Rufflets Country House Hotel

What the Inspector Said......

We have said before that one of the things that we wanted to do with our blog was to communicate to our followers the thing that are happening at the hotel - both good and bad, and so I thought that you might like to know what the AA Hotels Inspector said about us this year.

Remember, this is the professional hotel reviewer who travels incognito, and so we do not know when to expect him. So, his comments make interesting reading:

They are as follows:

Cleanliness:

Housekeeping has been a definite strength on a number of visits. No issues with high or low level cleaning in bedrooms & public areas. In the bathroom there was no evidence of a previous guest having used the facilities. No smears or hairs on nay of the contact areas. Professional turndown service carried out with all expected areas covered.

Service:

Professional booking backed up with confirmation email. No meet and greet at the car but good welcome. Guest roomed and full induction given. Lounge Service poor initially with guest not approached. Bar, Dinner and breakfast were all well paced & attentive showing good customer care awareness. At check-out bill made ready in advance & quickly processed giving good last impression.

Bedrooms:

The refurbished bedrooms all meet with Red Star expectations, older bedrooms are showing a quality gap which fall below this required level. Good space and ease of use, beds are comfortable & on the whole well dressed. Carpet quality differs with some wear and tear noted. New TVs and Ipod docking stations are well received with good lighting & storage space noted throughout.

Bathrooms:

Investment in the bathrooms is great to see & the refurbished areas are pleasing to the eye, older bathrooms look dated in comparison but on the whole are not as big an issue. Quality branded toiletries & well laundered towels with good set down space is noted. Hand was basin in 23 is too small & a definite mistake to install, although this was not repeated.

Food:

Dinner was enjoyable with a thoughtful & imaginative menu. Accuracy of cooking was perfect but some of the balance of flavours in the main course were not as pronounced as they should have been. Side order of roast potatoes had not been roasted & were disappointing. Good breakfast from the cold table & hot menu choice giving the guest a great start to the day.

Hospitality:

Hospitality remains a definite strength in this guest experience. James, Russell and Adri all worthy of particular praise.

Public Areas:

The public rooms remain well presented and providing a choice of areas for the guest to relax, good reading material & access to Wi-Fi and a PC.

Dining Area:

Tastefully appointed restaurant with evidence of coordinated design providing an intimate and relaxed atmosphere for guests. Well spaced tables.

Exterior:

Gardens present well & are pleasing to the eye, ample car parking was free from litter & well lit at night offering positive impressions upon arrival.


So, all-in-all, a very good report, and we are pleased that our merit score, star rating and rosettes will remain as they were.

I only hope that some of you will be able to come and experience the same as he did!!