Ruthin Castle Hotel Reviews 

I have visited the Ruthin Castle with my partner on several occasions, at different times of the year. The building itself is very quirky, full of history, with parts built and added throughout the best part of a millennium. Rooms can vary considerably, depending on the part of the building you are in, and the building is huge! You can easily lose yourself in its history (beautifully displayed throughout, with old photos and drawings). The grounds are beautiful, with peacocks and livestock wandering free. It has a wonderful, authentic country feel to it. If you are after marble, glass and corporate service, don't bother.

The air does get a little damp and chilly in the winter, it is a castle in rural Wales after all! It is a gorgeous place if you are after real character and a respite from a city. Staff are very friendly and helpful, treat you like a visiting family member. We have met and befriended some local people too. During our most recent visit the food was actually exquisite! Whomever the chefs are, please keep them! The tavern is pet friendly, there are several separate rooms there, where we could sit and work remotely without being disturbed. We will definitely be going back!

Apart from the waiting staff, who were lovely, I wasted far too much money on poorly cooked average food. The wine list is ridiculously priced. The whole establishment needs kicking into shape and updating. Borderline ripoff, I’d say.

Very cold! Room mouldy! No mattress cover! In need of updating. Wont stay again!

Got to the hotel around 11:45 as we had booked the spa experience however we had no room till 3 o’clock, this caused a big issue with being wet and not having anywhere to place our wet costumes or to have a shower after. Once in the room we were quickly disappointed as there were cob-webs in every corner of the room and hanging from the ceiling. I understand old buildings create dust and cobwebs but this was as if it hadn’t been cleaned at all. The dust was so bad we couldn’t stop sneezing from the minute we entered the room. Cleanliness was very disappointing as there were dirty glasses in the bathroom and tissues behind the bed. Heating is run by the front desk so you have to ring in order for it to be turned on and off. You have wifi in your rooms however it doesn’t work, we would only connect when near the bathroom. Food was very expensive for what you got, 3 small scoops of ice cream for 8.50, steak was extremely tough, even the steak knife couldn’t cut it. Overall very disappointing. However the grounds are lovely and a rich history. Town centre is very close and has lots of shops to explore , we spent more time in the local Wetherspoons than the hotel as it was warmer and had better food.

experience was marred by poor organisation and subpar facilities. While the cream tea was delightful and the treatments themselves were enjoyable, the overall experience left much to be desired. The lack of clear communication about the itinerary, inadequate changing facilities, and unclean amenities detracted significantly from the visit. The advertised services not being available and the absence of promised gestures, like a tour or herbal tea, added to the disappointment.

Although the staff conducting the treatments were friendly and skilled, the rest of the experience felt disorganised and poorly managed. Improvements in cleanliness, organisation, and customer communication are essential for this spa to live up to expectations.

It has the potential to be lovely, but sadly it was a disappointing evening for us.

Absolutely shocking customer service. I booked a stay through Groupon, checked availability on their website, and was assured dates were available. After booking, I was informed the hotel was fully booked for December! They even emailed to confirm a date that they later claimed wasn't available. The spa phone line is constantly busy, and getting any help is impossible. False hope, unprofessional communication, and a complete waste of time. Avoid at all costs!

Staff are wonderful and cope with a difficult building which evidences poor maintenance and dowdy decor.
The grounds, town and wildlife were delightful.
We would return but not for 3 nights as dinner menu did not change and breakfast very basic. Spa and service 100% and that is what made this wonderful place & stay worthwhile. The staff keep this place a pleasure

If I could give tho place zero stars I would
Complaint has been sent to the director as well as a health and safety complaint to the local council

This place is absolutely disgusting!!
Take the parts out that shall we say give it the “medieval” vibe orange and blue walls,perhaps the 30 year old blankets in the quiet room, the blankets are filthy and stink.

This place definitely dos not have a cleaner.
There is flaking skin partials flooding in the hot tub
The filter is black yes genuinely black
I could write my name in the scum around the hot tub aswell as on every surface in the place,
The mud room stinks of sewage and mould the walls are full of mould and the shower is that thick in grime and dirty I didn’t want to turn it on

I will be leaving this same review on there Facebook page with photos

Afternoon tea. The photos advertising afternoon tea are completely deceptive. We had no white linen table cloth or napkins and the room we were in was very depressing - a backroom dive! We do appreciate that the place is historical, but the shade of green paint did it no favours. The toilets need freshening up too. A family member had bought a gift voucher for a special birthday gift after seeing the pictures online. We haven't the heart to tell them what it was really like. The food was nice, but not worth the money, we have had better at garden centres in nicer surroundings! We must however give high praise to our waiter, he was very polite and helpful.

Ruthin Castle

I had the pleasure of enjoying a delightful roast dinner at Ruthin Castle today, and it was simply perfect. The ambiance was just right, making the entire experience feel special. For just £25, we indulged in two delicious roast dinners and a bottle of wine – an incredible value for the quality and atmosphere. The surroundings added to the charm, making it a memorable meal in a truly stunning location. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a great dining experience in a beautiful setting! All the staff were very friendly and very helpful.
Regards Adele Mulliner

The worst I have ever seen!

This is not 4 star hotel and definitely not luxurious. It should be closed down!
We've been put in the room with mold and rotten doors! Damp coming through the ceiling and no soap in the shower with lots of red bacteria growing everywhere!

We immediately went to reception to ask for a room without the mold and they couldn't care less and said they are fully booked. We had to leave the hotel and the whole bank holiday weekend was ruined because we couldn't get into another hotel due to everywhere being fully booked!

Still not received my refund.

I paid for my mother & friend through virgin to stay overnight at ruthin castle, my mother said she had a wonderful time ,the food was very good excellent even, also the staff was polite when she walked around the original castle which was built by Edward I
and a gardener gave the history to her, the room was clean and supplied with tv,tea coffee etc and finally the day befor
e I called in to give a bottle of prosecco to the reception who when my mother and friend had dinner was presented to her , the only negative thing was the grey lady I ordered never showed up (joke) thank you for making mother happy

Stayed one night with my daughter, in a suite. Beautiful building and pleasant grounds (it was raining so we didn't see much unfortunately), just a short walk to the historic town centre. Amazing architecture, nice if oddly-shaped room with a seating area and two TVs... somewhat overpriced I think. Comfy bed. The resident peacocks are entertaining! We ate in the restaurant in the evening - food was excellent, service was fine, but I was a bit concerned people from a Chinese party were being turned away when there were clearly tables available. We paid after the meal but on checking out were told we had not paid, so had to pay again, despite showing the reception staff an amount on my banking app. It took 3 emails to get my money refunded a few days later. Breakfast was OK but very busy and all self-service - I expect more from a 4-star hotel.

I have just spent the most wonderful time at beautiful Ruthin Castle. I took my mum for her 80th birthday as a surprise for 2 nights and from start to finish it was perfect. We stayed in room 219 a stunning corner room with gorgeous views of the garden. The staff bar none were all friendly, warm and engaging. The General Manager stopped to have a chat with us as we met him while exploring the castle and the young ladies that made up our room were also friendly and happy. Everyone had a smile on their face and the lovely ladies on reception and in the banqueting hall where we had breakfast were all genuinely interested in what we'd been up to on our visit. A lovely touch that was unexpected but really appreciated was the box of (really nice) chocolates and birthday card left for my mum in the room on our arrival. The castle is clean and comfortable and our room was beautiful. I have read some of the less than flattering reviews that some people have left and I do not understand where they are coming from. There is NOTHING to dislike about Ruthin Castle. It is a stunningly imposing building dating to the 12th Century and as such is quirky and atmospheric BUT that is part of the charm. I worked for a major British airline for over 25 years and have had the privilege of staying in some stunning hotels around the world. In my estimation Ruthin Castle is up there with the best of them. From the majestic Peacocks roaming the well manicured and spacious gardens to the friendly and warm welcome received on our arrival and throughout our stay I can HIGHLY recommend Ruthin Castle. We will be going back again very soon I hope. Thank you guys.

The castle is lovely with lots of character, however the service is awful. Breakfast 1 morning disorganised, having to wait for food to be brought out, running out of products and hearing waitress Ruth arguing with a customer as he was waiting a long time for food to arrive. 9.50am there was lots, but no more guests. 2nd day much better. Room service again awful service. Bed was poorly made, towels which were left on floor to be changed, folded up again, no soap in shower, not enough toilet paper for 2nd day. The place could improve a lot, if the service was better. We loved the peacocks.

What a beautiful place to stay. Exceptional staff, the room was superb. The Peacocks were a joy to listen to. We both loved this place. Cannot wait to visit again. Thankyou for our lovey few days.

Who gave this hotel 4 stars?
We were in the Prince of Wales room, $$$, no toiletries, no tissues, chipped paint, rust in the shower, no biscuits our second day, no flowers in the room- bizarre color scheme- a site with great potential

We went today for afternoon tea for 3 which was very disappointing. Small tea arrived well in advance of food with no sugar or additional water. The food arrived with no explanation of what it was. 3 dry finger sandwiches each, a microwaved scone and jam that couldn't be spread. A shortbread biscuit and lemon posset that was nice and 2 small pieces of chocholate brownie which was inedible due to the density of it. We ordered drinks at the bar as no one came back to check on us and these arrived 15 minutes after we finished the food. We told the waitress that the food was poor and she said she would let the chef know. The hotel looks nice but everything looks tired and if you have daffodils on the table they should be removed once dead. Happy to provide pictures Ruthin if you are genuinely interested in improving.

The room was okay but that is about the best you can say. Evening meal was like something cooked by a student, salty penne pasta and risotto that resembled porridge. You could almost hear the microwave ping. To add further insult a £6 service charge was added, even though the bill had been paid in advance. I hoped breakfast might be slightly better but alas not, cold coffee and rubbery eggs. A very shabby feel to the whole place. Avoid.

We had booked for afternoon tea 9/3/24. When we arrived we were told no booking existed, showed the confirmation on my phone, eventually they agreed. Waited to be seated for 15 minutes! Tea arrived but not the food. Tea was Luke warm and almost like drinking water. 20 minutes later the food arrived this can only be described as a poor selection and insufficient for 5 people. Definitely not value for money. Also we were disappointed to keep seeing staff walking through the eating area pushing trolleys full of discarded food .What is going on here, we have always supported the castle as we are local the whole experience was very disappointing.we were used to having excellent lunches and teas in the main part of the castle which is closed we don’t know why.