Macdonald Compleat Angler - Marlow, United Kingdom 

The Complete Angler in Marlow has always been a special place for us. We stayed the first time the day we were married and have returned a few times since to mark very special occasions. I am not at all sure what has gone wrong, The location is still as perfect as ever but the food we were served this week was appalling. The fresh bread smelled delicious although it had been squashed flat when being cut - so was a solid and hard block of bread just over half an inch tall. By contrast, the starter of tuna was vile and I found it to be inedible. I dont think I will ever risk ordering tuna again for fear of the nausea returning. The main course of Scotish Beef was pleasant in itself although you would not have matched the somewhat grissley portion I received with the description on the menu. The potatos and beans were almost cooked but just the wrong side of raw - nice and cruchy but with a rather mouth drying bitter aftertaste that I have not experienced since I was a student and the desert of Creme Brule was literally something your child might bring home from a home economics class, served with a couple of shortbread biscuits from Waitrose. Its only ?60 per head but even so you should not have to leave feeling hungry and a bit sick. As luck would have it, Marlow is blessed with a host of other restaurants and Sainsbury's is open late and they sell Rennies - so it could have been worse.

Having read the reviews of the hotel, I was expected a great day and night at this hotel, only to be left disappointed. The hotel is in a great location, however this is quickly forgotten once you get in your rather small room, which was supposed to be executive at ?185, you soon realise you are spoilt in London. As the room had damaged blinds, a broken remote control and no room in the cupboards. Having waited 45 minutes for a sandwich at lunch time, we should have known dinner was not going to be good. However the dinner was probably the worse we have ever experienced and if had been ?15 rather than actually ?150 it still would have been the worse meal ever. The starters of chicken was awful and the cucumber soup and crab was mainly salt and red onion with a splash of crab shell to show it was real crab. The main course of trout was freezing cold and had to be returned and the lamb was tiny and luke warm at its best. I am hoping the head chef was not in, as this would be the only explanation for such an awful dinner. Oh and the maitre de was like he was off Allo Allo not realising he was in Marlow and not Paris. Breakfast was good and hot, so I am really curious on what happened the previous night. The only thing that saved this hotel was the company, the location and the lovely village of Marlow, but surely this hotel needs to stand on its quality and not its surroundings.