The Pennyfarthing Hotel - Berkhamsted

Very difficult to find - it's not on the high street at all. The hotel is functional.

The rooms are separate from the reception and sit opposite each other along an exposed corridor leading up from the car park. My room was directly next to the car park, but it wasn't too noisy as the car park itself is separate from the waitrose one. Check in was okay and the receptionist was polite. The room was clean and tidy. Check out was a bit strange - wasn't asked if my stay was okay and not even asked to confirm the amount for the room, just asked for my card. The main downside for me was breakfast. It's not clear whether you are supposed to go up to the bizarre counter-type thing or whether someone is going to come and serve you. You walk into another small separate room, again off the outside corridor where the main rooms are and there is a person working behind the counter where the cookers are and is also huffing and puffing as they clear the tables as well. I said 'good morning' and there was no reply. I sat down. Nobody at any point came over to ask if I would like tea and coffee, 'help yourself to cereal and fruit' or 'would you like a cooked breakfast'. So I eventually went and got some cereal and walked over to the counter and asked for coffee and sat back down. It never came and I wasn't asked what I wanted. I just left in the end. Quite a bizarre experience. I did note that the hotel is run by the same venture that runs the Akeman in Tring, where the food and customer service is usually excellent. Maybe I just caught it on a bad day.

Enjoyed the one night stay, reception staff were very helpful and friendly on arrival. The only aspect that let this stay down, was trying to find the hotel from the High Street. SatNav tells you you have arrived, but there is nothing to refer to the hotel on the High Street, and impossible to pull off to the roadside to check information. It was only by chance I turned down a side road (initially to turn around), to what looked like Waitrose Car Park, then we stumbled across the hotel! Very, very frustrating after a lengthy journey! Please, please put some signs up on the approaching roads, potentially you could be bringing much more business to the hotel if you did!

Ok overall. Quiet, clean, comfortable room. A few issues though: the loo was too close to shower door. I'm only 5ft 7 and my knees were touching the shower door! Anyone taller would definitely have to sit "side saddle!" Breakfast: the chef's clock was 5 minutes slow and wasnt keen to let us in at 7am because he insisted it was 6.55. Mushrooms were fridge cold on cooked breakfast. Disappointing for £99 per night!!

Was here on business, room was very nice and comfortable - modern and felt like a home away from home