voco Letchworth Hall by IHG

There have been some recent substantially differing reviews about this hotel ranging from horrible to superb. I can only comment about my own experience. I only stayed one night on a business trip so did not have the chance to use all the facilities. My room (number 3) was large with a decent bathroom and it had been recently fully refurbished. The bed was enormous possibly a Super King. Weather was very hot but this was not a problem as the room had a powerful air conditioning unit. The reception staff were very helpful and polite plus there was plentiful parking space available. I had a reasonable evening meal at the hotel restaurant and the bar staff were very friendly.

Hugely overpriced. Felt like staying at a holiday inn or similar (although the price tag for this hotel was way higher - we paid 330 for two nights). The rooms are clean, but they are tired and outdated. Room had no air conditioning, no toiletries in the bathroom other than hand wash, and the beds were hard and uncomfortable. Can’t comment on breakfast or gym facilities as we didn’t use them. We loved the area - but next time, we will stay elsewhere as this really doesn’t offer value for money.

No effort was made to hide the ongoing refurbishment from guests, even something as simple as closing a door would have helped. The entire place felt unclean and smelled damp. There was no air conditioning, and a pile of discarded furniture sat by the entrance, creating a terrible first impression. The room cost £320 for two nights, but it didn’t feel like good value for money at all.