Swallow Royal Kings Arms Hotel

I only booked this hotel as I needed somewhere within walking distance of the railway station, but which would allow me to arrive after midnight, then leave first thing in the morning to catch another train.
The room was ok, but grubby, and the tea making equipment had been left on the floor between the bed and the window, which was so filthy dirty you couldn't see the castle opposite.
Having arrived at the room at nearly 1am, all I wanted to do was get some sleep, so when I went for a quick wash before retiring, I nearly gagged when some cigarette ends floated up in the sink as I was cleaning my teeth. Were it not for the late hour and the difficulty of finding alternative accommodation at such a late stage, I'd have checked out there and then! As it was, I just got my head down, thankful that it was only for a few hours.
On the plus side, the night porter was friendly and managed to sort the lift out for me when I checked in and the breakfast was very nice and in lovely surroundings. However, I didn't get much sleep as it was very noisy, despite the double glazing, and the shabbiness of the room really put me off the place. I think I'd go there for a meal, but there's no way you'd get me staying in one of their unclean bedrooms again.

Stayed at this hotel as I attended a conference there. The conference ran smoothly and the staff were efficient etc.
Lots of people complained about the car parking but I had read the reviews and decided to catch the train instead. I was pleasantly surprised that the station is only a 2 minute walk from the hotel so I found it to be great.
I stayed the night and although the rooms are nothing special, they were clean and very comfortable.
Overall I enjoyed my stay and am due to revisit in November so I will keep you posted.

My stay is best described as an absolute disaster. Where do I start? Firstly, the hotel is in dire need of investment, I entered to a large flowery lobby that was utterly bereft of anyone. I waited at reception, luggage in hand and waited and waited until finally, someone appeared to book me in. Not a good start. The hotel promised a lot upon arrival, classic Victorian hotel with high ceilings, beautiful painted stone exterior and a lovely location just opposite the castle.
However, inside things went downhill faster than Franz Klammer in a rush. The bedroom might have been nice in 1937, today it teeters on the edge of awful. My room had lovely high ceilings, more flowery wallpaper, a very wobbly wardrobe, bed sheets that my Grandmother would find old-fashioned and a horribly mediocre bathroom complete with cracked tiles and lime scale stained taps. However, the worst was yet to come - I was located close to the lift and the combination of the noise of the lift mechanism and the rattling radiators kept me awake all night. I tried calling down to reception but after the 20th or 400th ring (I lost count) I gave up.
I checked out in the morning determined to vent my spleen somewhere and I'm pleased that I've finally found a useful conduit for my grumbles. This hotel could be excellent, but it needs a lot of money spending, a total rethink of the interior design, more staff and a far more customer focused approach. Until then – avoid, avoid, avoid.