Mercure Shrewsbury Albrighton Hall Hotel & Spa

We stopped by at this hotel for afternoon tea. On arrival we were given a warm welcome by the team, who promptly took our coats & escorted us through to the bar area. Everything was clean & tidy & presented to a high standard. We were offered drinks & given the menu for afternoon tea without having to prompt anyone which is a refreshing change in this day & age. We were left to enjoy our drinks & relax before being approached by Kemal. What an asset to your team, he was so kind to us & exuded warmth & friendliness. After chatting for a while we had lost track of time, so Kemal escorted us to the drawing room. Within moments our orders for tea & coffee were taken & then the food arrived. All I could say was wow! Everything was presented beautifully & you could tell it was freshly made. The sandwiches had nice, soft bread & sumptuous fillings. The cakes were light & well cooked & the flavours were nicely balanced. Next up the main event, the scones. They were served warm from the oven & were beautifully fluffy & served with plenty of jam & cream. The whole experience was amazing. Kemal looked after us very well & I must also give special mention to Jardel who served us in the drawing room. Such a polite person & couldn’t do enough for us, you are very lucky to have him on your team.

On a positive note, the staff were friendly and front of house were very helpful. Pool a good size and perfect for a morning swim. The hotel states that it is dog friendly but be warned if you bring a dog you are put into a room last decorated in 1970 outside of the main hotel building, we had to change the first room given to us as dank, dirty (particularly the windows and carpet) and smelt of damp. Second room was very, very tired, particularly the bathroom which was like a 1970's hospital facility, taps also all loose from the basin and shower missing parts and no hot water both days which is crazy. When booking, we were informed Breakfast was not included (rather disappointing at £332 for a 2 night stay). When we came to check out we were told that the rate DID include breakfast (we had eaten elsewhere to avoid the £15.50 charge per person) which was ridiculous! This hotel, whilst a beautiful building with lovely grounds, needs updating, there also needs to be a hands on Manager present and visible, he / she was only available at the end of the phone over the 3 days and didn't make an appearance. Last point, please employ someone who can make Hot Chocolate!!! It was undrinkable! We won't be revisiting.

Had the worst experience at this spa. I had a back, neck and shoulder massage and now I’m in so much pain!! I have bruises all across my shoulders and can’t even lie down without screaming in pain!!! Definitely will not be recommending this to other people!!!

Having recently had our Wedding at the Albrighton Hall Hotel, we would just like to say what a fantastic day we had. We could not have wished for anything better, which resulted in us having a very special day. We would like to thank Sam, Christian, Jamie & the staff for all they did to make it so special. Nothing was too much trouble & we give the venue, food & bedrooms 10 out of 10. Thank you all so very much, it’s a day we will never forget. Heather & Chris Walker

Lovely 18th century house. The corporate stamp is indelible now it is a Spa an wedding venue. If visiting on a weekend you will probably be an univited guest at a strangers wedding. I imagine there are some nice rooms available but 3rd floor "Premium" lakeside rooms are lacklustre, no AC and airless with tiny windows and a very dated bathroom. All felt in need of a refresh. Lovely original dining rooms and the dinner was exceptionally good, everything prepared with care and skill by the Chef. ( they should make him a partner otherwise he will be headhunted) The singsong delivery of the corporate script delivered by staff is to say the least, irritating. “Not a problem” is the favourite response to any request, our waitress parped this phrase every time we said anything, why should ordering a dish from the menu be a “problem”? Food good value, room not. Come on Mercure, we know you can do better.