The Wood Norton

OK for a short break (in summer)

Six of us stayed in January. The rooms (we stayed in the Pear Tree Annex) are large and clean. The shower was particularly great, being even more powerful than the ones in the USA!
The public rooms are nice but cold and unwelcoming in January. The large fireplaces were not in use (a rather poor excuse was made that they set off the fire alarm). But they had obviously been used recently. This could have been so much nicer with a roaring fire. We relaxed in the Snooker (actually Pool) Room and with the doors shut it was quite cosy.
The restaurant is very nice, and the two evening meals were very good, perhaps slightly overpriced. The menu is fixed, with no specials, so one might struggle for choice after a couple of days. Breakfast was excellent.
The Staff is pleasant and helpful, although sometimes a bit offhand.
One thing to note is that the BBC has a training college in the grounds, so there can be business groups in the bar. And a Wake during our visit, which occupied the public rooms. The garden and terrace look very nice, and probably a treat later in the year.
The Wood Norton has a lot of interesting history which it doesn't really make one aware of. European royalty stayed, and it played a major role in BBC wartime broadcasting. The only information provided about the House was a slightly grubby leaflet behind the bar. We thought this interesting back-story could have been much better used for publicity.

An ok hotel

Apart from 2 or 3 minor issues an enjoyable stay.

Fantastic Hotel but Food and Service Let it Down

Stayed for New Year celebrations. Hotel is set in lovely grounds and the room was lovely. Unfortunately the food was awful especially the new year 7 course gourmet meal didn't eat any of it. There were hardly any staff and the ones at the bar 2 of them seemed to be in charge of the whole hotel. The receptionist didn't have any clue what was happening or what to do if you asked a question.