Top 10 Brookmans Hotels

We had high expectations after reading the website and based on the price. Overall we enjoyed the stay but it wasn’t quite 5*. The welcome at reception was efficient / lukewarm. There was also working going on in the lobby area. Our Chic room was on the first floor no mention of a lift or a help with the bags. The room itself was nice and the bed comfy, but the bathroom was pretty small for the price and perceived room standard. Our room was near the stairs and at the intersection of 2 corridors so a little noisy at times. My wife said the spa was wonderful. We ate in the bistro and thought the food was good an reasonably priced but the setting was quite functional. (Please invest in some vinegar!) Breakfast was fine but not special given the hotel. One or two areas are starting to look a bit tired. In general the staff were friendly and helpful. So in summary very nice but could do better. Would we stay again - probably, and it might help that our expectations will have been tempered.

I am actually laid on the bed before checking out and couldn't be happier with our stay at The Pillar. I am a wheelchair user, and it is stressful trying to find truly accessible hotel rooms, but this one is including emergency pull cords by bed and shower, bars by toilet and a raised toilet, the seat in shower is bolted to the wall. Some people have said the Wi-Fi is bad, well we laid in bed and streamed shows from BBC iPlayer and 4 on Demand with no buffering! What really made this special was that a Chuppah was set up right outside our room and the central area soon filled with guests, and we got to watch this special moment which ended of course with a lot of singing! Breakfast was perfect, and the staff are very attentive, and over all I cannot fault our stay at this wonderful hotel.

Nice small Cosy hotel. Great location for north London. Free parking. Reasonable prices for rooms compared to other hotels. Friendly helpful staff.

We stayed at The Crown for three days after longer hiking trip in the Southwest. Located in a very interesting multi-ethnic part of London, The Crown is a 30-minute commute away from London's main attractions and thus quite pleasantly located. The modern part of the hotel is welcomingly bright, service at the reception has been very friendly and forthcoming. Our room was more than adequately large in size and very neat. The breakfast buffet was more than sufficient, with an agreeable choice of cereals, fresh fruit, and Full English components. Staff here was also very nice and attentive. A bit of a drawback was the cleanliness of the corridor before our room, which was apparently not vacuumed during our stay.

We have been to West Lodge’s Mary Beale restaurant on many occasions and it never disappoints whether it is lunch, dinner or afternoon tea. We went for a special birthday lunch and had a fabulous meal in delightful surroundings. The atmosphere is of quality high standards but without being stuffy or snooty. The staff are friendly with attention to detail and quality service. The food is always delicious; beautifully cooked with fantastic ingredients. Excellent wine cellar with knowledgeable sommelier. This is a great alternative venue for a special event with a gifted pianist in residence on some days and unobtrusive background piano sound track on others. Take time to walk around the unusual arboretum with its unique collection of trees and enjoy the artwork in the building. Some dishes are expensive but there also mid price options and set menu options to keep the price reasonable. The hotel is also a fabulous wedding reception location, nice rooms and the option to arrive by helicopter!! We will go again to enjoy our next family celebration.

The emails I was bombarded with told me that ”A warm welcome awaits you” but this wasn't the case, the welcome was actually cold and slightly awkward. Stayed on business for 2 nights, room was very very noisy (at front on to main road) with badly fitting windows. I got almost no sleep for two nights. I'd stayed in town because I wanted to be well-rested for work, next time I'll just get up at 4am and drive the 3 1/2 hours to St Albans. The whole hotel was in need of an update/refurb. Yes, I know it's an old building, but you can still keep it clean and up to date. Mattress was horrendous, lumpy, dirty and shapeless - years past it's sell-by date. There is really is no excuse for this sort of thing. The toilet had a macerator which was very noisy, and went off automatically when I used it at 3am. I think I woke up the people in the next room as I heard grumbling voices and then someone come out of their door and walk to mine and listen, presumably wondering what all the din was. Really sorry if this was you! The room was cluttered, with an excess of old furniture and heaters. Cobwebs and filth behind the bed. The sink was separate, actually in the room. Bizarrely, the tap was on a stalk and didn't quite reach over the edge of the basin but just ran onto the lip, which meant water went everywhere. Bar staff seemed friendly and helpful enough. I didn't sample the food. Would've been a one-star review, but for the really great central location, opposite St Albans Cathedral. Won't return.