Manor Parc Country Hotel, Thornhill

We had a reception at the Manor Parc after the funeral of my father in one of their function rooms.

Maybe naively we expected an invoice for the hire of room to be sent. However the day after the funeral the Manor Parc phoned my mother to say that we had not paid for the room the day before - they had expected us to go to the hotel reception and settle the bill. Their attitude was very upsetting for my mother and when I phoned the hotel to speak to them I was told that it was obvious that we should have paid on the day on the funeral and to quote them "it was not their job to chase payment".

This is a great place to stay. It is a beautiful hotel with lovely surroundings. From the moment you enter, the staff take care of everything in a very professional manner. The a la carte dining is definitely to be sampled - exquisite!

My husband and I were in the area and decided to stop at the Miskin Manor for a light meal. We spoke to the receptionist who showed us into the bar and pointed us out to the 3 members of staff at the bar. There was another couple in the bar having a drink and that was it. The staff were talking and laughing amongst themselves. Although they looked in our direction several times not on of them bothered to come to the table and ask what we would like or offer us a menu. After 5-10 minutes of being ignored while they carried on their conversation, we got up and left. I am just grateful that we hadn't booked up for a more expensive event if this is the level of service offered there.

OK OK, I admit, I went to the Manor Court Hotel for a murder mystery event, so maybe this review is unfair, but what looked from the outside like a Country House resembled a Travel Lodge on the inside. Our draughty room was drab. They had booked around three different events for the Friday night, and we were unceremoniously shunted from room to room until we were in the right place.

The wine was stupidly expensive, limited, and the white wine was warm, as it was stacked on a table! Bar facilities were limited due to the restrictions on space.

The Rose we ordered at our table was corked, and the manager had to be summoned before we could replace it. The food was typically produced for a mass audience. No doubt as it was for the wedding party elsewhere in the building. Drab and dull in all senses - I was glad I hadn't booked my wedding here!

Breakfast the next day was good though, and there were very few guests up and awake. I don't think I'll be returning.

The Manor Parc Country Hotel in Thornhill is a wonderful hotel, with old fashioned values and a chef who knows what is what. The staff not only remember your name, they remember your foibles too. For instance: on my last visit, they remembered I was following a diet and asked me if I wanted the home made bread with butter before they put it on the table. The last time I had asked them to remove all of the nibbles from my table at the bar and from the dining table.

The bed squeaks and the shower might not be super strength, but goodness me, if you don't want a 'plastic' experience, then this is the one for you.