The Falstaff Hotel

I stayed at the Falstaff Hotel a few nights two years ago. Unfortunately it was a short break 😥. It boasts a good location. The room was very nice and comfortable. Really cool cocktail bar. Friendly staff and thoroughly enjoyed all the breakfasts especially fresh bread to be cut with jam in a jar 😋. I fell in love with Dorset ❣️landscape and especially the amazing city of Canterbury. I would like to come back sooner or later.

I was really looking forward to staying at this hotel after seeing it recommended on social media, but unfortunately, our experience was incredibly disappointing. From the moment we arrived, the service was underwhelming. The staff at check-in were unfriendly and unwelcoming, which immediately set the tone. To make matters worse, our room wasn’t ready even though we arrived with our toddler, which made waiting around quite difficult. There was very little empathy or support offered in that moment. When we were finally shown to our room, it was unbearably hot. There was no air conditioning, and the three fans offered just circulated the warm air. The windows were very small, offering little ventilation, and unbelievably, it felt cooler outside than in the room itself. We raised our concerns with staff but were told there were no alternative similar rooms available. To top it off, the shower made the heat even worse, and the room itself was dark and painted in a dull blue that only added to the discomfort. There was barely any natural light, which made the space feel even more oppressive. I can only speak from my personal experience, but for the rate we paid (£270) I expected better. I wouldn’t return.

I had a booking for 2 rooms for 2 couples at the Falstaff Hotel. On entering our separate rooms our friends noticed a loud humming noise - it turned out to be a nearby mechanical plant (perhaps an air conditioning condenser unit?) They complained about the noise and were upgraded to a nicer room on the opposite frontage of the building. We decided to stay in our room as although we could hear the distant hum we were a room or 2 down the corridor. Big mistake! In the dead of night that was all we could hear and although it eventually turned into white noise it was evident that it would disrupt sleep. Worse was to come as at 5.30am the room was lit up brightly as there were no curtains on the window and so no way of shutting out the light. We persevered with the room but the second night was even worse with bright sun n streaming in at 6.00am! These rooms are really not fit for purpose to advertise as they don’t fulfil the basic requirement for a good nights sleep, and should not be on offer to the public. It’s a shame because the rest of the hotel is really nicely fitted out - great lounges, a nice bar and decent breakfast, and plenty of parking at the rear despite its close vicinity to the town centre, and the staff were friendly & helpful, doing their best to work with what they’ve got. The more expensive rooms had curtains and were located away from the noise. The problems need urgently sorting out, and it shouldn’t be the guests job to complain to try to secure a move to a better room when the hotel shouldn’t be using them in the first place.