The staff that we met were all friendly and engaging. The young man at the breakfast buffet, Fiona at reception etc. The room was bigger than expected! Very clean, simple décor, spacious, uncluttered. The view of the hall exterior from the gardens is grand, and the interior even more so. We only stayed one night, but the whole setting was perfect! There is also a very quaint pub just a short walk away, reputedly frequented by Dick Turpin the Highwayman (back in the day!)

Okay. There was a wedding on the day we stayed, and so there was a bit of a bass thumping noise coming from downstairs. It was a little noisier than we expected...but....there is a disclaimer on the website, pointing out that this can often be the case. It didn't bother us, because we half anticipated it, and it was nice to think a happy couple had just got married in this perfect setting, but just bear that in mind if staying on a Saturday night in Summer. I haven't got any complaints about the odd bit of peeling paint or scuffed wallpaper! The fact that a place this grand is available to stay in at all is a blessing, and overall, the hall is immaculate. I saw a bit of peeling paint on a well used door and had to smile at the thought someone might give a negative review on that basis!

The venue is beautiful, in a lovely historic hall. The staff were very friendly and welcoming; the room was clean and tidy with the facilities I needed. I liked that there was a 'drawing room' to sit in, an onsite restaurant and bar (that I didn't use, but that I was pleased to have available to me), and stunning grounds and gardens to explore with many seating areas. I took a walk around the grounds and local area, and the staff provided free ice lollies upon my return as it was a very hot day. One thing to note to pass on to anyone thinking of booking, as an old building, the plumbing is also old, so provide a little time to allow your shower to run to temperature.

It’s a beautiful hotel, very picturesque. Not so old-school it’s outdated, more timely and elegant. I loved that it was away from the hustle and bustle in a lovely quiet area. The staff were so incredibly welcoming. Couldn’t have been friendlier! They had made sure our room was ready before check in time which we were incredibly grateful for. The room was a good size. Bedding was comfortable even for a hot night. The bathroom was slightly outdated however it was clean and functional therefore no room to complain about it. The facilities were available all day, the bar was well supplied with a good selection of drinks. We were able to sit in the gardens and enjoy the sunshine all afternoon as well. The gardens are beautifully maintained. Overall a beautiful hotel, I would be very happy to stay again.

Only small thing - genuinely nit picking here! But the room I was in had blinds and no curtains. It would’ve been nice to have curtains as I can’t stand any light in the room when I sleep. But that is the only thing!

The building and location are superb! The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. We checked in late and checked out early, so didn't really have chance to explore the gardens or sample the on site restaurant, but we did take a quick peek through the hotel as we headed to our room; there's a cosy communal lounge room and a small bar downstairs, and we saw signs pointing towards a cocktail lounge!. Great place to stay with plenty of onsite parking and comfortable rooms. Makes you feel a bit like Lord and Lady of the manor ;)

Location was perfect for our trip. Chose the hotel because we wanted something out of town and with a country house hotel feel. Booking staff were so helpful with enquiries in advance. We arrived and book in was easy. Rooms were nice and well appointed and decor of the hotel was tasteful and featured original features. I requested an extra duvet and it appeared. We had booked dinner in the restaurant and the food menu of 2 to 3 courses was tasty, imaginative and well priced. The wine list was good. Service was great. Breakfast was also good and again staff very pleasant and friendly. We checked out and the receptionist helped my.mother to the car which was very sweet of her and much appreciated .

Room was a little chilly. The bedroom radiator was tepid. The bathroom cold. I needed to request an extra duvet for my bed (supplied). As expected the room was a little tired but otherwise itbwas well appointed. The shower pressure was pretty poor and despite keeping the shower curtain inside the bath, the bath was slighyly angled so that any water on its edges, ran to the end and poured onto the floor. Could be remedied. Bath had mould staining which again could be dealt with. Portions at dinner were massive. Appreciate HS2 people might need these but I think you could reduce the portion sizes by half and still keep punters happy. My mother had two chicken breasts when one would have sufficed.

We had a fab night at Makeney for my partners 40th birthday. We love Makeney because of the age of the building and because it has a lot of heart and soul. Despite being such an old building our room was toasty and warm. The junior suite we stayed in was beautiful and has an amazing view of ancient trees. This isn’t a flat pack hotel, it is a fabulous historical building. We always have dinner and the food is always great. The food when it arrived was really hot which we like. The staff can’t do enough to help you. We are returning soon and bringing our dog for the first time and we are looking forward to coming back. 😊

We really loved thr charm of the building and the grounds. The location was beautiful and convenient for our trip to download festival. The staff was very accomodating and very nice.

The only thing that would have been nice is if the shower head had a place to hook to the wall so that you did not need to hold it while you showered. This proved to be kind of time consuming and made showering a bit more of a hassle than needed.

The room was lovely as was the location. We paid for an executive room overlooking the garden. The room was very spacious and tastefully decorated. Staff were on the whole friendly.

Some confusion surrounding lunches, we were staying for 2 nights ( Sat / Sun) but told they couldn't provide lunch on the Sunday, as they were not cooking lunches and the Afternoon Tea was fully booked by people not staying at the hotel. They advised they couldn't make any exceptions for guests staying at the hotel. We therefore had to make alternative arrangements. The restaurant was open in the evening and the meal was very nice, but just a shame they couldn't accommodate us at the lunchtime. We had been recommended to try a lovely pub called the Hollybush Inn as an alternative by our taxi driver, and it was not far from the hotel. Lovely pub food and Sunday lunches.

The hotel and grounds are beautiful. Every single member of staff was kind and friendly and took time to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was excellent, freshly cooked produce done really well. We had the dog with us and it was perfect for him too. Plenty of walks without having to get in the car. It was a really superb break for us. I couldn’t fault it.

Nothing

I stayed here last December and really enjoyed it. It's an excellent location for me and the good thing is they take pets whereas the Lion Hotel in Belper don't. We were only there one night and having the dog we couldn't stay in the main house but a room in the outside block which was fine. The room was extremely spacious and warm which was nice. The dog was allowed in certain parts of the main hotel. Front desk staff were excellent. It is a 5 minute walk from one of the best real ale pubs in Belper - The Hollybush Inn so a big plus.

Everything was fine but mentioned to the Receptionist on checking out that the toilet needed maintenance ashaving flushed the water kept running into the bowl.