?s start with the prawn cocktail. The prawns were frozen, which I understand is common in many restaurants, but they were poorly defrosted and not thoroughly cleaned. There was still water at the bottom of the dish, and the Mary Rose sauce was scarce. The dish lacked seasoning and was served with cheese crackers instead of the usual bread or crackers that typically accompany a prawn cocktail. I would have complained, but it was extremely difficult to get anyone's attention.
Now, onto the roast beef. Unfortunately, the beef was so tough I couldn?t even cut it. To be fair, my husband?s beef wasn?t as tough, but neither of our portions were the "pink" roast we were promised by the waitress. The plate came with a tiny serving of red cabbage that was overly sweet, as well as roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. The potatoes were dry, as if they'd been cooked earlier and reheated, and the Yorkshire puddings tasted like they came from a frozen catering pack. I?ve had enough Sunday roasts to recognize when something?s not right. The cauliflower cheese was dry, and the carrots and swede were actually quite nice, but there were no green vegetables on the plate. The gravy, unfortunately, was nearly tasteless. It was a complete disaster. Honestly, I haven?t had such a poor Sunday roast in a long time, and I?m not exaggerating.
When our plates were cleared, I hadn?t touched any of the beef. I did eat the Yorkshire pudding and potatoes, as I was hungry by that point. I mentioned to the server that the beef was really tough, and her response was, "Oh, no one else has complained; I?ll let the kitchen know." There was no apology, and she quickly whisked our plates away. Needless to say, we decided not to stay for dessert.
When we went to pay the bill, it was again difficult to get anyone?s attention (there were two large private events happening at the same time). In the end, we had to go into the lobby to settle the bill. When we reviewed the bill, we noticed we were still charged for the beef. We asked to speak with the manager, and after waiting around 5-7 minutes while we stood awkwardly in the lobby, the manageress finally came over. She did remove the charge for the beef from the bill, but once again, she said, ?Nobody else has complained.?
It?s safe to say we won?t be returning to Rookery Hall for another anniversary lunch. It?s such a shame because the venue has so much potential, but perhaps the two private events affected the food quality. What was most disappointing, however, was the lack of apology when we did raise our concerns?it really detracted from the experience.
November 2024 by Amaka
Always classy
October 2024 by Pleasley Miners Welfare
Gorgeous place. Lovely food. Staff are brilliant. They are very friendly and eager to help. Spa, very nice. Overall, it is a fantastic place.
September 2024 by DAVID JACKSON
Visited as a guest to the doors, pool and gym.
Very good
September 2024 by Mick Tait (Micky)
Member of the Leisure club which is wonderful.
September 2024 by Patricia Lawrence
As a trio of ladies of a certain age we visited for afternoon tea, Mon 16th Sept.
The whole experience was an absolute pleasure. My mother in law who is in her twilight years (86)said " what a divine, relaxing place Rookery is, the staff were superb they paid attention to every detail".
Her mobility is limited, but that didn't stop us wheeling her around, taking photos & making memories. Accessibility for all facilities were second to none.
What started off as afternoon tea became much more.
We sat on the terrace sipping cocktails, for myself as the driver a mocktail, listening to the birds, watching the horses & soaking up the tranquil atmosphere.
Such a pity we couldn't have stayed to watch the sunset.
I genuinely can't thank the Team enough for making her day so pleasant.
Keep on doing what you do so well!
September 2024 by S Wright
Amazing afternoon with my family, the afternoon tea was lovely, cosy dining rooms friendly staff would definitely recommend this wonderful place.
September 2024 by Jamez Ali
Excellent stay! The most comfortable bed we have ever slept on! The staff from check where very accommodating with excellent customer service.
The cooked breakfast with great fresh ingredients was perfect again brilliant service from the restaurant staff.
Lastly I used the spa facilities and was very impressed how clean and well kept everything is! The lady working at the bar in the spa area went above and beyond with brilliant customer service! Overall this hotel With great facilities and the best customer left us satisfied! 5***** would recommend to anyone and will be returning again.
September 2024 by Stuart Taylor
Rookery Hall is famous for being the back drop to Victoria Beckham's engagement photos, after David proposed there.
It's a fabulously old building with the addition of more modern conference suites and spa facilities.
Nestled in beautifully manicured grounds, set in the Cheshire countryside, Rookery Hall is the perfect setting for Weddings, Conferences or as we did an opulent spa break as a birthday treat.
We booked on line via the Hand Picked Hotels website and the hotel called a few days before our arrival to verify the booking details and asked if it was for a special occasion, and I noted it was for a birthday.
On arrival we were greeted by the reception staff (the same staff that called to verify the booking) who wished my wife a happy birthday on behalf of the hotel, and took our cases so that we could enjoy the spa before our room was ready.
On arrival at the spa, the spa staff wished my wife a happy birthday and settled us down with a glass of prosecco and some birthday chocolates while we completed some questions about our desired treatments, before serving us with a fantastic afternoon tea (including gluten free) which we enjoyed for lunch.
The spa treatments were the best we have ever had at any spa. The treatments were thorough, thoughtful and delivered with confidence and demonstrable experience. The estheticians quickly put us at ease, with their friendly and approachable demeanor and they made the whole spa experience one to remember and introduced us to some new (to us) Elemis products.
The spa features a pool, a hot tub with a difference (you can lie down in the bubbles), a sauna, steam room and a relaxation room.
There is also a small gym available. There was plenty of complimentary water and herbal teas to refresh and rehydrate.
The spa supplies towels, robes and lockers. Bring your own sliders, but the spa can supply if you forget.
Rooms: The hotel upgraded us to a suite, which was a fantastic surprise. The room was very well appointed, clean, comfortable and welcoming.
The hotel had supplied a generous amount of snacks and treats, including some alcohol and the tea and coffee choices were way above average, with a coffee pod machine and fresh brew coffee bags as well a bottle of fresh milk instead of those horrid uht milk jiggers.
The en-suite bathroom was enormous, with his and hers sinks, roll top bath and separate rain shower.
The room featured two TVs, iron and ironing board, trouser press, hairdryer, safe, mini fridge, kettle, coffee machine, and a very comfortable a king size bed.
Food and drinks: We dined in the restaurant, walnut panelling and crisp white table cloths and sparkling cutlery made for a traditional dining vibe, however the service was polite, formal and friendly without being overly familiar. The service was the perfect balance of being attentive without being overbearing.
We chose the tasting menu so we could sample the menu and the dishes surprised and delighted. Every dish is perfectly plated and presented with a description. The flavours are proudly sourced locally or from within the British isles.
The cheese board was a lesson in cheese with a huge selection, sure to please all cheese lovers.
Noteworthy details: If you drive up to the main reception entrance, the staff will park your vehicle for you.
The rooms were not available until 3pm, however our cases were safely stored and then taken to our rooms, waiting for us.
All of the staff made us feel extremely welcome and James the hotel manager left a hand written note and a Birthday present for my wife which was unexpected and completely delightful.
September 2024 by Sophie C
I had a lovely experience at Rookery Hall after booking a much-needed last minute pregnancy spa day. From start to finish the service was impeccable, I felt so well looked after. I had a truly delicious breakfast and lunch as part of my spa day and the massage was the best I had during my pregnancy, compared to 3 others I had. The massage therapist was very knowledgeable about all the products used and gave me a list of them should I wish to purchase them in the future. The pool area was pristine and relaxing, and I loved the dark relaxation room too. To top it off i received a sleep pack as a free gift, it turns out this wasn?t suitable for pregnancy and so the spa manager sent me a replacement gift instead which was much appreciated. Would recommend this and hope to come back again to treat myself to another peaceful spa day.
September 2024 by Louise Rees
I booked afternoon tea myself and my husband plus our border collie as I saw they did doggy afternoon tea too!. The staff were welcoming and friendly. A massive thank you to Dan who gave our dog lots of fuss and so happy to see our dog. He was so kind to her by giving her dog treats. This made our experience even more enjoyable.
The weather was lovely so we sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful view of the garden/water feature, it was such a relaxing and peaceful place to be. If we didn't live just down the road we would have booked a hotel room! So sadly we didn't experience the hotel just afternoon tea experience.
The plate of dog treats/sandwiches for our dog kept her busy and she enjoyed them. We enjoyed our selection of sandwiches and cakes too, plus we upgraded to the champagne which tasted amazing. I also enjoyed the chocolate tea and my husband liked the rose tea too.
Our dog Jenny definitely had a great time, she had a nap when we got home!!
Food and drinks: Doggy Afternoon Tea was fun and ours was delicious too. All the staff were great, Dan made our day with his kindness to our dog.
September 2024 by James Khoo
Booked a last minute room, upgraded upon arrival. Staff were amazing throughout, Dan, Bailey, Ollie and Hannah to name a few. Beautiful hotel and grounds. Room was perfect, spacious and clean. Bathroom was superb and always a marker of a good room IMO. had snacks and evening meal in bar, amazing food. Spa was great too we only used the pool but great layout and cafe area. There was a wedding reception on site when we stayed but we didn't hear a thing despite it not being far off. Highly recommended.
September 2024 by Katie Collison
Guest at a family wedding,had a great time on 21/8/2024
September 2024 by Frank Green
Excellent hotel, well worth a visit. Staff are very welcoming and nothing is too much trouble for them all.
