Best Western Plus Swan Hotel

A fantastic location opposite the Cathedral and just a couple of minutes from every amenity. Comfortable (if a little poky) room, nice bathroom and comfortable bed, and a friendly welcome during the daytime. The gym was great too, plenty of space and workout options Be aware though that this is a very historic building and therefore some things just can't be got around: include in this list very difficult access to the parking with anything smaller than a small family car, very thin walls between rooms, and the windows are completely non-soundproof. Not criticisms, as they add to the character of the place. Some things could be improved: the night porter was very grumpy and reluctant to serve late night drinks although there were quite a few of us) The breakfast on the first morning was very good, but sadly the coffee (always my barometer of a good morning experience) was poor: not strong enough or flavoursome enough for my liking. On my second morning the breakfast itself was overcooked and had obviously been standing under heat lamps for a while too On the whole a very good experience though, would happily stay here again less

Visited the hotel for my daughters and cousins birthday celebrations and the staff could not have been more accommodating. They sorted out parking as our truck was too large to fit in car park and organized tables for breakfast so we could all sit together. Only reason i didn't rate a 5 star for excellent staff and service was that we were really disappointed with our lunch. Overall staff were fantastic and joined in with our celebrations. less

Having stayed here over 30 years ago when I used to travel for business, I returned for a one night's stay to break a long journey Northwards and see something of the city of Wells. The hotel was much like I remember it, including the narrow, winding passageway which leads through the building to the car park at the back. You can do it in a big car, but you need to be careful! Having on site parking is a major advantage and one of the reasons I returned to the hotel, but it can get full so get there early. The room I had was clean, well equipped and very comfortable. I ate in the bar, which was good and the quality of food and drink was good too. The staff were friendly and attentive, at reception, in the bar and at breakfast, so overall I was very satisfied. The only down side to my visit was the city of Wells itself - whilst the cathedral is magnificent, all the traditional pubs in the city seem to have become bistros, brasseries, cafes and coffee bars :( . At least the hotel bar had a decent pint of ale. less

Four of us recently met at the Swan to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea. What a delicious experience it was. We were courteously welcomed and shown to our table. The tiered cake stands were loaded with finger sandwiches,cakes, scones and jam and clotted cream. We were also given a choice of drinks and had traditional tea, peppermint tea and a cold drink which were promptly served. There was more than enough food .. in fact we didn't eat it all sadly! All in all a very enjoyable afternoon in luxurious and comfortable surroundings. less

I attended a party recently where a cold buffet was supplied. The main memory of the buffet is that there were several pounds of salted peanuts between about 40 people (most went to waste). There were sandwiches but they were nothing exciting (the tuna was a bit dry), fried chicken fillets, a few roughly chopped veg sticks with some bland dips and sausages which were warm and a bit greasy (no forks or even cocktail sticks provided, so a high risk of greasy fingers on smart clothes). The waiters topped up wine glasses but there was no top-up offered for those drinking fruit juice. The coffee was cold by the time it was served and the tea almost clear in colour (and the glare from the waiter when one guest carried the milk to his table for his cup of tea that had been brought to the table - said waiter retrieved it very quickly). I'm really glad I wasn't paying for the buffet but feel sorry for those who were. At least the company was good. The cake was excellent but didn't look like it was supplied by the hotel. PS some better lighting in the loos would be good - very, very dark! less