The Priory Hotel

A very old and picturesque hotel sitting on the banks of the river, we had only booked this at the last minute so didn’t have any choice of rooms. We ended up with a courtyard room, which I thought rather implied that there would be access out in to the courtyard, although that was not the case. Probably my fault, it didn’t say that, it was just how I read it. Although I do wonder why they call it a courtyard room, when that is just the view from the window. The room itself was a little on the small side, although nonetheless very pleasant, clean and tidy. We had a walk in shower which was also clean and tidy, although a little on the feeble side perhaps. Complimentary soft drinks were provided. We made the most of the gorgeous weather and had a Pimm’s on the lawns leading down to the river, it certainly is an idyllic spot. There were also a couple of very pleasant lounges you could use if the weather was more inclement. Breakfast was entirely table service, which may or may not suit, depending on your preference. Personally I like a bit of a mix, hot food freshly cooked and brought to your table, but help yourself for cereals, yoghurt, pastries and so on. Here you have to choose exactly what you want from a menu and even have to get a waitress’s attention to get your fruit juice topped up, for example. I started with the fresh fruit salad and some yoghurt, and this was a decent and tasty selection of fruit. After that it was an interminably long wait for the next course with other people who had ordered afterwards getting served first. I can’t help thinking they had forgotten us, although when we queried it, we got some guff about the chef having broken our eggs and having to do some more. Really? It takes, what, two minutes to poach an egg? When it did eventually arrive, my Eggs Royale was very good with two well-cooked (at last!) eggs, a decent amount of salmon and a good hollandaise, although that could have been a bit warmer. Perhaps it really was hanging around while some more eggs were poached. Across the table, an Eggs Benedict was also well received. I finished up with a croissant which was lovely and warm, although not quite as soft and fluffy as some. Overall though, all pretty good. Unusually a 5% service charge is added on to your bill. I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels and only ever come across this once before in London where you might expect it a bit more, but I was surprised to see it here. I also didn’t spot any mention of this on their website prior to booking, it was only after I received the confirmation email that I became aware of it. Considering we were there only one night, and thus didn’t have any room service (there was no evening turn down service) and with the very slow service at breakfast, I thought that was a bit much. Overall though, a lovely spot, friendly staff and I’d happily return.

Fantastic service and food, was very well looked after by Christian and AJ Prawn cocktail to die for followed by chateaubriand and English sparkling. I’ve been eating at the priory for many years and they never fail to impress.

A really delicious lunch, beautifully presented in an idyllic riverside location. Everything about the lunch was perfect. The menu includes many locally sourced items. The service was discreet, friendly and helpful. The gardens are lovely too, and well worth exploring.