The Conningbrook Hotel - Ashford, United Kingdom 

Two birthday celebrations with a 1920's fancy dress theme in a nearby village were the reasons for my wife and I visiting the Conningbrook. As is usually the case there are good points and some weak areas too. Once again lets start with the good points. The Conningbrook is a nice grand looking building that exudes quintessential english charm. Although ultimately it is a very big pub, it does have its own entrance for hotel guests along with a proper reception area to check in. Our room was in what looks like a newer block than the original building.The room was spacious with two single beds, tea and coffee making facilities, a CRT television with four channels(untested), plenty of powerpoints for the more business inclined, work desk and chair, and the usual nondescript but functional bedroom furnishings. Beds were a little firm but comfortable. There is also a ironing board and a very well positioned hairdryer. Bathroom is a little dated but quite nicely decorated and includes a corner suite bath for those who like to bathe in corners :)).. There is a nice enough area outside the bar which is like a courtyard come garden. Most pleasant to sit there and chew fat with other guests or just sit and drink . Breakfast was what you would usually expect.After all, a full english is a full english is a full english.Sausage was very tasty. The bar staff were especially helpful when we returned late from playing at gangsters at our party, and although they were closing were still kind enough to sell us some more alcohol to take to our room. Ok...now for the weak points. Check in was functionable but to be honest not much more than that. The chap did his job professionally enough. He just seemed to be a little half hearted. The room had one problem which lost the hotel a point in my evaluation. It was ROASTINGLY HOT. ( a problem experienced by other friends of ours who were also staying at the hotel). Some sort of aircon would be greatly appreciated. Also considering we were in what seemed to be a newer annex than the rest of the main building, I have never encountered such creaking floorboards both in the main room but especially the bathroom.Also the bath panal was ill fitting and looked..well..cheap actually. My wife and I were also a little disappointed to be allocated twin beds. Breakfast was let down by a very limited array of condiments(no tomato sauce) and the fact that our polish waitress, as nice as she was, forgot to serve us any toast or even ask if we wanted any. Tall chap at breakfast was easy going and helpful. In conclusion? Not bad. If the room had aircon I would have given our experience a 4 star. But coupled with the rather monochromatic check in and the slight lack of attention to detail at breakfast, it only gets a 3. With a holiday inn only a short distance down the road the Conningbrook really must patch up the areas where it has become a little threadbare. I would still consider staying there again though.

This is a fairly basic sort of place and is more or less a large pub with some good, clean accomodation attached. We used it as we had an early crossing on the Eurotunnel the following morning and for this purpose it was perfect. The staff are very helpful and friendly and the breakfast was very good indeed. My only small gripe is that the food the previous night in the restaurant (actually, part of the pub) is overpriced.