{This is a review post, but I paid for the night stay myself, so I haven't been requested to write this}
My Mum and I have a tradition of staying in London together to celebrate Mothers Day each year, sadly we had to cancel for 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. We really missed our girlie time and were desperate to spend some time together without the kids constantly wanting our attention, but with my Mum having COPD we were a bit cautious to travel into London yet and thus we opted for a night away together, but not that far from my parents home and we enjoyed a day at Kew Gardens together.
I've stayed at Macdonald Frimley Hall Hotel a couple of times before, once with my husband and once with my daughter as a Christmas treat, both have been lovely stays, so I was happy to book again for a night for my mum and me.
I'm on the Macdonald Hotels mailing list and before Christmas, I had a mailing that allowed me to buy a gift certificate and receive a 20% top-up. So I paid £40 and got a £50 voucher. Then once lockdown eased and they released rooms for sale again I was able to book a standard twin room for £114 for one night for us both to stay and enjoy breakfast and a three-course meal too. I think this is a great price and it is the kind of price I have secured before too, so always look for the deals. Also, make sure you go via Quidco and earn some cashback too, it is 5% currently.
We could have chosen to use the leisure club too, within the cost of our room, it has a fully equipped gym, 17-metre swimming pool, sauna and steam room. You can book spa treatments and I had a massage when I stayed back in 2014 and it was very good and there is a nice chill-out area for afterwards where I enjoyed herbal tea. Of course, we went whilst it was still in the time of Covid regulations, so you had to make bookings for using the areas. We didn't make use of these facilities on this occasion as we already had a full itinerary planned.
Arrival at Frimley Hall
The hotel is tucked away in a residential area, where you'd never expect it to be, but it is easy to find and there was plenty of parking when we arrived. It is good to see cameras about, so you feel your car should be secure. The main entrance is easy to spot as the front fascia of the hotel is historic and very impressive looking. There is a lovely lawn opposite and some tables with parasols for you to enjoy a drink or relax in the day or evening. The hotel is normally a popular wedding venue, so be aware of that if you are coming on a weekend and want a quiet stay.
The receptionist was really friendly and got us checked in very quickly. She explained about some differences due to Covid requirements and we were urged to scan a QR code to see the menu in advance for dinner that night. We made reservations for both dinner and breakfast.
The Bedrooms
We headed up to our bedroom, which was on the first floor, all the back bedrooms are in a much newer part of the building, which from the outside isn't very impressive to look at, but from the inside, it made no odds, as the rooms are well-appointed and look quality. Although you can see that the decor is starting to age a bit with a winky wardrobe door and some chips in the paintwork etc. Nothing that concerned me or impacted our impression of our stay there.
There are a variety of room types for you to book here - standard, deluxe, super deluxe, club, suite, family rooms and they all vary in price. On this occasion, we had booked a standard twin room and it was fine for our needs. It's not the biggest room as it has easy chairs in it to relax on as well as the beds. I think a double would feel a bit more spacious than a twin.
I was looking for what the difference is between the rooms and they all seem to be around 215 square feet and have a workspace, free WiFi, iron and board, coffee and tea making tray, air conditioning, good beds, pillows and duvets. The only differences I could see were whether the bedroom was in the old Victorian Manor part of the house (so more character), whether they had views of the landscaped gardens and enhanced Elemis toiletries. Some rooms sad they were individually decorated, so then it depends how special you want your bread to be, whether you splash out a bit more. When I stayed with my husband we had a super deluxe room and it did make us feel very special.
Eating in the Linden Restaurant
We had both dinner and breakfast in the Linden restaurant and both were very good. The set menu came in with the price of our DBB package and at first, I thought it looked a bit limited with just four items for each course. There wasn't too much my mum or I fancied for a starter but then I recalled that all the food I had here before was very good, as it is a 2 AA Rosette restaurant. So we opted for the homemade mushroom soup with toasted sourdough bread and I was right, it was absolutely delicious.
In fact, we decided to be in tune with each course and we both went for the grilled chicken breast with thyme fondant potato, wilted spinach, carrots and a red wine sauce. Then we finished off with lemon posset and almond shortbread. It really was the most superb tasting meal. We also found our service great, with the waitress being attentive but not intrusive.
I personally think the look of the restaurant is a bit of a letdown; it looks quite old and worn now and there seemed to be a lack of care of the area, as the servery area had all sorts of napkins, cutlery etc that wasn't being used but was just on there making it look a bit untidy.
Breakfast was being served from the Gold Room Lounge whilst we stayed, I assume to allow for assisted service and social distancing. When we've had breakfast in the past we have served ourselves in the restaurant from the buffet. It was a very enjoyable full English breakfast but the hash browns were a bit overcooked.
I'll happily book again to stay at the Frimley Hall Hotel and you can check out availability at Macdonald Frimley Hall Hotel on their website if you fancy a stay too.
You can also check out what other people thought of their stay on Trip Advisor.
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