The Riverside

The location of this hotel was excellent for us. It was just a 10 min walk to the cathedral and about 15 mins into the centre. The hotel sits in its own grounds and is very peaceful. It has a large private carpark which was a real plus as no problems at all with parking. The hotel has very good sound proofing. Although there was an event happening during our stay , once in the room you couldn't hear a thing. Despite some hot weather the room could be kept cool with a fan and all the windows open. The room was comfortable although we found the twin beds way too soft but then that's a personal choice . The staff were generally very pleasant , helpful and welcoming.

I’m going to start with something I don’t normally do until the middle or end which is to mention the staff. There are a dozen good hotels in Salisbury I’m sure but the staff here were better than any other hotels I’ve stayed at in the UK by a country mile. It almost seems they were trained to do their job…imagine that so thank you Team you were amazing. Room was clean and clinical. Loved the night light on the mirror which is a nice touch. Bath too narrow i thought (for me anyway) which made the shower experience more of a challenge but it was ok..guys my one recommendation would be hand rail as i struggled to get out. My mobility despite current back problem is ok but i still worry about slipping. Outside of the house was attractive and the garden view was really quite lovely. If the weather wasn’t so rubbish we would have spent the evenings in the garden area. The breakfast was terrific and exactly what was needed so despite being able to get cheaper breakfast in town frankly by the time you add tips and unlimited re-fills etc frankly why bother. The bar was very good (better than i thought) and sold nice pale ale for a change as well as a good pilsner and well stocked bar. The walk into Salisbury was about 15 minutes slow walk and no steep hills (mainly flat) and very pleasant. I liked the fact the hotel provided a shuttle to the town and back but we just walked other than one way on one of the days…the driver was delightful adding to the above comment that the staff for me made the stay.

Reception in the hands of Nora was excellent. The room was good and the bed reasonably comfortable. The view was a little disappointing because of the outlook onto a flat roof with skylights. Otherwise the river and Cathedral were visible. Breakfast, under the guidance of Mandy, was good and service very good. The lack of restaurant for an evening meal was a surprise. However, the light complimentary passenger van service to Salisbury Market Square was useful. In particular Kevin was a pleasure to meet. Smartly presented, polite and friendly and most helpful. He provided an excellent service both to and from the hotel. The concept and quality of this facility will draw us back to The Riverside again. Thank you for a good stay. Roy Harper

We were surprised how small our room was as when we have stayed here before it was refurbished the rooms were a good size, especially as I had booked the more expensive room. The bed itself was very comfortable. However, the hotel wasn't very busy but we were put in an attic room on the top floor. With the weather being as it was in June the room was very, very hot. There was a fan in the room but it didn't really help. Breakfast choice was good.

Lovely lady met us at reception and was friendly and helpful. We were asked about a place to eat that evening and offered recommendations. The room was immaculate and we slept brilliantly. Amazing shower and the complimentary drink was a nice touch; we had our Prosecco out on the terrace at the back which has a lovely view of the river and the spire of Salisbury Cathedral in the distance. Although we didn’t use the shuttle service into the city, we thought it was another nice touch. If we’d have had a bit more stamina we might have stayed out and got the shuttle bus back to the hotel!