St. Albans/Bricket Wood hotel

Laura, the hotel receptionist, was truly exceptional and made a lasting impression from the very first moment I arrived. She greeted me with such a warm, genuine welcome that I immediately felt comfortable and valued as a guest. Laura was incredibly talkative in the best possible way—friendly, upbeat, and engaging—making check-in feel effortless and enjoyable rather than routine. During our conversation, she mentioned that she had been working long hours, yet this never once showed in her attitude or performance. Despite the demanding schedule, her enthusiasm, patience, and dedication to her role never wavered. She continued to provide outstanding service, took the time to explain everything clearly, and answered questions with genuine care and attention. Laura’s positive energy and strong work ethic were truly admirable. It was clear that even after long hours, she still values her work highly and takes great pride in delivering the best possible experience for guests. Her professionalism, kindness, and commitment set the tone for an excellent stay, and she is without a doubt a huge asset to the hotel and its team.

I want to give special recognition to Laura, who truly made my stay exceptional. From the moment I arrived, she was warm, professional, and genuinely welcoming. Her attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond made a real difference in my experience. Laura was always approachable, attentive, and eager to help, whether it was accommodating requests, answering questions, or simply making sure everything was perfect. Her positive attitude and dedication to excellent service did not go unnoticed and made me feel truly valued as a guest. Staff members like Laura are what set this hotel apart. She is a true asset to the team, and I would absolutely return because of the outstanding service she provided.

Amazing receptionist that can’t do enough for you, every team member we met where so friendly and welcoming, will definitely book again if back In the area.

Stayed for 1 night - booked a double and a family room but review is of the family room (17) that I was in. Hotel is conveniently located for WB Tour and we arrived approx 2030 on a Sat evening. Approaching the hotel the road is very narrow, bumpy and pot-holed. From the direction we approached from we nearly missed it - the sign is on the other side. Driving down the road we weren’t sure it was the correct one! Car park at the front of the hotel was full but there was plenty of space available in the overflow behind it. Greeted by a friendly receptionist and check in was painless and efficient with all relevant info provided. In the room we were initially hit by a strong smell of what can only be described as swimming pool bleach mixed with damp/dank, which we struggled to shift for the duration, despite opening the window. This was present in both rooms we booked. Whilst it provided confidence the rooms had been cleaned, it was somewhat overpowering and not a pleasant first impression. We later found a puddle on the bathroom floor. Further investigation revealed flaking paint on the ceiling and a constant leak/drip from the extractor fan (which was above the sink.) Chose to put up with this as we had already unpacked and changed when we found it. Subsequently discovered, however, due to the placement of the fan, the drip was onto your head when you used the sink, which was not ideal! Hope it was just water!! Issue reported to reception the following morning and was advised maintenance would look into it. The room is heated by a single, wall-mounted electric heater, controlled by a separate, wall-mounted thermostat. Gave it a blast when we arrived and noticed that, when the heater was commanded on, there was a click associated with the thermostat and a loud banging/clunking noise from the heater whilst warming up. We did not initially think much of this but, during the night, we were awoken multiple times by the heater kicking in (also discovered the screen on top of the heater illuminated brightly when commanded on, which was very noticeable at night in the dark room!) and clunking for a few minutes before switching off again. Ended up turning the thermostat right down to try and get a better sleep, but accepted that the room would be very cold in the morning, which it was - not ideal with a child in the room. Breakfast taken in the restaurant - went approx 30mins before closing on a Sun morning. No staff to be seen initially, despite a sign advising to “wait to be seated”. Only 2 other families so picked a table and helped ourselves to the continental and, after a few minutes, a server appeared and took our details. Limited continental item availability due to the time but, when we asked for restocks, the server obliged without issue. Hot breakfast taken by order, rather than buffet, but this was very tasty. Overall the hotel staff and breakfast are great but the rooms are a bit of a let down an in need of refurbishment, as is the approach road!

Shout out to Laura on reception, who was absolutely fantastic. Very friendly and accommodating. Place itself is very convenient, with a central, but peaceful location. Been coming here as a family since 2003, and will continue to do so. 🤗