The Talbot Hotel, Oundle , Near Peterborough

I cant rate everything highly enough. This was the best hotel stay i have ever had. Exceptional staff, excellent value and an absolutely enchanting building. I was able to prepare in calm for important work-related days ahead that could have been so stressful but the quite of the room and its comfort allowed me to relax. I could easily focus when I needed to and the beautiful surroundings allowed me to more easily switch off from what lay ahead. I was unbelievably amazed at the generosity in the surprise upgrade (the staff had no idea that I had experienced recent difficult times so it was beautiful serendipity) A highlight of the year. Thank you so very, very much :)

Nothing, I loved it all down to every last detail. All the staff were delightful and you have a total gem in Dylan as a waiter.

Lovely hotel with lots of history and character. Large bedroom and bathroom in a beautiful old building, overlooking the courtyard. Fantastic breakfast. Garden, bar, restaurant, cafe, outdoor seating, all well maintained and tastefully in keeping with the age of the building. Walking distance to bars, cafes, restaurants and shops.

-The noise of the exrtractor fan attached the kitchen was a little off putting during the night. Not overly intrusive but constant, low level sound. As it was hot, we had the windows open. Would prob not even hear it if windows were closed.

It's a beautiful hotel steeped in history and our room had a great aspect and was very comfy with nice bath robes and towels. One of the bar staff took the trouble to show us the Mary queen of Scotts staircase etc etc which was lovely. Breakfast was good value for money but they are obviously struggling to find suitable staff for front of house/catering (my husband was challenged whether we were staying there or not.... he is age 55 and well turned out!)

The check in was terrible and there were no staff on reception during our stay. We had been asked in advance to supply all our details prior to check in, which I did think a bit odd, but understood when we arrived that they had an unmanned reception.

Comfortable, good value room with considerate touches - dog bowl, plenty of coffee sachets and pods, large refillable bottles of shower products, not little plastic ones. Good restaurant and the dog could be with us outside. Good breakfast. I'd recommend other hotel owners book in and learn some inexpensive tricks that enhance the customer's experience and makes them more likely to return again. Best hotel we've stayed at for some time.

Check in was prolonged on a busy Friday night, and finding the car park isn't immediately obvious.

Beautiful historic hotel and very comfortable. It's a lovely area and perfect for a quiet break. The staff work hard to make you feel special. Breakfast is very good, with a good range of cooked food to choose from and a well stocked continental buffet table.

We were disappointed in the dinner. The menu was not as special as it has been in the past,, and seemed more posh pub than gourmet, so it did not seem to fit the ambience of the hotel. I had a steak and bacon pie, which consisted of one piece of steak and 14 cocktail onions, in a bland sauce. My husband chose steak, which was unavailable, so had a burger which he felt was ok but nothing special.

Great location, big and well appointed rooms, nice bed linen and toiletries. Coffee & tea facilities were well above average and the shower was excellent. Really beautiful period buildings with tons of character and history. All staff were excellent and helpful. Food was great - breakfast was quick and generous portions as well as very well cooked. Dinner menu is short but nicely done and they had the best wine list I’ve seen in a long time.

No air-con in the rooms!!!! Our two night stay was marred by being unable to sleep due to a sweltering room. They clearly know it is an issue as there was a cheap and noisy desk fan in the wardrobe which we had to deploy both nights. I would love to stay here again but would avoid if it’s going to be warm. I don’t need to pay good money to have to lie on top of the bedsheets sweating at night. Sorry guys but this was a real issue. Not the hotel’s fault but there are no local taxi firms. If you want a taxi they have to book one from further afield and then try and charge you for the incoming journey, not just the ride you take so heads-up.

The location was fantastic (think Cotswolds crossed with Cambridge), the building and rooms reach back into the ages, yet has modern touches throughout. Breakfasts were superb , quality ingredients cooked well. The meals we had were excellent , the Sunday roast was one of the best restaurant served we've had in years, I can heartily recommend the pan fried duck as well. We took (one of?) the suites and were delighted with the space , peacefulness and authenticity of the rooms. The lounges gave ample space to feel relaxed with family and friends who joined us for lunch on our second day, but to be honest we could have all felt comfortable in our suite of wanted more privacy. The bed was quite possibly the most comfortable hotel bed of our lives!

Maybe some easily found information for a local walk/ run for those with a time constraint but I found the riverside walk no problem , after all it's fun to explore.

Excellent location and super-friendly staff. i don’t think I have ever been taken to my room before! The hotel is housed in a lovely building with good parking access and a nice garden area. The bar and breakfast room are pleasant spaces to just sit around in!

Breakfast was disappointing. Well. the full English breakfast was. The bacon seemed to have been microwaved rather than grilled. It was not crispy at all. The black pudding was tasteless. Only the eggs impressed! Room was nice but there was no WIFI signal and the bathroom could do with a painting

Gorgeous food, amazing room 101. The extra touches were fantastic. The room was so quiet when we were sleeping. Toilets were lovely and lots of them if you don't want to go up to your room everytime. Lovely location. Oldy worldy character and history. Complimentary water was very much appreciated plus tea, coffee choices and biscuits and chocolate. Our request for prosecco in the room was successful and we loved it. Space in the room was wonderful. Everything was thought of. Slippers and bathrobe very comfortable. Had a couple of walks around the area. Quaint little shops and coffee shops plus a community park further afield to spot kingfishers. Breakfast was superb especially if you like your eggs. The portion and variety of vegetables with my roast was excellent. Drinks menu and choices were also good. The decor and facilities are gorgeous. We used the coffee room too and I enjoyed the last piece of cappuccino cake. A real treat if you ever visit oundle... is this hotel. Beautiful gardens too.

Honestly cannot list a thing.

The whole hotel was great. The breakfast, restaurant and bar area are great places to relax. The decor was both functional and perfectly decorated and made for a very pleasant stay.

The young girl that did the bar wasn’t real keen on being there. We had to clean the table ourselves before we could sit at it. She did give us a cloth to do it ourselves. She only had two other clients at the time so it wasn’t like she was busy.