Wonderful pub. Great ambience, cosy with log fire and lovely food with superb staff who were very friendly and helpful. Lovely comfortable room, quiet and with lots of light. Definitely recommend for a quick stop off or for anyone exploring the area. Looking forward to coming back!
JCHKH
Definitely not closed, very open and absolutely amazing, from the warm welcome when you walk in, to the warm fires inside, The service was very good, polite, not intrusive, yet attentive, the food was amazing; plus there is a good range of drinks to compliment. I had the Halloumi Burger, with a glass of Montipulciano, my unexpected dinner partner (she had a flat tyre so stopped and had a very enjoyable supper whilst she waited for rescue & recovery) had the Malabar Curry, that smelt absolutely delicious so I will try that this evening. Oh I didn’t mention they have rooms here and chalets, I’m staying in a very well equipped chalet, so comfortable and cosy, TV, luxury shower, two sinks, frankly I may never leave! If your passing, it looks rather unassuming from the front, but this is a pub you can both enjoy a drink in and experience fabulous food, I saw other mouthwatering dishes pass by destined for other diners as I waited for my food. You can hire the huge barn they have here, for weddings and celebrations, you can camp in the summer and there’s beautiful trees and gardens all around, plus it’s only a mile from Westonbirt. Really, what more would you want!! I shall be returning, who knows I may even stay a while……
Rosie Hithersay
Book your wedding with caution!We fell in love with the Holford Arms as our wedding venue, it was exactly what we were looking for.However, the service we received was poor. Little to no communication throughout the process, mixed messages from the various 'wedding planners' we dealt with (two left within a few months of each other then not replaced).Three of our guests rooms were dirty beyond belief (photos of one chalet) and although this was fixed the next day, it didn't get our wedding weekend off to a great start.The food served on the day was nothing like the food we received during our tasting, presentation was especially bad on one dish.A few things were forgotten on the day but overall we had a fabulous wedding day, surrounded by friends and family and luckily some sunshine. The staff were also great on the day.We were offered a full refund for all accommodation booked on the first day as a way of apology which we thought was very generous but after weeks of asking where this refund was, we were refunded for just three rooms (of five) and told that was enough, end of story.This could be a fabulous place but it unfortunately did not live up to expectations, I wish they took a bit more pride in the stunning venue they're running. The wedding venue should not be the most stressful part of wedding planning but it was. So to future brides and grooms, book with caution.
Naomi Ashley-Smith
More than it appears. From the potholed small car park out front you could be fooled into thinking this is a run down country pub. The inside is quaint and rustic, but the outside is an almost Caribbean paradise. Outside bar with wood fired pizza, fantastic outdoor shelter and function room, including fire pit and stove. There's even camping and huts to stay in, no wonder this is a popular wedding venue.Importantly, the food was delicious and well priced, delivered in good time by exceptionally attentive and friendly staff! Some unique pub fair and good selection of veggie delights. Smoked halloumi roast was incredible!
dawn1967
On arrival the exterior of the pub was dirty and unkempt. The entrance was unclean. On entering the bar area there were no customers at this time but tables were strewn with dirty glasses and crockery, there was also a distinct smell of dirty chip fat. On being escorted to our room I noted that the hallway stair carpet was extremely dirty, window sills and surfaces were dusty and littered with dead flies with little regard for cleaning. On entering our room the curtains were drawn, I presume to disguise the tired and grubby room. The bedroom window was dirty, the sill littered with dead flies and dust. The carpet was not only worn but badly stained. The room was littered with cobwebs which I understand can happen in an old building but this was not an accumulation from when the room was cleaned. My daughter went to the toilet, it appeared to have been used and not cleaned. The bathroom again was tired and had an extremely low level of cleanliness with dead flies and moths again in the shower. After a short discussion we decided that we would not be comfortable staying in this establishment. We made our way to the bar and I spoke with Callum. He didn’t dispute that the room was not clean or attempt to come and look with us. However, he did look on his laptop and said that there was a four poster room available, which was actually the room we had booked and paid for! At this point and taking judgment from what I had seen in the pub, the hallway and our room I was satisfied enough to know there would be no improvement in the level of cleanliness. I asked about a refund and Callum said he would need to speak to ‘Alex’. I asked to speak to Alex myself and Callum went to find him, he returned without Alex. He then advised there would be no dispute to my refund and that I needed to progress this through booking.com but I would receive my refund within 7-10 days as it can take a while to process. After speaking to Booking.com on Saturday they advised that The Holford Arms had agreed the refund over the phone with them but they were awaiting written confirmation. I have since chased this daily and was advised that the pub was not responding to phone calls or email, and today that staff were deliberately disconnecting the call. I finally spoke with the Landlord William Robson regarding our issues who conveyed he was only willing to refund 25% of the room charge as he did not believe there was any issue with our room. In response to all of my issues his only response is that it’s a country pub, to which I have stayed in plenty. Non with this poor level of cleanliness. We left the establishment after being advised that we would receive a full refund, this is also very poor customer service for them to now to go back on their word.
Roddy99
Very easy to book. Excellent, well presented food. The staff are happy to ensure that you can enjoy exactly what customers want by making slight adjustments to the ingredients of a particular dish. Genuinely dog friendly.
Dawn F
I attended a family wedding, and chose glamping for three adults and a two year old. I have to say the staff were absolutely fabulous, and a credit to the owners. A very special shout out to Beautiful Bailey, who went above and beyond to provide blankets for us from her HOME, as there were none available and the temperature dropped early eve. She gets employee of the year for sure! An observation would be to sort the ground in places where there’s high traffic, as very muddy in places. But overall a wonderful experience, Thankyou:)
Andy K
Service nearly one hour late from booking time. Roast beef a selection of gristle and sinews. Staff informed and shown the rubbish presented as “roast beef “ but just simpered “oh we’ll let someone know “. Full price charged for this very substandard meal. Such a shame as we have eaten well here on previous occasions but will not be returning and will let others know that standards have slipped so far.
vintageplum
Delicious, fresh and locally sourced meat best Sunday roast I have eaten in a long time. Beef & Pork Belly a winner. A hidden gem, local Ales what’s not to like. First time visiting & definitely returning you will not be disappointed. Welcoming bar staff
Patrick G
The food is far better in fact amazing than the pub and it’s grounds which need a major tidy up… It’s quite run down and needs investment but in the meantime a good attention to deal tidy up would make a great difference…
Arrived for a wedding over the weekend, was greeted at the bar and shown our room by a friendly lady. The room had clearly not been cleaned properly (dust, cobwebs, mud on floor). The bathroom was infested with a nest of baby spiders up the walls, in the light over the sink and in the sink and shower. One of the window panes had a hole in the glass, curtain rail was hanging off, old water in the kettle. I went to speak to a member of staff regarding the spider issue in the bathroom. He was quite dismissive and offered to “sort them out”.. which consisted of him sweeping some into a tissue and flushing them down the toilet. I spoke to the man again and asked to switch rooms, I was told we couldn’t as all rooms for the wedding party were assigned, with yet again a dismissive attitude and no offer of cleaning the room properly. We decided to purchase some bug spray from the nearest shop to clear out the rest seeing as we had no other option. Later in evening, the manager (Will) approached us and apologised for the issues with the room and offered us a stay at his friend’s pub down the road or for housekeeping to do a thorough clean the next morning. We wanted to stay on site so chose the latter. Will also offered us 2 complimentary drinks to apologise. Housekeeping did clean the room the next day, but cobwebs and spider carcasses still remained. Handrail up the stairs to the rooms was hanging off with screws poking out. The shower was a nightmare. Speaking to other guests, it was cold showers all round on the Sunday morning! There were 2 members of staff arguing outside of our bedroom window. The barman moaning at his girlfriend for “playing on a trampoline with her ex”??! F’ing and raising his voice at her. Overall, room is not worth £140 per night. Serious maintenance needs to be done all round. Firepit, barn and wedding area was lovely and a brilliant time was had during the day and evenings.
edgech
Stayed in a Glamping tent and loved everything about the whole 24 hours at the pub. Cannot say enough about the owners and staff. Even did lifts for all the guests to and from the concert at the arboretum. Well done Will and the team
Zoë H
We had a fantastic meal before staying the night at the campsite. The friendliest, most willing staff we’ve come across in a long time. They were smiley and helpful and the food was delicious! We stayed at the campsite which had excellent facilities- the pub offers a shuttle service to local events if needed which was a HUGE selling point and something we’re incredibly grateful for as it meant we could enjoy our day without the worry of booking a taxi. Thank you you much for a wonderful stay.
H112GSrichardc
Popped in for Sunday lunch during a day out. Warm welcome from staff and good honest Sunday roast. I had their combined Beef/Pork and partner had beef. Good plateful of food and a decent pint and choice of wines. Nothing dazzlingly fancy but good honest pub grub - what not to like!
JGloGriff
Brilliant lunch! Stopped here for a lunch after reading mixed reviews. I am very fussy so find it hard to stop without planning. Polite warm welcome and beyond the pub is a huge beautiful garden setting that is just perfect for a garden lunch. Sourdough fish finger sandwich and White bread fish finger sandwich with the fish perfectly cooked in a light batter with really well cooked chips. 10/10 definitely recommend we went here before visiting Westonbirt Arboretum where we walked and took in beautiful views also recomend if you enjoy the outdoors!
Wonderful pub. Great ambience, cosy with log fire and lovely food with superb staff who were very friendly and helpful. Lovely comfortable room, quiet and with lots of light. Definitely recommend for a quick stop off or for anyone exploring the area. Looking forward to coming back!
Definitely not closed, very open and absolutely amazing, from the warm welcome when you walk in, to the warm fires inside, The service was very good, polite, not intrusive, yet attentive, the food was amazing; plus there is a good range of drinks to compliment. I had the Halloumi Burger, with a glass of Montipulciano, my unexpected dinner partner (she had a flat tyre so stopped and had a very enjoyable supper whilst she waited for rescue & recovery) had the Malabar Curry, that smelt absolutely delicious so I will try that this evening. Oh I didn’t mention they have rooms here and chalets, I’m staying in a very well equipped chalet, so comfortable and cosy, TV, luxury shower, two sinks, frankly I may never leave! If your passing, it looks rather unassuming from the front, but this is a pub you can both enjoy a drink in and experience fabulous food, I saw other mouthwatering dishes pass by destined for other diners as I waited for my food. You can hire the huge barn they have here, for weddings and celebrations, you can camp in the summer and there’s beautiful trees and gardens all around, plus it’s only a mile from Westonbirt. Really, what more would you want!! I shall be returning, who knows I may even stay a while……
Book your wedding with caution!We fell in love with the Holford Arms as our wedding venue, it was exactly what we were looking for.However, the service we received was poor. Little to no communication throughout the process, mixed messages from the various 'wedding planners' we dealt with (two left within a few months of each other then not replaced).Three of our guests rooms were dirty beyond belief (photos of one chalet) and although this was fixed the next day, it didn't get our wedding weekend off to a great start.The food served on the day was nothing like the food we received during our tasting, presentation was especially bad on one dish.A few things were forgotten on the day but overall we had a fabulous wedding day, surrounded by friends and family and luckily some sunshine. The staff were also great on the day.We were offered a full refund for all accommodation booked on the first day as a way of apology which we thought was very generous but after weeks of asking where this refund was, we were refunded for just three rooms (of five) and told that was enough, end of story.This could be a fabulous place but it unfortunately did not live up to expectations, I wish they took a bit more pride in the stunning venue they're running. The wedding venue should not be the most stressful part of wedding planning but it was. So to future brides and grooms, book with caution.
More than it appears. From the potholed small car park out front you could be fooled into thinking this is a run down country pub. The inside is quaint and rustic, but the outside is an almost Caribbean paradise. Outside bar with wood fired pizza, fantastic outdoor shelter and function room, including fire pit and stove. There's even camping and huts to stay in, no wonder this is a popular wedding venue.Importantly, the food was delicious and well priced, delivered in good time by exceptionally attentive and friendly staff! Some unique pub fair and good selection of veggie delights. Smoked halloumi roast was incredible!
On arrival the exterior of the pub was dirty and unkempt. The entrance was unclean. On entering the bar area there were no customers at this time but tables were strewn with dirty glasses and crockery, there was also a distinct smell of dirty chip fat. On being escorted to our room I noted that the hallway stair carpet was extremely dirty, window sills and surfaces were dusty and littered with dead flies with little regard for cleaning. On entering our room the curtains were drawn, I presume to disguise the tired and grubby room. The bedroom window was dirty, the sill littered with dead flies and dust. The carpet was not only worn but badly stained. The room was littered with cobwebs which I understand can happen in an old building but this was not an accumulation from when the room was cleaned. My daughter went to the toilet, it appeared to have been used and not cleaned. The bathroom again was tired and had an extremely low level of cleanliness with dead flies and moths again in the shower. After a short discussion we decided that we would not be comfortable staying in this establishment. We made our way to the bar and I spoke with Callum. He didn’t dispute that the room was not clean or attempt to come and look with us. However, he did look on his laptop and said that there was a four poster room available, which was actually the room we had booked and paid for! At this point and taking judgment from what I had seen in the pub, the hallway and our room I was satisfied enough to know there would be no improvement in the level of cleanliness. I asked about a refund and Callum said he would need to speak to ‘Alex’. I asked to speak to Alex myself and Callum went to find him, he returned without Alex. He then advised there would be no dispute to my refund and that I needed to progress this through booking.com but I would receive my refund within 7-10 days as it can take a while to process. After speaking to Booking.com on Saturday they advised that The Holford Arms had agreed the refund over the phone with them but they were awaiting written confirmation. I have since chased this daily and was advised that the pub was not responding to phone calls or email, and today that staff were deliberately disconnecting the call. I finally spoke with the Landlord William Robson regarding our issues who conveyed he was only willing to refund 25% of the room charge as he did not believe there was any issue with our room. In response to all of my issues his only response is that it’s a country pub, to which I have stayed in plenty. Non with this poor level of cleanliness. We left the establishment after being advised that we would receive a full refund, this is also very poor customer service for them to now to go back on their word.
Very easy to book. Excellent, well presented food. The staff are happy to ensure that you can enjoy exactly what customers want by making slight adjustments to the ingredients of a particular dish. Genuinely dog friendly.
I attended a family wedding, and chose glamping for three adults and a two year old. I have to say the staff were absolutely fabulous, and a credit to the owners. A very special shout out to Beautiful Bailey, who went above and beyond to provide blankets for us from her HOME, as there were none available and the temperature dropped early eve. She gets employee of the year for sure! An observation would be to sort the ground in places where there’s high traffic, as very muddy in places. But overall a wonderful experience, Thankyou:)
Service nearly one hour late from booking time. Roast beef a selection of gristle and sinews. Staff informed and shown the rubbish presented as “roast beef “ but just simpered “oh we’ll let someone know “. Full price charged for this very substandard meal. Such a shame as we have eaten well here on previous occasions but will not be returning and will let others know that standards have slipped so far.
Delicious, fresh and locally sourced meat best Sunday roast I have eaten in a long time. Beef & Pork Belly a winner. A hidden gem, local Ales what’s not to like. First time visiting & definitely returning you will not be disappointed. Welcoming bar staff
The food is far better in fact amazing than the pub and it’s grounds which need a major tidy up… It’s quite run down and needs investment but in the meantime a good attention to deal tidy up would make a great difference…
Restaurantji Recommends
Arrived for a wedding over the weekend, was greeted at the bar and shown our room by a friendly lady. The room had clearly not been cleaned properly (dust, cobwebs, mud on floor). The bathroom was infested with a nest of baby spiders up the walls, in the light over the sink and in the sink and shower. One of the window panes had a hole in the glass, curtain rail was hanging off, old water in the kettle. I went to speak to a member of staff regarding the spider issue in the bathroom. He was quite dismissive and offered to “sort them out”.. which consisted of him sweeping some into a tissue and flushing them down the toilet. I spoke to the man again and asked to switch rooms, I was told we couldn’t as all rooms for the wedding party were assigned, with yet again a dismissive attitude and no offer of cleaning the room properly. We decided to purchase some bug spray from the nearest shop to clear out the rest seeing as we had no other option. Later in evening, the manager (Will) approached us and apologised for the issues with the room and offered us a stay at his friend’s pub down the road or for housekeeping to do a thorough clean the next morning. We wanted to stay on site so chose the latter. Will also offered us 2 complimentary drinks to apologise. Housekeeping did clean the room the next day, but cobwebs and spider carcasses still remained. Handrail up the stairs to the rooms was hanging off with screws poking out. The shower was a nightmare. Speaking to other guests, it was cold showers all round on the Sunday morning! There were 2 members of staff arguing outside of our bedroom window. The barman moaning at his girlfriend for “playing on a trampoline with her ex”??! F’ing and raising his voice at her. Overall, room is not worth £140 per night. Serious maintenance needs to be done all round. Firepit, barn and wedding area was lovely and a brilliant time was had during the day and evenings.
Stayed in a Glamping tent and loved everything about the whole 24 hours at the pub. Cannot say enough about the owners and staff. Even did lifts for all the guests to and from the concert at the arboretum. Well done Will and the team
We had a fantastic meal before staying the night at the campsite. The friendliest, most willing staff we’ve come across in a long time. They were smiley and helpful and the food was delicious! We stayed at the campsite which had excellent facilities- the pub offers a shuttle service to local events if needed which was a HUGE selling point and something we’re incredibly grateful for as it meant we could enjoy our day without the worry of booking a taxi. Thank you you much for a wonderful stay.
Popped in for Sunday lunch during a day out. Warm welcome from staff and good honest Sunday roast. I had their combined Beef/Pork and partner had beef. Good plateful of food and a decent pint and choice of wines. Nothing dazzlingly fancy but good honest pub grub - what not to like!
Brilliant lunch! Stopped here for a lunch after reading mixed reviews. I am very fussy so find it hard to stop without planning. Polite warm welcome and beyond the pub is a huge beautiful garden setting that is just perfect for a garden lunch. Sourdough fish finger sandwich and White bread fish finger sandwich with the fish perfectly cooked in a light batter with really well cooked chips. 10/10 definitely recommend we went here before visiting Westonbirt Arboretum where we walked and took in beautiful views also recomend if you enjoy the outdoors!