The Dower House Hotel Restaurant in East Lindsey

We arrived at this hotel for a wedding, on arrival I found it unusual to be asked for payment upfront? We were staying in the grounds, in a block of about 20 rooms (approx) The door to the lodge was entered by security fob. It soon became clear that the door closure was worn out, as the door slammed shut every time someone came and went, including drunk golfers at 2 - 3 am in the morning???? My room was the first one inside the door the door frame was connected to the wall of my room so the slamming door was annoying!!!! Three times I reported this problem to the receptionist (when I could find one) who promised to sort it, this never happened. The shower in my room was leaking into the bath for the duration of my stay (2 nights) I reported this also but again nothing happened. A family member had an executive room paying over £100 a night more than my room, when they arrived some of the wallpaper in the room had fallen onto the floor, damp was obviously an issue? Whilst on arrival the hotel seemed rather nice it soon become clear that all was not as it seemed (hence payment taken upfront). The staff were all young and lacked guidance or training the guy at breakfast was just damn right rude, if I hadn't been at a wedding I would have left and found somewhere else immediately. This hotel requires a good maintenance man, a full time receptionist as well as a manager. The other noticeable point was the reception, which was in a small office. The reception door spent more time locked than it did open. Even on the morning of leaving, the reception was locked, when I went to leave and discuss my complaint with someone, six sets of room keys were just left lying on the floor outside. When we tried to book our rooms the phone was never answered, the same with emails, now we know why, lack of staff. Nevertheless the experience of the Dower House Hotel, Woodhall Spa is over and I won't be returning.

Myself and my 2 best friends had wonderful afternoon tea here yesterday celebrating my friends 50th birthday The birthday girl has quite complex allergies and the chef worked hard to make sure there were many non-allergenic delights for the birthday girl and all the food was absolutely delicious and looked so prettily presented. All staff were lovely, friendly and kind, but very professional and courteous and an absolute credit to Dower House Dower House itself is so beautiful, set in woodland and surrounded by beautiful blooms. The room we were in was just perfect….elegant & sophisticated but not too over the top as to make us uncomfortable, also the door was open into the courtyard so we had a gentle breeze flowing through the room which was perfect for us menopausal ladies! 😂 In a nutshell we all had an amazing time and needed to have an afternoon nap to combat the sugar coma we were in! I can’t recommend this place enough

The food was perfect couldn’t fault! However the staff… I’m honestly shocked that such a respectable place holds such terrible staff, big lack of training. If they weren’t on their phones they were busy chatting away about their social lives. I had to ask 4 times for a refill on my drink before it actually arrived to the table. Unfortunately I certainly wouldn’t return, we were scoping out areas to hold our annual family get togethers. I’d also like to suggest to some members of your staff about general hygiene the lady that served us looked like she had been digging in dirt with the amount of dirt under her nails. Not a great image at all!

No clear indication on where to go for lunch within the hotel. Signage would be useful. Shocked to overhear a comment from a male staff member to a female staff member ‘ see you in a minge ‘ ! Shocking to use this sort of language.. Staff only busy with themselves and their phones. Food mediocre

Beautiful hotel. Large rooms and bathroom/ensuite. Garden lovely and had some good walks. Staff extremely helpful and friendly. Close enough to drive into Lincoln

Was very disappointed. Cold plates. Starters was disappointing pigeon breast was cold and rubbery the whole dish was cold sent it back came back with new plate again was cold I couldn't eat it. The mains I was looking forward to chicken pie puff pastry etc well to be greeted with bonus warm plate warm food bonus but no puff pastry was basically a chicken Wellington rolled pastry was soggy with mushroom base no pie in sight I did explain to the waitress this isn't a pie she said well it does say like for like I'm like what does that mean....it says chicken pie with puff pastry for the price was was very shocked and pie or shall I say like for like was cold in the middle. We came previously with family and had the same cold plates missing food on the plate etc but give them another chance yet again let down. Lunchtime menu we have been before in the summer and amazing it's a shame the evening meals let us down when my parents gave us a voucher for Xmas such a big let down.

I booked an afternoon tea for my mum’s birthday; 4 in total. Everything was ready on arrival and all was as it should be. Excellent service throughout and the afternoon tea was lovely. Nicely presented with lots of choice of savoury and sweet treats. We felt looked after and had a very enjoyable afternoon. Thank you.

We recently got married at The Dower and honestly could not have chosen a more perfect place to hold our special day. From the moment we went to view the hotel back in 2021 Carolyn has been really amazing, always on hand to help and answer any questions we had along the way and running around behind the scenes on the day making sure everything was as it should be! (which of course it was!) The hotel itself is stunning and the grounds are absolutely beautiful, the setting is just lovely and so peaceful. On our wedding day all the staff were so helpful and lovely and could not do enough for us or any of our guests and we got so many compliments from our guests about their rooms and how delicious the food was and the service throughout the whole of their stay. I really couldnt recommend it highly enough to be honest!! x

The signage to the restaurant was confusing and no obvious place for staff to greet & seat you. They were busy at the small bar serving drinks so we felt a bit awkward. Once seated we were surprised at the lack of atmosphere particularly as it was coronation bank holiday weekend. The stripped back modern restaurant lacks any charm or character of the building exterior. The food was served promptly and was delicious. The staff appeared disinterested initially. Overall I would not look to return.

Beautiful hotel on the outskirts of Woodhall Spa on the edge of the market town with 5 minutes walk into the centre. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful even with a large golfing party staying to use the golf club next door. We stayed in The Lodge which was clean (thanks to the singing housekeeper) and spacious, despite our room overlooking the smaller car park we weren’t disturbed at all. The food was delicious both the breakfast which had a choice of full English (including vegetarian and vegan options), salmon and eggs, porridge or continental with cereals, pastries and fruit. The evening meals were also delicious and we wouldn’t have known there was a large dinner party in one evening by the efficiency and standard of the food.

There were 30 members of the Club attending a dinner dance and some members had special dietary needs. The Hotel catered for all of these with no problems at all. We were in the Oak Room which was pleasantly warm, and the table laid as we requested. The staff served the food with no problems even though some of the party had ordered 1, 2 or 3 courses. The food was well presented and there was ample veg, nicely cooked and no complaints! Many thanks

The welcome at reception was splendid. The room was great. All of the staff were polite, friendly and helpful. The dinner menu choice wasn't huge. The food was well cooked and presented. I had booked half board which allowed three courses. Sadly neither of us could manage more than two! Breakfast was freshly cooked to order and served in a delightful room. The suite I'd treated us to was as expected. The décor was well up to scratch. The en-suite bathroom having a walk in shower and a separate bath which didn't get used! The curtains kept out extraneous light. An added bonus, for us, was the ability to have windows open at night.

A great Sunday lunch menu. The beef was lovely and so much gravy!! I wish I could have had more veg as the roasties were lovely!! We had a dessert and I had a warm brownie with ice cream - this was actually the best course!! We sat in the private room which was a great place. Staff were all great

Had an evening meal here for my Birthday. The food was the star of the show but the service and the price also deserves a mention. We had starters and main courses. Only ordered one drink and water because I am pregnant but the bill was £55 which is very reasonable for the standard. The staff were all very nice and the restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere. I enjoyed my starter of croquettes and the main was a buttermilk chicken burger with a side of chips (these were the best chips I've had for a long time). The table behind us were making all the right noises about their deserts but I couldn't fit it in. Great dining experience and we will definitely go back, maybe when the menu has changed so we can try something different.

Four of us visited on a glorious Saturday afternoon. We were very quickly offered drinks followed swiftly by a gorgeous afternoon tea. Variety of finger sandwiches, warm sausage roll and croquette, delicious scone with cream and jam plus variety of baked/ patisserie items. The waiting staff were attentive and friendly and brought us top up drinks. Thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours. Definitely recommended

Staying at The Dower House hotel to celebrate a special birthday. We booked dinner for the second evening of our stay. On the first night we had dinner at The Petwood Hotel as there was a function at The Dower House. Whilst the Petwood was more expensive the quality was superb. The Dower House served a very inferior menu that was not good value. Our waiter was excellent, he was the best thing about the evening!

The most varied & tasty afternoon tea I’ve had. 4 varieties of delicious finger sandwiches,mini vol au vent,mini scotch egg,scone with jam & cream,macaron,mini crème brûlée (& 2 more mini cakes & a shortbread biscuit which I’ve brought home in a supplied container) As many pots of tea/coffee as you wanted. Such helpful & friendly staff to serve us.

Firstly we were seated in a room with no heating, so I asked to be moved to a warmer room where we could eat our afternoon tea without our outdoor coats on! We were shown to an empty dinning room (why not seat us there in the first place?). The sandwiches were ok, however my pre booked gluten free afternoon tea contained a wedge of cheese and nothing to accompany it and a crunchie bar with the ends chopped off. The Dower House had 4+ days notice for the gluten free afternoon tea, a chocolate bar with the ends cut off (see picture) is a little disappointing. We also stayed in the hotel and left our contact details and feedback, however nobody from The Dower House has been in touch to discuss the points I raised.

£36 for a Boxing Day three course menu; starters and desserts were ok, however very basic. The main courses looked like they had just been slapped on a plate, drowned in sauce and were served alongside a plate of soggy veg. I think the Dower House is resting on it’s long standing reputation, but if things don’t improve soon, I am sure you will lose loyal customers. Would not come back.

I recently celebrated a 70th birthday for 14 in the private dining room of the Dower House Hotel, the evening was total perfection, looked after royally by delightful staff, and served an excellent three course meal, I highly recommend this venue for any celebratory occasion, the beautiful surrounding, attentive staff and excellent menu made this a very special birthday indeed.

Having visited the Dower House for many years, it was the obvious first-choice venue for a family get-together to mark a special someone's significant birthday, and we weren't disappointed. Our ideas were listened to, suggestions were made (and accepted!) and from start to finish the...

We were let down by a booking for a 50th anniversary (10 people) dinner and telephoned the Dower House only five days before the event. The team went above and beyond to accommodate us from the outset, offering their private dining room for the evening....

We had booked for dinner. We had a drink on the patio prior to dining. I liked the outside chairs and they were comfy. It was a shame that the access in and out to the patio from the bar, felt like a tradesman's entrance,...

The grounds are quite beautiful and the building itself is lovely - very cosy with an intimate feeling. The staff are very welcoming and friendly and everything looks spotlessly clean. Sitting overlooking the gardens for afternoon tea (especially when the rain is bucketing down outside)...

Very well presented. Tasty and freshly cooked. Brie beetroot and walnut salad. Chicken liver parfait. Spinach gnocchi with tarragon sauce. Rump steak med/rare.

We had a lovely time and the meals were all very well prepared and presented. Everything we had was good quality and a fair price. Plates were all very cleanly presented and the quality of food very good. Service was also excellent. It is the...

We stayed in the hotel for 3 nights and ate in the restaurant 2 of those nights. All staff were extremely friendly and helpful with all covid rules fully adhered to. The menu was on the small side but what we chose on the 2...

We went to celebrate 2 60th birthdays, had a lovely room to ourselves. Unfortunately the afternoon was small and the bread on the sandwiches were dry on the edge. The scone was orange snd cherry but looked blue and was dry. The menu on the...