The Lamb Inn

We’ve eaten here (more than 15 times) and stayed, once, but after our most recent experience we won’t be back. It used to be so much better but it feels like standards have dropped, costs have been cut and it shows. On our last few visits the staff have seemed inexperienced, the welcome has been offhand and the overall impression we’ve been given is “we don’t care” On our most recent visit we had soggy pizza, a lamb starter that wasn’t as described - the waitress agreed - and a table that was small and so close to the neighbouring one that when people were seated there (as close as a busy train) we decided to leave. We used to love this place, have recommended it and taken friends, but will no more. Absolutely would not recommend.

Where do I even start? Genuinely the worst experience I’ve ever had. We’re a young couple from Manchester who spent £145 to stay here for one night, safe to say it’s not even worth a fraction of what we paid. Raw food, unbelievably rude staff and no privacy whatsoever. People were shouting outside the pub until after midnight (pub closes at 11 we wouldn’t have booked if we thought otherwise) staff were also playing extremely loud music and shouting at almost midnight. This probably wouldn’t have been too bad if we didn’t have a huge gap under our door. I knocked on the window of our room to alert people outside that were shouting and screaming that people were staying in the rooms and that we could hear every word. 5 minutes later, 3 people ran up to our room and knocked on the door. We alerted staff to this and they just had nothing to say, seemed like it was actually them or their friends that did it. We have been refused a refund even though all of this will have clearly been caught on CCTV. In a nutshell, if you’re looking for a quiet, romantic stay in the Cotswolds don’t go anywhere near this place.

The booking information is very misleading. We booked a room with a private bathroom which I assumed meant en-suite. This was not the case. Our shower was actually part of the bedroom which we did not feel was appropriate at all. The room was tiny so this was literally at the end of the bed with a sink next to it. This meant stepping out wet onto the carpet. Luckily the weather was hot so we had the window open 24/7 which helped with the moisture as there was no fan in the room. The loo thankfully had a door to it (and a fan) but was so small that your knees touched the wall. The room was clean on the surface but needs a thorough clean (the top of the mirror, shaving socket etc were covered in dust). There was no where to open up a case other than on the bed and no where to hang dresses or trousers other than the curtain rail - there are two alcoves either side of the bed - in one there are hooks and hangers but this isn’t deep enough even for a shirt. The bedside cabinets are old and musty - you certainly wouldn’t want to put anything in them, especially your freshly laundered clothes! Thankfully, the bed was comfortable with good quality pillows and duvet but it was only a double (despite the advertising info implying that all beds were King or Superking). A Nespresso machine with coffee and milk was provided in the room with good sized mugs, which was nice but supplies weren’t topped up so there was only enough for one of us to have coffee on our last morning. We stayed 4 nights - the bed/towels etc were only changed/made on the first 3. Luckily our room (Room 7) was at the back of the annexe overlooking the garden, so was thankfully quiet. Breakfast was good but a bit limited - the muesli was delicious and the bread for toast was good quality but this was all that was on offer, other than a few croissants and a bowl of fruit. Cooked breakfast was extra which we did not have. The location for us was the reason we booked the Lamb as we have family who live in the village and we were all gathering for a 50th wedding anniversary celebration, so this was within easy walking distance. I wouldn’t rush back as the room was very overpriced for what was offered and the personal touch was missing. There was one waitress covering breakfast each morning, who was different on everyday so no continuity. There was no sign of any management at all during our stay. A very disappointing stay as I feel this accommodation could be made so much better.