Room was on a public footpath, heating wasn't working so the room was freezing. They had left a small convector heater which only worked after I has fiddled around with it, defective wiring ? Carpet needs replacing and there was a crusty brown stain on the bed covering
The Penny Farthing, Berkhamsted is in much need of refurbishment - UPHAM INNS PLEASE NOTE! We stayed in Room 18 on the ground floor. Whilst the bed was comfy and the room was warm, the furniture was dated and the carpet had a huge stain on it. However, the bathroom was the worst aspect of our stay. You could hardly get your hands under the washbasin taps to wash your hands and the shower was just dire. The shower head needs replacing, as it spouted water out of the top, which was obviously broken, whilst the head itself flowed feebly. The water temperature varied wildly from scalding to freezing and I had to time my shower to the few moments when the temperature was bearable. I advised my husband to not even bother having one, so he went dirty that day! I was quite disgusted and disappointed with the hotel, given the cost of staying there on a Saturday night. My three stars for staff service is only given because the Receptionists were helpful and friendly, but otherwise we had no further contact with the staff. I definitely wouldn't stay again.
Much like James E who submitted a review 4 months ago, I was also assigned the dreaded, Room 18. I can assure you that the same ambiguous stain mars the carpet and that black tape is still holding together the bedside lamp. The rooms are horrific and broken. We absolutely understood that we wouldn't be staying at a boutique London hotel when booking with The Penny Farthing, but the promotional photos were so misleading that I could have never imagined what laid in store for us. Overall the rooms are dirty, nearly everything is broken, and the showers were ice cold. I wouldn't recommend this stay to anyone. The front desk attendants were lovely and apologetic and the town of Berkhamsted itself was beyond quaint.
The rooms on the ground floor are a little tired. However, upstairs they are finished to a high standard. Wonderfully friendly team, with a special shout out to Marzena! Delicious food at the Kings Arms too. Recommend.
In a word, it was okay. Positives: Great reception staff Good location Clean bathroom Negatives: The room was tired and needs refurbishment. Stains on the floor, damaged equipment and very poor lighting. The room was dark as the window opened onto a covered, public walkway. This also affected noise and privacy. The shower suddenly went freezing cold then boiling hot. The air-conditioning didn't work. To conclude, it was adequate for one night, but I had hoped for better at over £100 a night.
This Google listing is wrong. Breakfast is not supplied. It might have been once but not any more. They don’t have the facilities for breakfast. To be fair to the Penny Farthing they make it clear they cannot do breakfast. You can breakfast at their sister hotel The Kings Arms with a 20% discount on food. Naughty Google for not keeping its listings up to date.
Very much the classic three-star hotel. Strong points? The front-of-house staff were really friendly and attentive, can't fault them during our stay. Weak points? Frankly, the rooms could do with some TLC. We stayed in two different rooms over two separate stays - both showed signs of wear-and-tear, especially the second one. Both had broken air conditioners. The second's 'double bed' was really two singles pushed together - not really a big deal per se, but the cover obviously didn't fit and frankly the mattress looked like it could have used a clean. TV was on the blink too. It certainly wasn't a bad stay but it definitely wasn't great - like I say, the classic three-star hotel.
The staff and location just about saved this place (the front of house staff really tried to be as attentive as possible), however... The standard double room had two twin beds shoved together, not even a double matress, which was uncomfortable as the beds were on wheels. The bed sheets were not changed (I tested it twice after becoming suspicious) which is rather grim. I noticed the cleaning was generally poor (tooth brushing splatter in the bathroom from previous guests etc). Worst of all, when we moved to a "superior" room, we were placed in one with an unusuable and frankly dangerous shower. We tried two different times of day (the staff tried to pass it off as due to the old building/everyone showering at once). But both of us experienced a solid 40 minutes of adjusting the damn thing millimetre by millimetre to find something between the temperature of Hell and an Arctic tundra. Definitely not worth the money and I'm surprised Oakman Inns attached their name to such a shoddy facility. Will not be staying again and have advised others against it.
Very comfortable bed, Peter the porter was very helpful,the location was great for days out and local visits.
Our stay here was pleasant but there were a few issues that lose a couple of stars. First of all, the interior was great, really nice carpets and decoration. Pleasant service too. Great little hidden retreat with a courtyard for drinks and food etc. Our room however smelled of weed when we checked in which wasn’t very nice and I had to call up reception twice at gone midnight due to noise in the courtyard which still continued afterward which would prevent me booking a room here again unfortunately.
The Penny Farthing is located at 296-298 High St, Berkhamsted HP4 1AH, UK
You can contact The Penny Farthing at +44 1442 872828
You can find directions to The Penny Farthing by following this map link
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