Five Lakes Golf Country Club & Spa Hotel

I stayed at this hotel when I went for an offsite event with work, and had a lovely time, so we choose to come here for a couple of days last month. We booked two nights in the village, and our room was lovely. Big comfortable bed, views of the golf course and a beautiful modern bathroom. The shower was powerful, with lots of different settings. The whole room was spotless, and the bathroom was so clean. We were able to park the car right near the block we were in, so did not have far to go with the bags. Both nights we had dinner in the brasserie, buffet style and you could choose either two or three courses, reasonably priced. The starters were great, looks of cold meat and seafood, with salad. Buffet style main course so we tried a bit of everything, and a great choice of either fresh fruit, cheese and biscuits or cakes. Only downside was the pool was closed for refurbishment, so we couldn't use, but the hotel contacted us as soon as we had made online booking to advise us, and offer different dates when it would be reopened, can't say fairer than that. Can't wait to go back.

I booked the spa for my mum, me and my sister as a birthday treat. As soon as we got to the hotel we were pointed in the right direction and signed in at the spa reception. We were then given a robe and slippers and shown around the hotel and spa and their facilities. The staff were welcoming and polite and very customer friendly. The pool is not huge and it is open to the general public however they were not noisy and the pool was never overcrowded. There is a huge jacuzzi which seats around 10 people! Plus a sauna and steam room which just relax you to the max! We found that sitting by the pool and reading a magazine was relaxing in itself. The only disappointing thing are the changing rooms, they are clean and warm, however the decor is a little dated although they are being redecorated later this year! We then had our spa treatments in the afternoon which consisted of a back, neck and shoulder massage, a facial and a manicure or pedicure - all of which were bliss! The treatments were conducted professionally although the beauticians made sure that we felt comfortable and relaxed. The lunch was gorgeous, it was presented buffet style in the Brasserie but the food was to die for and again there were plenty of friendly staff. Over all we had a fantastic pampering day that we would highly recommend to all, especially considering the price tag - you won't pay anymore for treatments than what you pay at your local salon and you can use all the facilities of the spa including the gym!

I recently stayed at Five Lakes for a business offsite meeting. This hotel is an ideal venue within 45 minutes drive from Stansted airport and accessible from the A12. The meeting facilities, accommodation and restaurants are all first rate. For those of a sporting inclination the sports facilities are also good especially golf. I would not hesitate to use this hotel again for business or pleasure. ACB Leatherhead, Surrey, UK.

five lakes hotel was recomended to me for the beauty treatments which i would recomend but can be a bit pricey. the rooms were nice if staying in the village apartments overlooking the golf course, nice views. room service was good enjoyed the tuna nicose salad but was not up to scratch on the last night (reheated tuna on a bed of old salad), i was told by reception this was down to the chef being on hoilday ,instead of a refund i was offered a five pound voucher to use on my next visit. (very poor.) apart from this a nice hotel but overpriced and overrated.

I reserved over 30 rooms for my wedding guests. Despite having an agreed check in time of 14:00 most of the rooms were unavailble with some rooms not ready until after 16:30. The delayed check in times were very frustrating and the reception staff were unhelpful and rude. The swipe cards to the rooms constantly failed. Apparently they cant be kept near credit cards, keys, mobile phone, basically all the usual stuff you would have in your pocket. Room service requests were ignored. It took 3 calls to get and ironing board each time being told it would be sent immediately. The Breakfast Buffet was badly organised. We were asked to come back later as there were no free tables although about 1/3 of the tables were empty. The breakfast looked ok but there were no serving spoons. Normally I suffer from severe apathy and never feel like making complaints but 5 Lakes has succeeded in frustrating me enough to post this review and offically complain to them.

Having read the poor reviews of this hotel I decided to ring them before I arrived to get their comments. They assured me that the negative comments were not representative and showed a genuine interest in ensuring my stay would be enjoyable. The Duty Manager promised to meet me when I checked in and give me a tour of the hotel. He duly did this even though the hotel was busy with three wedding parties in full swing. The hotel was impressive throughout including my own room which overlooked the golf course. Service at reception and in the restaurant was excellent. I have stayed in many top quality hotels around the world and am not always easy to please, but I have no hesitation in giving Five Lakes the highest recommendation.

Just returned from the Five Lakes where my brother got married. Have to say, having read the reviews on this site beforehand I wasn't quite sure what to expect! It was an inauspicious start, 20 minutes queuing up to check in on a boiling hot day - surely there should be more than 2 people on Reception at check in time on a Saturday? At this point I thought my worst fears were going to be realised - apparently there were quite a few check in problems, with a lot of our party not being given the discounted room rates that went with the wedding booking/rooms not ready for occupation etc. HOWEVER, once we were in, we were pleasantly surprised by our room, it was cool and airy, very clean, windows that opened fully to allow a cool breeze in, beautiful bathroom with very powerful shower, comfortable bed, etc. The wedding itself went off perfectly ( even though the room was a little hot), and the meal afterwards was really very good - the service was excellent too. What really made this place as a venue for a wedding was the surroundings. All the rooms for the ceremony, the reception etc. had access to outside terraces/seating, which on a hot day was a welcome relief. These outside areas were very attractive, and the easy access to other bars were very useful for older members of the party wanting to escape the disco! Next morning, breakfast - the usual help yourself/buffet affair beloved of the 'big' hotels. Not normally a fan of these but this was actually better than usual. So, in conclusion, my overall impression was favourable. Only two problems to be ironed out (in my opinion!) - the check in (room rates were sorted eventually, but definitely need more staff), and the public loos on the ground floor - why pay for a sauna when you can go in here??!!

We booked via last minute dot com for 2 nights. We arrived 8ish Friday pm and were absolutely shocked to be offered the filthiest room I have seen in a long while. The floor was covered in bits, you could write your name in the dust on every surface but the magnitude of the cobwebs really pushed it from the "oh-dear" to "appalling" class. Alas we have no other rooms, said the manager. Okay let's go home, I replied. It's not dust, its lint from the cloths, said stressed manager. Get different cloths then, I replied, but we're off. Just let me check, said she, phoning and then showing us to a clean, larger room on the second floor. We then went to the Brasserie, which was actually very good. Maitre d' showed us to a table behind a pillar, and ignored our requests for drinks, so we moved to a window table . After that,however, the brasserie staff were both kind and efficient; the buffet was fine and extremely reasonable for the price. In fact, the restaurants and bar were good value for money, unlike sister hotel Sopwell House . The hour long "back" spa treatment was pretty good for £44 and the pool area was large and spacious, albeit in need of a repaint.The sports facilities were second to none in the area. If you play golf, then this would be a great place for a round or two. In retrospect though, the best bits of our weekend were meandering around the local Essex coastal villages, a world away from London life, and eating cream teas on the sun-bathed terrace at the Tiptree Tea Rooms. This area is full of really jolly places to visit and we intend to do several days out from London,but not, alas, staying in a shabby, modern sports centre.

January to March is always the worst time of the year, leaving for work in the dark, returning home in the dark and it is always so busy. I booked the Five Lakes resort for my girlfriend and I to get away from London and we longed excitedly for the "elegant bedrooms and suites" the country club that "offers some of the finest...facilities in the region". Per the website that is. As it turned out, of the planned 4 day trip over the Easter weekend, we only spent 2 hours at the resort. On arrival we checked into our room which was tatty and far from 4* standard - certainly a long way down the spectrum from "elegant". As it was Easter and we had both looked forward to a relaxing weekend we 'chinned up' and went to the "Sports Bar" for lunch, which is the only option if a full 2/3 course lunch is a bit too much before a game of squash and 100 lengths in the pool. Nevertheless we were happy and expected a modern sports bar with flowing juices and Jamie Oliver style salads. As it turned out the menu consisted of wraps, chips and burgers. No salads. We hungrily ordered 2 wraps, with chutney and sour cream fillings respectively. However, they arrived with no sour cream or chutney in sight, replaced by enough mayonnaise to fill sandwiches for a banquet. Is this what one would expect from a "Sports Bar" in a health club? The advertised rocket was also replaced by iceberg lettuce! Maybe the local supermarket had closed for the weekend? Less than satisfied we went for a swim, passing the spa facilities on the way. My girlfriend tried to book a facial, only to be told that the facilities were fully booked for the full 4 days. Maybe something guests should be warned of on booking? Still, we were determined to have a good time and went for a swim. The changing rooms reminded me of being back at school, battered lockers that did not work, an un-mopped floor and smelling urinals. Lovely. Maybe this is what the website is referring to when they mention "the finest facilities in the region"? We both got into the pool, which was of a similar standard to everything else we had endured - not 4* quality: peeling ceiling and a generally un-relaxing environment. We looked at each other and said "we cannot stay here for 4 days, can we?" We went to the check-in desk and informed the hotel we were leaving. For the first time during the 2 hour ordeal some friendly staff....! Almost as if they wanted the hotel to themselves! After some negotiation we agreed to pay for the cup of tea drunk over lunch. £1.50 too much in my opinion for the worst two hours I have spent in a hotel. Oh, the bikes they advertise in the marketing material as being available for hire... "we have not yet bought any Sir". Unbelievable. Luckily we were able to get a reservation at the supreme Greenwoods spa hotel 30 minutes drive away, which certainly could be described, unlike 5 Lakes, as having "the finest facilities in the region" and possessing "elegant bedrooms".

We visited Five Lakes Resort last weekend, my husband had decided that i needed a break, and to be honest i did! I had never heard of Five Lakes Resort, let alone been there. When we arrived and walked into the reception the first thing i thought was (WOW)the decor etc was amazing and a couple of beautiful water fountains, when we checked in the staff were very polite and actually seemed to enjoy their jobs which was lovely to see! Our bedroom was on the 2nd floor and i have to say that it was beautiful, we had a view over the picturesque golf course too. Chris had booked me two 1 hour treatments and they were out of this world, total relaxation. We then had dinner in the fine dining resturant (The Camelot)the resturant was very busy but it did not stop the service or food from being the best i have ever had. To sum the whole stay up, i would go back tomorrow and i will be telling all my family and friends about what they have been missing