I recently stayed here with my wife to attend my brothers 50th birthday party in the hotel and I am…read morenot quite sure where to begin. At first all was ok with the exception that the so called double bed was about 2/3rds normal size which was strange. But then the fun and games started when the staff at the party did not appear to know how to make a drink or pour a pint. They ran out of glassware and stock and seemed all at sea behind the bar. At 11-00pm they suddenly closed the bar 2 hours ahead of schedule saying there was an IT glitch and they could not use the till which was a blatant lie. My brother had paid £1000 for the hire of the room and the bar extension until 1-00am. the hotel rooms were mostly booked out by guests attending the party as well. When challenged about the so called IT glitch they became defensive and surly and were threatening and abusive asking guests to leave the party room. One of the staff even asked me my name and when I enquired why he needed it and he heard a friend use my 1st name he said its ok I will just check the hotel register for your details which I took to be a threat that something more sinister was going to happen. Due to the complete breakdown of service all the guests were left with nowhere to go but to their rooms like naughty children. The stunning ignorance and complete lack of training, knowledge or even basic courtesy was beyond anything I have ever experienced in a hotel before and it made Fawlty Towers look like Claridge's. I contacted the General Manager Fred via email and initially he was apologetic and he agreed that the staff had lied about the reason for closing the bar and should not have done so but when I wouldn't accept his offer of a 2 night stay in the hotel and had the temerity to suggest that he might consider a partial or full refund for our disastrous stay he stopped communicating with me which suggests the staff behaviour is led from the top down. At breakfast the next morning the assistant manageress who we had spoken with the night before was ignorant and had a terrible sour face on her so much so that we could not trust her not to interfere with our breakfast and we just had coffee from the machine. I cannot recommend this hotel LOWLY enough and all I can say is if you do stay here then on your own head be it. It gets 1 star because that is the lowest I can award.

Easy to find on walk up from train station. Friendly staff at front desk. Hotel is clearly old and…read more'not recently refurbished', but everything works, even the creaky elevator! Nice room. Bathroom very nice and sort of (Brit-standard 'modern') modern. Breakfast room quite fancy. Continental or cooked breakfast - I had the cereals, toast, juice'n coffee type: v.g. as expected. Staff lurks in kitchen, shoots out now and then to check on customers. Added later: been thinking about the rug salesman who'd rented the room next to the reception, downstairs. Seems to me I saw his trestle sign outside on the sloping street a few years ago. Spoke to him, as people walked past the wine bar opposite. Man must be a traveling salesman, does the tour of the country, a few days here, a few there. With his rugs. Needs some logistics for those, mind you. Spoke to him as I waited for wife+daughter to walk down from station. They stayed with Grannie in Carnforth, down the line, in her small home, and rode train up each morning, fresh and pink-faced from the bracing, moist, Lancashire air. He was friendly, knew how to speak to strangers. Easy fellow. A few customers'd walk in, look at the Persian rugs, and leave. Almost as if the rugs were a cover for something else? I paged the newspaper, waiting. 'So, from Denmark, are you?' he'd pleasantly continue when the people'd left. Waterstones next door. Upstairs balcony display area not bad, chair to snooze in, wait for family. Thumb books. Hotel has fancy bar/parlor upstairs. Dark, not bad for someone with iPad or laptop in need for some screen-time. Plugs, but bring that adaptor! Oh, the plugs . Hrm. When I plugged in the iPad adapter interesting sparking-type sounds cane from the socket. Should it do that?

The girlfriend and I spent a weekend here while attending a wedding in Lancaster. It's located just…read more5 minutes from the M6 and is a short run into town though we did encounter a few roadworks in Lancaster that particular weekend Without wanting to sound like I'm damning with faint praise, this Holiday Inn is pretty good for a chain hotel. They covered the basics well - clean room with comfortable bed However, they have a few little bonuses. One is the lovely leisure centre. I woke up early to make use of the swimming pool and jacuzzi. Always nice to get a little exercise after a big wedding meal the night before Another bonus was the variety offered at the included breakfast. They have the full English breakfast but there are also continental cured meats and cheese as well as make your own American style pancakes. However, my favourite was the fresh fruit salad Recommended if you're looking somewhere to stay in Lancaster

Typical Holiday Inn close to M6 motorway. Executive room…read morevery nice, but a little cold. Japanese style sliding wooden shutters keep light out of room (instead of curtains). Rooms getting a little tired and in need of a refurb. Not shabby, but not crisp. Hope you know what I mean. Excellent breakfast. Much better that usual Holiday Inn breakfasts. Cumberland sausage especially good. Recommended, but try to get a deal on the HIE website.

Came for a quick afternoon meal! The table ordered the pie and the fish and chips. Both dishes were…read moregreat. The server took great care of my allergies making sure to no verify I was safe

Amazing coffee and real ales. Should my review finish there? Maybe - but there's more you need to…read moreknow about the Sun Inn, way more! First of all it's one of the favourite hangouts of very tasteful people... those being some of my best friends in Lancaster. Secondly, it's bloody gorgeous. You want a cosy, rustic, boutiquey pub in what I've come to call 'The Edinburgh of the North West'? Walk right this way. Want to see how pretty it is? You only have to check this cinemagram from my fiancé: http://cinemagr.am/show/4336818 Look at that. What a backdrop it provides. Gnarled branches with fairylights = one of my favourite things ever. Big wooden tables, locally roasted coffee (a coffee my maid of honour recommends wholeheartedly, and it has its own shop around the corner. I do believe it's called Atkinsons. http://www.thecoffeehopper.com After our epic roasts we needed a pick-me-up, and I opted for black while she had a fab-looking latte. We also got biscuits as standard. (That should be a rule, everywhere. No exceptions. If Font Bar can give out entire Freddos with every brew, all establishments should at least be able to manage a Lotus biscuit.) The food looks amazeballs here, perhaps a little pricey for a casual lunch but great for a treat, and potentially truly delicious. The atmopshere's lovely, the staff friendly, and we've had wine here too which has always been tasty, offered in some of the prettiest wine glasses I ever did see. And fruit beer on tap? I can see why this could easily become a Lancastrian's local.

The dinner was excellent and reasonably priced. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming to someone…read moreout of the area. The people were very friendly, I left my reading glasses there by accident and they contacted the place I was staying to be sure I got them back.

From the owner: Classic restaurant coaching inn with seven boutique bedroomsread more

Visited here many times over the last few years, not as hotel guests but for the pub and…read morerestaurant. It's quite a busy little spot at times as there are boat moorings and a marina holiday home development virtually on its doorstep and also caravan parks nearby. The pub has a relaxed atmosphere and a reasonable choice of beers and lagers including Black Sheep beer and Peroni lager to name a couple. There is a pool table and fruit machine and basically it has the vibe of a typical traditional English pub. You can dine in the pub area or, alternatively, in the restaurant which is decorated in lighter colours and has more of a feeling of a special occasion about it. On the most recent occasion we visited it was a specials on pizza and pasta night and we both opted for pizza. It was fine but nothing out of the ordinary really, my pepperoni pizza was quite bland and I prefer a thinner base but then that is just personal choice. On previous occasions we have tried various dishes including steaks, fish & chips, sausage and mash, chicken, gammon etc. and we have generally been pretty pleased with the food. Service can be slow even at quiet times and my request for a dessert menu on our last visit was being directed to look at a counter with some desserts in it, I wasn't very impressed by that and wasn't going to bother but fortunately another member of the waiting staff appeared and told me what was available. I opted for the Eton Mess which was pleasant enough. I'd say the prices were just above average for the area, taking these Two for One venues out of the equation, though the steak which was on the specials board came in at a hefty £18.95 when we were there. Starters too are a bit on the pricey side. Overall though we really like the place and will very definitely return in the future on many occasions!

Five stars is not enough. In all my hotel visits over the last 20 years, none have compared to this…read moreone. The guy Gary was a host like no other. He went above and beyond for myself and my child. Have never felt more welcomed or safe, anywhere.. The rooms were absolutely pristine, I really hope the cleaner is well treasured, the beds were the most immaculate beds I have ever come across. The sea view window topped it all off. As spectacular as those views are and as much as the sea personally means a great deal to me,, it did not actually compete with the service we received from the moment I phoned the Clifton hotel at the very last minute, until the moment we left.. The breakfast was also absolutely lovely beautifully hot with unusually large sausages. I'm just blown away by our one night stay and very grateful for such wonderful hosts. Thank you so very much.

Great ale boozer. At least 7 on and invaiably in great condition. Proper old school pub with…read more'characterful' locals

Great place to get a quiet drink in the evening. =) The beer garden is nice, with comfortable…read moreseating and a good view of the stars. The regular ales on tap are delicious, the selection of scotches and other spirits is great, and the staff are all lovely, helpful people. Lots of interesting locals, steeped in history, and has a fantastic "snug" to relax in, with soft chairs, tables, couches, and a fireplace.

Awful for every reason I can think of. Seems to get through landlords every other month. A shame as…read moreit is in a prime spot, overlooking the famous railway station. It just seems to be limping by trying different things to lure customers. Major overhaul needed, shame as it's a lovely old building.

From the owner: Hotel/Restaurant/Barread more

Nice hotel near the High Street. 5 min from the station. Fine rooms, reasonable rates. Very…read morefriendly and helpful staff. Strange scratchy noises from radiators all night, as if someone was trying to fish a lost wedding ring out with a rusty wire. Still, best place in town.