Hitchin Priory in North Hertfordshire

I attended Hitchin Priory with 3 other members of my family for Christmas Day lunch. The whole experience from start to finish was exceptional. The staff, service and food were all excellent. The feel of the room was very relaxing and the tables nicely spaced out. The atmosphere was very convivial. If it is still the same set up next year we shall definitely be back. Our visit to Hitchin Priory made our Christmas Day. Thanks to all concerned.

Wonderful trip for afternoon tea. Great hospitality from Luke and Marie. Lovely food, staff, place and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thankyou.

We had a lovely afternoon tea today 30th September everything from making the booking to when we left was fantastic the staff were wonderful and we were well looked after the tea it’s self was just wonderful lovely warm scones delightful cakes and sandwiches I really do recommend as I am looking forward to booking again

This was an afternoon tea to celebrate a friend’s 80th birthday. She was quite disappointed that there were no table decorations of any kind, just a plain white tablecloth on the single long wide table. The meal was mediocre - the thinly- filled sandwiches were overpowered by the amount of butter used, and there was no explanation of what the fillings actually were. The scones were fine on the top half but overcooked to the point of being crunchy on the bottom. The gluten-free cakes and sandwiches were heavy, not nice. When I asked for a refill of English Breakfast tea, I was given decaffeinated tea, not as nice and not asked for. Finally I was quite bemused to be charged an additional £3 for 6 plastic boxes to take home the leftover cakes- I’ve NEVER had to pay for a ’doggy bag’ anywhere else before- this is penny-pinching in the extreme.

Very poor afternoon tea. This was a buffet style during a craft afternoon. The sandwiches were dry and it was difficult to know what was in them. The ham sandwiches were on the same platter as the vegetarian sandwiches. The scones were also very dry. I would not recommend this venue for afternoon tea.

We held our wedding ceremony in the beautiful Adam Room. Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you to the staff who were looking after us throughout our stay at the hotel. Special thank you to incredible Sue who was running our ceremony, and was keeping us at ease when we were getting some pre-ceremony jitters.

We have just returned from a delicious Sunday lunch at the Priory in Hitchin. The food was superb and the staff very helpful. We would definitely recommend it and will return soon.

This was the perfect spot for us to stay as our in-laws live not far away in Pirton and it was an easy commute to see all the beautiful areas. Hitchin is filled with a lot of lovely little shops and you can walk straight out of the Priory to get to the shopping area. The Priory has gorgeous secluded grounds and a wonderful breakfast in the morning. It was an ancient monastery, now turned into a charming hotel. The rooms are clean and it’s very quiet as it sits back on it’s own grounds.. to me, it’s the best place to stay in Hitchin.

Had breakfast here this morning as non residents- family where staying and we joined them for £10 each. We ate in the library which was a nice open room but maybe we hit a peak timing wise since they ran out of scrambled eggs and also tomato ketchup and uncut bread plus plate warmer not working and some of the stacked plates had food residues remaining . What we had was good enough for a buffet breakfast just seemed to be understaffed and under supplied with the basics.

When the only redeeming feature of a meal is the ice cream with the puddings you know it isn’t a good sign. Had I not been with my elderly in-laws I’d have complained bitterly about this experience but to avoid spoiling the evening for them I didn’t give honest feedback during the meal hence writing this now. Let’s start with atmosphere, there is none, we were there on a Saturday night and but the time we left there had been 8 people there, considering we were a party of 4 it was hardly a busy night. As for the food? I had rib eye steak, it was the most expensive thing on the menu but I just fancied it, order it cooked medium rare, which then arrived the cremated side of well done. I did point out to the waitress that she needed to feed back to the chef that it was overcooked but the best I got was a fairly blank stare. The menu didn’t say it came with chips and the waitress didn’t bat an eyelid when I ordered a side order of them so I was a little surprised to end up with them both as part of the meal and as a side dish which I ended up paying for. So not exactly what you would call promising. Everyone else had confit duck leg, it is a favourite of mine as well, done slowly so the meat falls apart, sadly their recipe is obviously very different to the one most of us recognise and involves managing to cook the duck until it develops a chewy and unpalatable texture. Puddings, mine was good if you were on a diet as it was the smallest chocolate brownie I think I have seen in a very long time. However at least that was better than the pecan tart, which comprised a brought in pastry case, a few pecans and some caramel sauce on top. The ice creams were the highspot and I thoroughly recommend them – if you do visit I suggest asking for a scoop in a cone and leaving quickly to find somewhere better to eat.

I stay here on a weekly basis in order to attend business meetings. The standard and choice of items for breakfasthas increased. It is now also possible to order sandwiches at lunchtime (I was previously told to pop into town). The restaurant has also improved in choice of meals in the evening.

Unfortunately, the entire experience was disappointing and quite frustrating. The service was incredibly slow, being a larger party (14 eating, celebrating 2 birthdays) I expected it to take time to bring out all the food, but it took 50 minutes from initial seating to receiving any teas or coffees. It then took a further 15 minutes for any sandwiches to arrive. After the initial sandwiches were delivered, the dietary requirements were dealt with. I had emailed to state that there were 2 vegetarians, one of which couldn't eat egg or brie sandwiches. This seemed to cause utter confusion in the kitchen. After the scones had been brought out for the table, the veggie sandwiches arrived, which were simply shredded carrot and lettuce between two slices of bread. There was not even an attempt to make the sandwiches interesting or appealing. I can appreciate that catering for vegetarians is not the easiest, but there are many fillings including houmous, Cheddar, avocado, roasted vegetables, which can be used. Simply putting a bag of what appeared to be the cheapest pre mixed salad from a supermarket, was quite frankly, not good enough. Again, after the desserts were brought out for the table, the service left a lot to be desired. The scones and desserts were nice, and for the price it was probably worth it overall. Unfortunately the lack of care in providing veggie sandwiches has put me off ever returning.

The hotel has not had any investment in years. It’s tired, dated and is just not a nice place to stay. WiFi is free, but very slow. If I was staying for more than two nights, I would have moved to another hotel.

Stayed here for a night recently. The accommodation is basic but clean and comfortable. My visit was short!

We attended a Wedding at this venue and enjoyed the celebrations in a marquee in the grounds. It was the perfect setting for such an occasion.

We had afternoon tea here and it was really lovely. Lovely quiet room with a view. We were served some really nice sandwiches and cakes. The scones were also amazing. Friendly, attentive staff. We will definitely come back again. Well worth it excellent value for your money.

We arrived at hitchin priory and was greeted by friendly staff who gave us champagne on arrival.

Fantastic afternoon the food was amazing, we couldn’t fault anything . It’s the second time we have visited the last was two years ago when we got married there. We shall return we would like to say a special thank you to Franco and Alisha

Food substandard. We were blamed for the state of the food as they said we were late although we arrived on time they had clearly forgot us. Catering supervisor then told us no one else had complained and shouted at us. Do not recommend this venue. Poor food and poor service will not be using again

We used the venue for a business morning for all managers. We had tea/coffee and pastries, it was all quite basic not enough mugs and glasses for water were quite grubby. Overall the venue was ok and has lovely features but the facilities provided were mediocre, the projector didn't have the right lead so the presentation couldn't start on time. Shame as the location in town could make this a great venue

Nos alojamos aquí por una noche en un viaje de negocios. La ubicación es genial, justo en el medio de Hitchin, cerca de bares y restaurantes encantadores. El personal del hotel es bastante amable y servicial. Sin embargo, ahí es donde las cosas positivas al final me temo. El hotel está en mal estado, decoración antigua y totalmente carente de cualquier ambiente. No ha sido decorada desde principios de los 80, diría y sospechosas manchas en mi moqueta de la habitación (no, eso no es un eufemismo, por desgracia! ). El cuarto de baño de mi habitación era del tipo de baño no pude sentir limpio! Es una pena porque con un montón de dinero gastado en él, podría ser genial. Sin embargo, claramente no han invertido dinero en ella por un largo tiempo y por desgracia en el mercado de hoy en día el Priorato simplemente no podemos seguir con un aumento de los niveles de otros hoteles cercanos.

Pasé dos horas en el bar y, aparte de 2 miembros del personal no había nadie más allí. Este ambiente creado y el personal no era muy amable pero más atento. Sin embargo la comida era fresca y agradable y caliente. Decoración muy oscura y opresiva. Fantástica ubicación en el corazón de la ciudad con aparcamiento gratuito.

Tuvimos una estancia de una noche en Hitchin Priory. Es un monasterio carmelita convertido en partes y una gran casa de campo en parte y un lugar para conferencias y fiestas en parte. Sin duda lo mejor es el entorno. . . como estar en un programa de período! Acres de árboles inmensos y las zonas verdes. La casa y el frente a la Calle del Sol alojamiento en en Hitchin. Un bonito pueblo con mercado y un montón de edificios antiguos, tiendas, bares y restaurantes. Por tanto, el Priory da lo mejor de ambos mundos. . La ciudad y el país.. Realmente bueno.

Visitamos por nuestras obras de fiesta de Navidad, 17 personas. Teníamos dos grandes mesas redondas entre nosotros, pero no se sentía demasiado nada grave. Nuestras mesas estaban ubicadas en una zona pequeña con sólo 2 mesas. nuestro

Glass of Prosecco on entry. Beautifully presented dining room, full of festive touches. The tables were dressed to perfection. The food was plentiful and hot. Great service. Disco afterwards in the Conservatory. Everyone had a lovely time.

Nos alojamos en Hitchin Priory después de una fiesta con amigos. Este hermoso priory en amplios terrenos en gran medida con mucha arquitectura georgiana del siglo 14 de su vida priory antigua. El lugar es precioso y perfecto para la ocasión. Una gran variedad de comida disponible en el buffet y un amplio bar. Nuestra habitación estaba en el garage; un gran edificio de ladrillo construido con alojamiento histórico en dos plantas con vistas al establo. Preciosa puertas y ventanas bastante. La habitación era espaciosa y cómoda. Había un aviso para decir que un programa de reforma estaba tomando lugar, pero nuestra habitación era estupenda. El único consideraciones menores fueron el calor de las tuberías que pasan por la habitación, la luz de la ventana, y un panel agrietado baño. Al principio pensé que el calor que era debido al radiador, pero estaba apagado. Dormimos con la ventana abierta. Las cortinas eran muy ligeros y delgados; pesado o cortinas oscuras ayudaría a mantener la luz.

Un montón de historia en el lugar, pero en general es bastante cansado, incluso en la nueva "ala" donde estábamos. Molestias, la habitación era descrito como "familia", así que tuvimos una cama individual. Esta fue contra el radiador, que era por lo tanto apagado y sustituido por un calentador eléctrico que causó fluctuaciones de temperatura y a la izquierda la planta siempre frío/caliente.

Came here for a weeding a while ago this place is amazing lovely and clean. BIG all the staff are welcoming and friendly . Would definitely recommend for a big do of any kind

Stayed here for a wedding , the room was clean and overlooked the bar garden area. Struggled to get to sleep because of the wedding party. Shame the hotel didn't put us perhaps on the other side .

Very nice place - very atmospheric and all jumbled up like most old buildings are. Well kept and tidy. Rooms were clean and did their job. My room was shower only and it was small! had to stand outside the shower to wash my feet. Overall it was good for the price as a hotel room. The Wedding was magnificent, staff were brilliant and the venue was gorgeous. Highly recommended for this.

Speant a lovely afternoon trying to work our way through a great selection of sandwiches, scones and cakes. Very quaint surroundings, in the library, which over looked the grounds of the hotel. Will be returning for our next birthday celebration.

Attended here for a family gathering to celebrate a wedding anniversary. The meal was supposed to be a carvery but this was not available as "some lamps have blown which are used for serving". Replacement meal small portions and somewhat bland all served in large, cold dining hall. At £18 for 3 courses you could do better within a relatively short distance. This is a great location but standards are slipping. My advice to the owners is spend some money quickly and until they do, go elsewhere.

The afternoon tea is excellent and great value too for what you get. The tearooms are lovely and it's a nice quiet and scenic atmosphere

We stayed at the Priory and had good dining experiences here overall. The chef is very friendly as well as good at what he does; breakfast was good, bar snacks were very good; they were accommodating, and we appreciated it. Wait staff were also very friendly and accommodating. They made a couple of items for us that weren't on the menu, and also made an exceptionally artistic and surprisingly delicious goat cheese and pepper Panini - without the bread (I'm a GF diner). Appreciated. Also appreciated the housekeeping staff for tolerating plates brought into the room for between-service dining. Note that we did not try the dinner here, nor attended as event guests.

Our daughter was married at Hitchin Priory last Saturday. I cannot praise the Hitchin Priory staff highly enough. Nothing was too much trouble for them and their organisation of the whole day was seamless. I shall always be grateful to Charlotte for her kindness preceding the ceremony The elegant dining room is a particularly beautiful place to be. Many of our guests had not seen one another for some time so really welcomed the opportunity to be able to talk to one another away from the disco music - a real plus of the layout of the venue. In addition, our elderly guests were warm enough throughout the day and evening - no mean feat when you consider the size of the place Our room (next to the bridal suite) was comfortable - having both a bath and a shower was a real bonus. Thank you so much for giving us such a wonderful day!

Arrived at hotel told where the room was and where breakfast was served and sent on my way. Room is very basic and bar is OK if you want a relax Hotel is maybe lacking a bit of charisma

only had breakfast here while staying but it was really good and in a very nice dining room with nice views

We stayed here to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday- we had a good day but when it came to see our rooms, it some how put a dampner on the stay. The rooms are in a terrible condition, we had 6 rooms altogether and not one of them was pleasant. There were damp marks coming down the walls, insects everywhere, extremely dated decor and bathroom facilities, the window could be opened from the outside (which made me nervous about leaving precious items in the rooms). In some of the rooms they have tried to cheer up the dated rooms with brightly coloured wall papers, unfortunately, brightly coloured wallpaper doesn't hide the smell of damp. These rooms are desperate for a complete refurb, I shall not be staying here until that happens. However to give them some credit, the breakfsat in the mor ning was very tasty with a variety of continental and cooked, however the ambiance of the room is awful :( they should have the radio playing or something to make it a bit more cheery.

Disappointing stay. Expected much more but was very disappointed in the room. We stayed in the rooms opposite the main house. Room was terrible, dated and full of baby spiders! Bed was so uncomfortable I slept on the floor. Gym was pathetic too.Breakfast was very good, but by that time the stay had been ruined and I just wanted to leave

We had our local Scout Association May Ball in the Priory Marquee. Great evening and the food was very good. My wife is 'gluten-free' and normally gets pretty rubbish food and so-so treatment. The staff at the Priory went out of their way to make her feel that it was the most normal thing in the world. She had a great meal and mine wasn't that shabby either. Much better than expected and really good staff.

Visited with my auntie and as always fantastic.There is plenty of food and the price is great. The cakes are homemade and the selection of teas is huge.The atmosphere and decor great and the staff are very friendly. My favourite are the scones as they are freshly cooked and still warm on arrival.Would very much recommend.

Visited for afternoon tea, was reasonable for the price but some items did look decidedly defrosted and the sandwich fillings were a little minging, chewy beef, overly salty ham and egg mayo that tasted a bit cream cheesey. Staff were friendly and both tea and coffee flowed long enough for the sandwiches to go a bit crispy on top.

Never been before was looking for an interesting venue for something romantic on valentines. Lovely greeting with a bellante and raspberry by the maître de. The outside of the priory looked very impressive . Shown to our table in an nice relaxed second restaurant where diners were not packed in like so many other valentine events. staff were pleasant and discreet and there was a general sense of relaxation and enjoyment with everyone talking to each other!The set menu for £35 each was fantastic value with a good choice of courses to suit all tastes. My only criticism was that I was way to full at the end of it! At the end of the meal I asked the maître de if it was possible for us to have a look around . He went one better and actually showed us around this fascinating building. A great evening many thanks to the staff at the hitchin priory . We will be back.

Was told they did gluten free afternoon tea - dried up bread cut in halves & not fingers. No scones was told they don't do them but could eat the normal ones!!! Cakes arrived in wrappers just commercial cakes & cookie that could be bought in any café. Very disappointing!! Not considered an afternoon tea!!

We held our company Xmas party here. A fantastic venue but mediocre food. OK it was the last Friday before Christmas and it was heaving and the meal isn't the be all and end all but you do expect a bit more than something that looks congealed and unappetising. Apart from that it was a great alcohol fueled evening!!!

Came here on Friday with work for the Christmas lunch. Very nice and well appointed. The bar could have done with some better beer on tap than the Stella 4% though. But the food was rather nice. I'd certainly entertain bringing mum here when she visits me next!

After being stuck in the backlog of traffic on the A1 due to road works. I was pleased to arrive at Hitchin Priory. The welcome at reception was warm and friendly. After unload my cases from the car I had a good look around the room. It was warm, clean and tidy. Unpacked what I needed and wandered over to the bar for a much needed drink. Again all I experienced was a warm welcome from the bar tender. Breakfast next morning again couldn't be faulted all fresh produce and good value for money. My only down side to the Hitchin Priory is that my stay was only overnight as I was on a business trip. Would like to go again only this time have more time to spend there and explore the shopping centre where I believe there are some excellent small businesses to explore. I recommend this place wholeheartedly to all. 5* all round. Thank you.

I came here with my family for a 2 course Sunday lunch and we thoroughly enjoyed the food, service and hospitality.

Whilst most things were of an acceptable standard and staff friendly not all was as expected. Plates were cleared as each dinner on our table finished not once we had all finished. Half the table were served their food then we had to wait for ours. Finally the waitress took or tea and coffe orders then went gone without getting them or telling anyone else. Training needed.

Sunday carvery, . like faulty towers just missing Basil and Cybil. What a shame beautiful setting wasted, will not be returning.

No designated restaurant oddly. Diners can eat in the Bar area for evening meals. This is adequete if there aren't too many guests staying. The food chioce is limited but the quality was overall very good. I can recommend the Rump Steak, which was excellent.

My wife and I stayed here for two weeks in a row. The location is great on the edge of the town centre and the older part of the hotel looks wonderful.On both visits I found the receptionists to be helpful and pleasant.The first visit gave us a room on the first floor within the old part. The room was not overly large but well decorated. However the television is far too small and the sound poor. There was no bath mat and this prevented my wife using the bath as she feared slipping over.In week two we were allocated a room in Priory Court, an annexe to the side of the main hotel. The corridor is not wide and the door to the room looks as though it would be better guarding entry to an office rather than a hotel room. Beware of these doors as well as there is no warning that they do not lock automatically and you could leave your possessions insecure. The television in this room is no better than the one the week before. The seat was damaged where it had been pushed against the work surface. The bed was no better than ok.Breakfast is served in the main hotel but as the hotel is used for conference purposes there are few two sweater tables and in week two we were at first offered seats on a large table where delegates were likely to join us. Not all items on the menu regarding the cold buffet were available. The cooked food was very good.Overall, if you want a reasonably priced hotel in a good location then this is worth booking. The staff are very nice but the facilities let it down.

I have just spent a brilliant couple of days at The Priory for a family wedding. The location is lovely with real character. The staff are absolutely amazing! Nothing was too much for them despite us being quite demanding at times. They are a credit to the hospitality industry and I would highly recommend using this venue for special events!

It is 23.24 and I am not able to sleep as my room is extremely noise. I have complained and was offered a pair of ear plugs!!! Not happy at all.Also breakfast is pretty rubbish as well here

well organised fab atmosphere lovely building, however food could have been better slow service and could have been laid out better, but the party made up for it.

My mother elected to celebrate her 80th birthday with family and friends. She chose to do this at this wonderful old priory, situated in the ancient pretty market town of Hitchin in Hertfordshire. Hitchin town centre is on the doorstep and well worth a visit. From the initial contact with The Priory, to being shown around the 'venue', to choosing rooms and menus- nothing was too much trouble. We opted for the buffet to be in the library, with three tables laid in the adjoining yellow room. This splendid room with lovely plaster work and an imposing fireplace, is dual aspect- the sun flooded in. It also has extensive views over the park. On the day, all the staff were very helpful, and anxious to make the party go well. James the duty manager was so attentive. My Mum had an excellent party- everyone was most complimentary to The Priory.This venue does offer other rooms for weddings and accommodation. I have been to a wedding here a long time ago-and have good memories, I have never stayed over night.I cannot recommend this lovely Priory enough. Unfortunately I am unable to upload any photos as my files are too big.