We stayed at this hotel in August 2009 for 3 nights when visiting Salisbury and Lacock. It wasn't an easy hotel to find. We knew where it was, we had a street plan and instructions on how to find it but it still took a little while. Access to the car park was from the rear of the hotel because the front looked out onto a pedestrianised area and the rear entrance was in a U-shaped road. However the road looks like some sort of service road which goes round a car park so we went past the first time thinking that it couldn't be the right road - but it was. Even then the sign at the entrance into the hotel car park was partly obscured by vegetation and easy to miss. We found it eventually and our first impressions on getting out of the car were that it was rather scruffy and run down but, don't worry, that was only because it was scruffy and run down. Going into the hotel from the back didn't help. We entered a large gloomy room with bare boards and a bar on one side with a sign that said 'Buy 2 glasses of wine and get the whole bottle free'. Obviously catering to the binge drinking brigade.

Coming out of that room we found ourselves in the entrance hall with reception being an alcove under the stairs and across the hall was the main bar which had a pool table, some coin-in-the-slot machines covered in flashing lights and a very large television which, luckily, wasn't too loud. There was no one at reception but after a short time a young man appeared from out of the bar. He was very courteous, obviously knew what he was doing and booked us in, gave us the room key and explained how to find the room.

By this time we wondered what on earth our room was going to be like but as soon as we went through the door at the top of the stairs it looked and felt like a normal hotel. We easily found our room and went in. What a surprise. It was huge with a large bathroom and a seperate toilet and all with natural light. There was a very large bed which proved to be very comfortable but the room looked sparsely furnished because it was so large although there were two small bedside tables, a wardrobe, a dressing table with some drawers and two small armchairs. The bedroom together with the bathroom and toilet were all smartly decorated and well finished.

We found out that they have what they describe as 'a disco and late bar' on Friday and Saturday. We breathed a sigh of relief because we were staying Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and I have to say that whilst we were there there was no trouble and no noise but I wouldn't want to stay on Friday and Saturday.

We ate breakfast in a separate room across from the bar and the breakfast was very good with a very good selection of items from the buffet as well as the usual cooked breakfast. We went out for our evening meal on the first night but decided to try an evening meal in the hotel on the second night. It wasn't bad but could only be described as mediochre at best and we had to sit at a table in the bar where there were some other gentlemen with heavily tatooed arms playing pool. They were, however, well behaved and not at all rowdy. We decided not to eat here on our last evening.

Would we recommend this hotel? Well - no! I think that you will have to make your own decision bearing in mind the following:

* Willing staff - unfailingly courteous and helpful but a bit thin on the ground.
* Mediochre evening meals.
* The ground floor is a dive!
* Good accommodation and good breakfast.
* Excellent value at £143.00 for bed and breakfast for three nights - that's just over £43.00 per night for two.
* Well situated for sightseeing in the area although Andover itself has little to offer.

Bearing in mind the low cost we would consider staying here again, but NOT on a Friday or Saturday night, on a bed & breakfast basis only as it really is very good value. Pity about the ground floor really as this could, so easily, be a really nice hotel.

The hotel's own web site.