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Reviews of The Bear Hotel by Greene King Inns

3 out of 5
The Bear Hotel by Greene King Inns
Charnham Street, Hungerford, England

Reviews

8.2

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 97 out of 237 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 85 out of 237 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 38 out of 237 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 15 out of 237 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 237 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

7.4/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

malcolm

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
We always book the superior rooms in the main building . Large comfortable rooms with good facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Geoff

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Colin

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very friendly and helpful staff good menu excellent breakfast will shortly be booking rooms for another visit
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

4/10 Poor

Ian

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Amanda

Liked: Staff & service
Uncomfortable bed, very hard mattress, nasty lumpy foam filled pillows. A couple of blown lightbulbs, smeary mirrors, toothpaste residue left by a previous guest on the bathroom shelf. No toiletries or box of tissues.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

8/10 Good

ROBERT

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
good communication with home office and with staff on arrival and also very well served during evening meal (relaxed and friendly approach by all staff helped make the family meeting successful. THANKS TO ALL
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jane

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property is historic and unique, and it is a privilege to be able to stay there. The staff were very helpful. The building is typical of an ancient inn and may not be to everyone's taste, but I loved it. I did not try the food, but the wine selection and the coffee were excellent
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

6/10 Okay

Howard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
One night
Great location in historic coaching inn. A little frayed around the edges but some would call that character. Biggest bugbear was that for the second time in as many stays I had a downstairs room and every time the person above me moved across their floor the floorboards creaked very loudly.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Krystyna

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

anthony

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kevin

Travelled with group
Liked: Amenities
Excellent location and such friendly and helpful staff
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

John

Business traveller
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
A pleasant, traditional hotel.
A pleasant hotel In a good location. Bed amazing comfortable and clean bathroom. What let it down was the horrible, musty damp smell In the room. Cure this and the stay would have been excellent.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everything was great from check in To check out The only niggle we had was some of the radiators weren’t working So was a bit chilly Easily sorted as I used to be a plumber, so just had to bleed the radiators so All good.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

JOHN

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Helpful staff
Very helpful reception staff who changed a booking that was supposed to be non changeable after my booking error. Clean and friendly place.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Steven

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Gary

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good pub with rooms close to the centre of Hungerford
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Room comfort
A bit disappointed..
The bed is comfortable, the room is warm. However bathroom cleaning is not great; we never got any spare toilet tissue after it ran out on day 3 (we stayed for 7 nights) and the toilet wasn't cleaned properly. The shower also needs the grouting replaced, and the bathroom door wouldn't close. There was rarely anyone at reception - only once in the whole week. The breakfast staff still need training - offering and topping up tea & coffee, clearing tables (never leave the room empty handed), spoons in the cereals, milk & juice topped up, appropriately dressed (no long sleeves dipping into food), hair tied back - not pleasant to have a long hair decorating the food! And on one occasion we were told to sit at a table that hadn't been cleaned so we had to wipe it ourselves! Ashtrays on the tables outside the bar area were full of cigarette ends floating in rainwater - really disgusting to walk past every morning. Beer cans, rubbish, dropped cloths/sponges were all observed during the week. A manager should be walking around, checking these things throughout the day. It just needs someone to actually care about the place - The Bear's reputation is not good amongst the locals and you are losing business. All of the above we reported over a year ago when we stayed. It's nearly all the same restaurant staff and they are still poorly trained, so not sure if there's really any point in leaving a review as it's obvious no-one pays any attention...
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

Chris

I didn't stay at the hotel as although I left a number of messages on the hotel ansaphone querying whether the room I had ordered online was suitable for my 98 year old Mum they couldn't be bothered to call me back. In the end I couldn't take the risk that the room might involve a climb up lots of stairs or only have a bath so I cancelled the booking losing my money. Very unsatisfactory. The hotel behaved in a very arrogant manner and they need to get a decent switchboard.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Julie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyable stay!!
We stayed at the hotel as we were attending a wedding. We found the staff to be so friendly and helpful. The room was lovely and clean and slept very well. Breakfast was lovely with a good selection of options
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Per

Travelled with group
Liked: Room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Stephen

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

2/10 Terrible

Jocelyn

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was smelly and stale. Lighting was aggressive. Noisy right on the street, not announce of charm- more like a sanitarium.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

6/10 Okay

Roy

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Bear hungerford
The pub and staff were great , the bathroom had black mold on the ceiling , extractor van did not work in bathroom , wallpaper peeling next to bed ,window left open , i know this is to air room but it was raining so there was a puddle inside on the window sill , although july weather was awful wet windy and cold, no heating
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

6/10 Okay

Michael

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic staff let down by dilapidated buildings.
The staff were workingtheir socks off and really trying to serve customers well. However they were handicapped by the dilapidated state of the building. Checkin was very quick and friendly, and staff quickly arranged extra bedding for a blow-up mattress for a child. However the state of the rooms left a lot to be desired. One room had an aweful smell, which we were told had been reported by a previous guest that week. We were given an odour remover spray which was effective. There was a thick layer of dust on the bedhead, cobwebs on the lights, and coffee granules on the desk. Cleaning rooms had not been a priority for the overworked staff. The wooden window frames were actually rotting in places and it seemed as if the windows might fall out if touched. The toilet seat was also not firmly attached and was another accident waiting to happen. Our room and the one next to it were accessed by a shared lobby where just standing on the floorboards to put a key in the door made a sound like someone knocking. I lost count of the number of times we went to answer the door only to discover our neighbours going in or out. In the restaurant the main meal arrived before we received our starter. We were compensated for the mistake. The food, when it arraived, was good value. The presence of a lot of local people attested to the quality & price of the food & drink. The bed was comfortable, if a little hard. We had two good nights' sleep.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Carlos

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Lisa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic stay*****
Fantastic stay, great location, restaurant was really good. *****
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Nigel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
A
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

8/10 Good

Chrissy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely spot just by the river, hotel full of charm, clean comfortable with delicious breakfast.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Simon

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Rooms are nice, if a little small, but historic old building. Toilet cover was too small for basin and the shower curtain positioning designed to hem you in and make the shower feel tiny. Food in adjacent pub not good (and literally half the things on the small menu not even available). Breakfast similar - my smoked salmon was brownish and I think microwaved from frozen (or tasted like it). Probably best to eat out in retrospect
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lindsey

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel
Lovely hotel with helpful staff. I stayed in room 8 which was huge with a lovely roll top bath and rain shower. Good food for the evening meal and breakfast and friendly helpful staff.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

6/10 Okay

Vanessa

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Property convenient to explore Hungerford, the plumbing could do with an overhaul. Staff really helpful and friendly. On a busy road so road noise all the time.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

8/10 Good

Anil

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

4/10 Poor

Lawrence

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not disappointing - DIRE
Tired rooms. The soap fillers were empty. Shower soaked the bathroom floor. Room not serviced properly. Main problem though was that arriving back late evening for second night stay the electronic key card for my room didn't work. I had to ring for the night staff on my mobile because external bell didn't function. If I hadn't had a working mobile I would have been stuck. Staff produced a replacement card - didn't work; staff's own key card didn't work. I was then given a replacement room which had a physical key but had to spend the night without my night stuff including medication. No discount or compensation was offered. I had to ask and was granted an inadequate amount. Staff though were friendly and over-worked. Greene King to blame and I will be avoiding this and all other Greene King hotels in future
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Veronica

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

4/10 Poor

Derek

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Reunion
Poor service, due to lack of staff
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

4/10 Poor

Mike

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I knew this hotel 26 years ago. It has not come up to the standard it was then. My wife and I were disapointed.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

6/10 Okay

Nigel

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Sheri

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Good location with handy parking
Nice hotel located on the edge of a lovely town. A little bit jaded in places but it had a lot of character. There were some rooms in a separate building that overlooked the pretty gardens and stream that I imagine would be lovely. The hot breakfasts were cooked to order and the pastries were delicious. We ate there one evening and the food and service were good.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

6/10 Okay

Nicole

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tom

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022
Response from Bear on 6 Feb 2022
Hello Tom Thank you for your lovely feedback. We look forward to your future visit with us. Kind Regards Team Bear

10/10 Excellent

Lyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very friendly staff, nice room.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from Bear on 6 Feb 2022
Hello Lyn Thank you for your lovely feedback. We look forward to your next visit at the Bear Hotel. Kind Regards Team Bear

6/10 Okay

Timothy

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service
The towel rail was too hot in the bathroom, a danger when exiting the shower cubicle. We had an evening meal and breakfast and both could have been better. The breakfast tea and coffee Containers were replaced as being tepid but the replacements were no better. The evening meal was tastless, starter served from fridge, and meat overcooked.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from Bear on 10 Jan 2022
We Apologise for the issue with your room & indeed the feedback about the food. We shall correct on our end & we hope to make it up to you next time. Kind Regards Team Bear

8/10 Good

jennifer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
great location. Concerned about the slipperiness of the steps up to our room . Very friendly and helpful staff . Fires needed to be lit earlier as it was cold in the bar .
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022
Response from Bear on 10 Jan 2022
Hello Jennifer We have taken on board your comments & passed on to the team. We look forward to your future visit with us. Regards Team Bear

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021
Response from Bear on 10 Jan 2022
Hello Thank you for your lovely review. We look forward to your future visit Kind Regards Team Bear

8/10 Good

Peter

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

4/10 Poor

H G

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Very disappointing stay
We have stayed at the Bear several times over the past few years and while it is not always perfect, we've previously found it to be very suitable for our needs. However, this time it fell way short of acceptable. The floor in our room had not been hoovered - there was biscuit wrappers on the floor and gravel on the carpet - in the bathroom as well. There were hairs on the toilet and the mirror and taps needed a good scrub. We reported the issues the next day, however we came back to a room which had had its bins emptied, mugs replaced and toilet roll folded! It took 3 days to get it hoovered. The boiler broke leaving us with no hot water. We were told we could not move as the block still with hot water had guests arriving over the next week. We had 4 out of 7 days without hot water and we were the only guests left in the block. We should have been moved instantly, and other guests due to arrive should have been found alternative accommodation in an alternative hotel - We are in a pandemic, where washing of hands etc. is vital. The restaurant service was appalling at times. The first day, the girls had no idea how to cope with a busy restaurant - severe lack of training perhaps... One girl was too busy messaging on her phone behind the till, to look at what was around her. How is she is allowed her mobile when serving in a restaurant? Work appeared to be an inconvenience, rather than necessity. Also staff sat and ate when buffet still open for guests. No sign of a manager...
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2021

6/10 Okay

Ian

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
understaffed Second morning, the boiler had broken
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021