Whately Hall Hotel

Parking my car was a bit problematic as passageway to car park extremely narrow and parking spaces quite tiny.

Nice clean room, the staff were courteous and prompt, property was undergoing a refurbishment whilst I was there however little disturbance noticed. Restaurant was not open when I was there, just the sports bar, ended up going to another location for food.

Very nice hotel full of character, only downside is no lift to get to your room

Original building and gardens are lovely but we were housed in a 1970’s built rear wing which is dated, though does appear to be in the course of refurbishment. Our room was dated, scruffy carpets, curtains hanging off rail, and plumbing and electrical issues. Wasn’t cleaned properly. We booked an evening meal prior to arrival based on an apparently good menu in the Berkeley room but ended up in a noisy sports bar with a very basic limited menu of only 4 items more suited to a transport cafe. In fairness the hotel did refund the cost of this in view of the various issues. Very disappointed really, this hotel could be so very nice but is very lacking at the moment.

I stayed at Whately Hall with my wife and two year old because of its proximity to the annual tractor parade, something we look forward to every year. I booked a two bedroom room for close to £200, expecting a comfortable and family friendly stay. Two days before arrival, we were warned that Christmas parties would be taking place. We immediately asked to be placed as far away from the noise as possible, given we were travelling with a young child. Despite this, our room was clearly positioned where noise would be an issue. What followed was one of the worst hotel nights we have had. Loud music, shouting, and groups of people standing in the courtyard talking and screaming continued well past midnight, finally stopping around 1am. The courtyard acts like an echo chamber, amplifying the noise straight into the rooms. Our son was awake for most of the night, distressed and overtired, which anyone with a toddler will appreciate is not something you can simply ignore. We complained during the night, repeatedly, yet nothing was done. There was no attempt to control guests, no staff presence to manage the situation, and no restrictions on people congregating outside. While I understand that Christmas parties happen, there should be basic controls in place, especially in a ho

The reception staff were most helpful in re-arranging room allocation to accommodate my walking difficulties. It was good to see that the building is receiving major renovations and re-decoration. Breakfasts were excellent and staff friendly and helpful.

When you first pull up it looks old and grand, unfortunately the back of the hotel looks like a council block. Doesn't do the hotel any justice. The hotel is having a re for, the room was a clean, looked nice, no issue there. The hall way was very untildy, needs new carpet and paint job. It's very run down, with locks broken on doors and hotel doors look very grubby. You can see a lot of work has been done. But also a lot still needs to be done. Breakfast was lovely, no complaints there. Staff all seemed friendly and helpful.

Nice room in old part of building but pillows way too hard and water pressure very poor. Parking is tight to access, I scraped wing mirror on way out. Great location for the town and good breakfast, breakfast staff were lovely even though very busy.

Room 22 was above the loud music so our stay and sleep was interrupted somewhat. The room showed signs of a water leak on the window wall. We could have been asked if we were part of the christmas dining group so we could have been allocated to a quiet area. Breakfast was 5☆ so very happy with that. If we stayed again we would request an updated room.

Was located in a recently renovated deluxe room in the more modern area of the hotel. Room clean and comfortable. Door handle to bathroom kept falling off though! ( just needed a grub screw tightening) and there was a lack of coat hangers in the wardrobe. Some public areas shabby, particularly stair and corridor carpets. Good buffet style breakfast. Nice central location for town, with large free carpark at rear.

Hotel is a bit tired and needs refurbishment. Room was clean but bathroom was not as clean as it should have been. Toilet needs bleaching and shower curtain needs to be replaced to remove black mould as it is starting to develop.

We payed for the premium room and this is what we got given, the rooms were nothing like the pictures! The cleanliness of the room was really poor and the bed was so uncomfortably

Absolutely filthy hotel with tattered linens and utterly filthy bathroom

The rooms are incredibly bad at sound proofing, I could hear the guy next door to us having a conversation on the phone and also his every movement including going to the bathroom. Room felt kind of clean but the bathroom felt filthy, felt like couldn’t even take a shower.

Property stank and ran down. Mold all over bathroom. After stay I then received parking fines of £100 per day!

The building from outside looks impressive. The bed was comfortable but had damp smell, cracked plaster and wall paper coming off. NO HOT WATER which was very bad and no earl grey teabags in room or at reception. Staff ok but were unable sort to lack of hot water and no explanation given and issue not resolved during our stay. Will be asking for reduction in cost.

This hotel will soon,I hope be beautiful again . I did give the hotel an opportunity to address my concerns, below not only immediately on my visit but also on return . I did get a response after chasing . The bar and waiting staff were professional, helpful polite and excellent . The food was well cooked and very good value . Breakfast was on the whole very good .The common areas are nicely refurbished and the old building is lovely.The gardens are lovely to enjoy . Parking was free. Be aware rooms in the 1970 block may be shabby .Sadly Our room (85) ,was dirty with shredded net curtains, filthy toilet, black mastic & stained carpets . The stair carpet had gaffa tape holding it together and one room (82)looked like the door had been kicked in . The second couple on my booking who arrived first were given a suite. Bizarrely at Same cost, same booking,( room 79 ), so do check your room number ! 79 was a little tired but clean pleasant and huge ! We immediately told reception our room was unfit for purpose we were given the next door room which was marginally cleaner. The desk clerk denied the other party on my booking had a suite ,a strange response! The hotel kindly responded to my written concerns apologised & offered room upgrade and afternoon tea on my next visit they have said the rooms are to be upgraded. I would check where your room will be when booking . Sadly I will not be visiting again and will be forever puzzled by why a suite and a old shabby room are equal

Hotel was very clean. Some refurbishment going on but not invasive. Enjoyed the evening meal in the restaurant too.

On arrival the toilet was unclean and the room contained previous stayers rubbish. The room had a broken draw and smashed mirror in the wardrobe with nails on the floor. More attention to detail needed here. The staff were helpful and friendly and service was good. Breakfast was okay, no complaints. The hotel appearance seems like jobs have been started and never finished.

Window pane did not fit frame, hence gap to the outside. Radiator hanging off wall, as only one side fixed to wall. Shower curtain stiff with soap and dirt. The toilet was badly stained, looked disgusting.

Our room was unbearably hot with heating on full so we had to change rooms. The 2nd room had no hot water but we couldn’t be bothered to change again as it was 10pm by this point. The staff were friendly and the room was lovely but I expected better.

Great hotel and great value for money. Set in the heart of Banbury we were given a newly refurbished room overlooking the gardens. Good size room, bed and bathroom. Very clean. Do shop around for bookings as there are lots of different prices on different sites. In our case Expedia gave the best rate.

Room was comfortable but looked tired shower wasn’t that powerful Breakfast was good and staff friendly

sound insulation between rooms 72 and adjacent room was poor. We could clearly hear the next door conversation and then snoring

We had a newly renovated room and bathroom. The rest of the property is undergoing renovations as well. The room was great and the grounds are beautiful. Not much in the town to see. It was a great 1 night stop over point

No lift in hotel, stayed on top floor, so long climb. Room very hot and noisy from the street outside. Floorboards creaked with every movement. Booked deluxe room, but it was very small and not like the ones shown in the pictures on the website.

We had a lovely stay in Banbury and the hotel being right in the town centre was perfect with free parking being a big plus. There were only a few minor points that stopped it being excellent e.g. intermittent tv remote, beside lamp not working and a luke- warm shower. They certainly didn't spoil our trip but, for me, prevent an excellent rating. I'd definitely stay here again though.

As at Jan 15th 2024 the hotel has just been refurbished - only one week reopened. Excellent welcome, really goof breakfast, lovely staff. My room was very quiet, comfortable, good shower, though could have been a tad stronger. Only downside for me was the lack of Wifi out of the bar and breakfast area (i.e. not in my room - a disappointment tent, as I'd intended to do some work in prep for the next day). Careful driving needed through the passage to the parking area - only just enough clearance for a Qashqai - proximity alarms on most of the way through. The hotel is pleasant though, and right next to the Cross that features in the nursery rhyme! I wish them all the best in getting re-established: they're well placed as a base for anyone wanting to visit all sorts of attractiopmns, be it Oxford, Warwick, Coventry, Silverstone, Bicester, the Cotswolds, and they've even got a railway connection that'll take you into London or Birmingham.

The overall quality of the rooms are tired, and the bathrooms not the cleanest, or most modern. The internet drops out every 5 minutes. However the staff are friendly and the restaurant is good.

Rooms were at the back of the property over the car park. This meant it was probably quieter than the front of the building. Building in general is probably a bit tired, but the rooms at the back were nicely presented and recently refurbished. Very limited ventilation though with the window only opening by a crack meant it got very hot in the night.

I have stayed at Whately Hall on many occasions in the past, but my latest stay was anything but satisfactory. In the first day, the front check in staff were unfriendly and expected that we fit around the fact that they had very little staff to provide a service. The room I had did not even have a telephone, which made contacting anyone for help very difficult. The breakfast on the second day had limited options and when I quizzed the staff as to why they did not have Hash Browns, they simply shrugged and walked off. The fact that my son is autistic and Hash Browns are the only things he eats, I then had to go out a purchase breakfast, despite having paid for it as part of my hotel stay. The hotel is run on a a minimum of staff.

Breakfast was fine. Asked for a quiet room. Couldn’t have been given one any noisier, right over door and car park entrance so couldn’t have window open and made the room very hot. Bedding was too heavy for time of year. At least a fan was supplied. Tv was good. Bathroom was very tired and grotty. Sports bar was closed and we had intended to eat/drink in there on arrival so ended up going elsewhere. I didn’t expect much from reviews as we know they were updating but would have hoped they would have tried to accommodate a request for a quieter room. We wouldn’t go again which is a shame as we were visiting family and could have been a repeat customer.

I have now stayed a few times and Moriano the manager has been exceptional. Very friendly and a complete gentleman. It is now my preferential stay location in this area.

Great hotel with loads of character. Clean sheets and bathroom, staff super friendly and helpful

No hand soap in the toilet, no toilet paper, thin walls, no coat hangers, cold food. There was a long and loud altercation between a couple in a room close by, but there was no phone in the room to call reception. Called reception from my phone 5 times for a duration of 15 minutes, no answer. Lady at reception was lovely.

The reception staff were most helpful in re-arranging room allocation to accommodate my walking difficulties. It was good to see that the building is receiving major renovations and re-decoration. Breakfasts were excellent and staff friendly and helpful.

Feel completely miss sold and ripped off, its my anniversary so I paid the extra for a superior suite. We went to our room and then back to reception to check I had the correct room. I was told I have a suite so I explained that it was advertised as Jnr or superior, I wanted to ensure I have a superior not jnr and was told there is just suite and I have a suite! Nothing at all like the pictures, dirty stained carpets throughout, the water pressure in the shower was non existent, the description suggests a bath, no bath. At least the room was in the main building and not the 60s office block at the back. It should be described as an old quirky building with the option of a double or suite, thats it, not a double, superior double and definetly not jnr or superior suite that you pay the most for. The bar staff and one man covering reception in the evening were all great, friendly and helpful.

Badly stained carpets, poorly made beds. Check out at11am, but get used to housekeeping knocking on your door from 8.45 to clean the room !!! Just what you need, as soon as they get you in, They want you out !!!!!

The hotel is a little dated and clearly needs more work doing. I waited a long time for someone to come to the reception desk for check in and felt the service could have been a lot better.

Arrived to an empty reception desk and was left waiting 10 minutes before a member of staff arrived. No apology and completely uninterested, so not a great start. The room was tired and throughout the 2 nights stay, there was no hot water and the water pressure was abysmal. When it came to check out, once again, member of staff completely uninterested and no empathy whatsoever. For £150 per night, I expect a lot more! Will not be returning

Good location for town centre but a little noisy as busy main street

It was very central and convenient, its looking a little tired and needs updating, the staff were very helpful and polite especially the lady at reception, breakfast was fine with plenty to choose from although our first one wasn't overly hot, nice to have free parking but would be very tight squeeze to get to it if you had a large vehicle, should we go to Banbury again we would stay here Graham & Debbie 🙂

An excellent stay. Very good value for money. Extremely convenient in a central location. Would stay there again when in Banbury.

Central location near cross

Great location, close to all amenities. Plenty of restaurants and bars nearby. Many other interesting places only a small drive away. Hotel itself is nearly 400 years old, the whole building has plenty of interesting features. Room was large, clean and very comfortable overlookingthe lovely gardens. Tea, coffe and biscuits were provided.

Stayed one night, reception staff were friendly and helpful. Room was generally fine and bed comfortable. However window (secondary glazing inside a very old window) meant all noise from street outside was easily heard and there was quite a bit. Also temperature control on radiator almost impossible to move. I'm not really complaining, just providing hopefully helpful feedback on a couple of things that would be relatively easy to improve

The Whately is perfectly located in the centre of Banbury, nice staff, beautiful garden, complete breakfast in a spacious room. The beds are very very comfy. The building itself is wonderful, but the hotel needs a big refreshment: the carpets in the stairs are worn to the bone, covered with scotch tape, one of our curtains was torn apart, the handle was about to fall from the bedroom door, and the cold water was slow to go out from the tap. If you are looking for a place to stay in Banbury, the Whately is not perfect but is a good option in the town centre.

Parking to the rear of the hotel is very helpful for access, staff friendly, check in a breeze. Good facilities, breakfast very good, main accommodation at rear was very tired on the point of requiring an overhaul. With the building being old there is no air-conditioning requiring windows to be open unfortunately meaning a noisy night and smokers!

Great location. Hotel looks great from the outside, inside needs some TLC. but food, staff and drinks were great.

Was located in a recently renovated deluxe room in the more modern area of the hotel. Room clean and comfortable. Door handle to bathroom kept falling off though! ( just needed a grub screw tightening) and there was a lack of coat hangers in the wardrobe. Some public areas shabby, particularly stair and corridor carpets. Good buffet style breakfast. Nice central location for town, with large free carpark at rear.

Beautiful building obviously been redecorated. There was no lift to our room which made it hard for my husband to access. I wished we had eaten out as the diner menu was limited and all frozen food plus you could only have wine by the glass and there was no draught beers/lager. Breakfast was awful over microwaved so sausage rock hard. It was a shame that they let themselves down on the food and drinks otherwise it would have been a pleasant stay.

Quirky old hotel with creaky floorboards in the corridors. Obviously extended over the years as evident in the various level changes as you navigate through the mazy corridors and stairwells to your room. Room was adequate; bed comfortable, and bathroom facilities very good. Only down side was no tissues provided in the room. Used the restaurant for the evening meal - quiet that evening but menu selection not too bad and prices reasonable.

Comfy bed. Central location .Friendly staff. Breakfast was disappointing....expected a freshly cooked English breakfast, not a buffet type breakfast. The food had been under the lights too long and the bacon was rock hard. Lovely staff serving .

Very disappointed with this hotel. They clised both the restaurant and bar on the Saturday evening as they had a charity ball. We were not notified of this so had to find somewhere else to eat. After complaining they did serve us a drink in the reception area. Brwakfast in the morning was very disappointing. I have a food allergy and the attitude towards this was extremely disappointing being told im sure its ok. After questioning i did eventually get a slice of gf bread but was told thats all they had. The tea and coffee was in large thermos flasks and the tea in particular was awful. The quality of the items provided was poor. The overall impression was this was an unloved property that was just doing the bare minimum necessary. We definitely would not return. The staff though were very polite

Hotel was lovely. Grounds were lovely. Staff are okay. Had dinner now got a shop bought pizza which I didn’t think was good.

Stayed one night in a room where the toilet was not clean, paint peeling of walls and radiators, sticky tape holding carpets together on main stairs. Restaurant had no guests in it at all and waited 5 mins and no staff came to even say hello so left. Run down hotel with staff that seem to reflect the run down nature of the venue. Breakfast was poor with cheep sausages and egg that had gone hard as it had sat to long.

Good service. Clean room on arrival but no effort to clean during stay. Just clean towels left. Dinner good but limited menu. Breakfast excellent. Lots of choice and good quality. Didnt like coffee in flask. It became bitter over time. On arrival there was a beautiful birthday cake for my partner

The most stunning building. Rooms are a bit tired as are the halls etc, but it was very clean. Very efficient and friendly check in. The food in the bar was excellent.

The Whately Hall was a nice experience and quiet and comfortable. Although, we couldn't have a la carte food this bank holiday Sunday. Luckily, we walked to the Thai Orchid and had a lovely dinner. Breakfast can improve. The staff we nice and friendly.

Was located in a recently renovated deluxe room in the more modern area of the hotel. Room clean and comfortable. Door handle to bathroom kept falling off though! ( just needed a grub screw tightening) and there was a lack of coat hangers in the wardrobe. Some public areas shabby, particularly stair and corridor carpets. Good buffet style breakfast. Nice central location for town, with large free carpark at rear.