St Michael's Manor in St Albans

Unfortunately when trying to book a large group celebration I found the St Michael’s representatives most unhelpful. They definitely have a “can’t do attitude”. I cancelled the booking.

I stayed at St. Michael's Manor on Saturday 18th December in Sliver Birch room. This stay was a gift from my mother, as a celebration for multiple reasons. My mother had her wedding reception at this hotel, so we have fond memories. However, I will NEVER stay here again, or recommend it.The first issue is that there was a function going on until mid-night which we had not been informed about previously. This kept both my partner and myself awake - we were there to relax but couldn't. I was given the excuse, 'we provide on our confirmation email that we are a popular venue for parties'. Some advice; how about informing customers before they spend nearly £200 about any disruption, so they can decide if they want to be subject to it?The room was in a terrible state; I have included photos to demonstrate the filth. The curtains were dirty, the chairs were dirty, the toilet was unclean, and hadn't been cleaned properly in goodness knows how long! The grout was mouldy, the shower head needed descaling, there were hairs on the sink (indicative of the previous party having shaved in the skin). Worst of all, there was an insect crawling around in the shower - I can only describe it as shrimp like! Utter filth, especially considering we are living in a pandemic. Lack of hygiene is borderline dangerous!Breakfast was hosted by extremely unprofessional members of staff. We were seated, not given a menu, then given one menu between two of us. No toast was offered, I had to actively seek out staff to ask them for it. The gentlemen who took our order referred to my partner as 'mate'; highly unprofessional and not at all appropriate in the setting. The breakfast itself was extremely average. Smoked salmon and scrambled egg served without any toast (hence having to get up and ask, as waiters/waitresses did not ask 'do you need anything else', merely plopped the food down and walked off). The bacon was primarily fat, and tasted terrible.Overall, the hotel is tired, has inadequate facilities, is dirty and has un-professional, un-trained staff.

Fantastic afternoon tea 8n the dining room. Lovely sandwiches, scones, cake and tea. Brilliant view if the lake and grounds. Great service. Well done.

Shocking communication. I was extremely keen to look at having St Michael's Manor as my wedding venue. Filled in the online form, no response. Left messages with reception a couple of times, no response. Emailed the manager whose details I had from someone else who'd had their wedding there - no response. Really disappointing service, was not expecting that from somewhere like St Michael's Manor. Will be telling my other engaged friends accordingly.

St Michael's Manor hosted our wedding reception last month and it was truly amazing. Richard and his team were amazing. Richard was fast to respond to any enquiries we had, and his team were extremely friendly and accommodating. All our guests enjoyed the venue and food. We would definitely recommend St Michael's Manor to anyone looking for a wedding venue.

So very disappointed in afternoon tea.Sandwiches were horrid and what looked mould on one sandwich.Cakes were tasteless and inedible.Scones were ok.Dietary requirements were messed up.I always have felt this is a grand place to visit for special occasions but sadly I would not recommend afternoon tea here to anyone.All of these things were brought to the waiters attention.All our 3 tables left most of their food and were offered boxes to take what was left home, I questioned the manager surly he must realise it’s because it really is that bad!Such a shame.

Birthday treat, afternoon tea and overnight stay. Arrived early so had tea on terrace as no coffee making facility. (Pleasant vista) Booked in 3pm and asked to pay straight away but had had no extras!! Room 1st floor a bit jaded could do with a refresh and configuration odd. Extra small toilet and basin (no mirror then wardrobe then shower room all along one wall. Afternoon tea was very nice (sandwiches,scones,jam and cream and cakes) except we had to ask for our pot of tea as it did not appear to be forthcoming. Very nice breakfast the following day. It appeared as if they were short of trained staff, Brexit or Covid no doubt.

Very disappointing lunch here a couple of days ago. Service was adequate but uninspiring, long waits for food, mediocre quality of food - tough meat and warm rather than hot. No ambience in the restaurant. We expected much better from a hotel with a good reputation.

We recently had our wedding at St. Michael's Manor and it was the best day of our lives. The venue is literally stunning, set on the lake and based on the beautiful Fishpool Street. The inside of the venue is just as gorgeous as the outside, with the grand mirrors and contemporary decor. The food was magnificent and our guests commented on just how delicious it was!However, the main reason for my 5 star review was because of the unbelievable service we received at St. Michael's Manor. We booked our wedding in 2018 for summer 2020 and due to the pandemic have had to postpone twice. Richard, who is the hotel manager, has been so patient, understanding and empathetic towards us and has bent over backwards to ensure that we had the best day possible. A huge shout out has to also go to James, who co-ordinated our day so wonderfully and ensured everything went smoothly.The whole team, including every single member of waiting staff and kitchen staff, made our day so special. Words cannot do justice for the thanks that we feel.

This review has been long overdue as our wedding was 2020. But I was looking over our wedding photos and wanted to write that this place was the most beautiful place for our wedding! The staff were always helpful and kind and I felt they were genuinely interested in our big day too! The good was great and the few days we stayed afterwards we were spoilt!Thank you very much for all your hard work. We want to come back for our anniversary!