Best Western Shrubbery Hotel

I wouldn't expect anything more than to sleep here everything else is overpriced. Best bet would be to turn up just before bedtime and leave for somewhere else for breakfast. Couldn't imagine more than one night

We had a party booked for 32 people today and everything was really good, the roast beef was lovely and the desserts. The staff were all very helpful & looked after us very well. We couldn't fault anything & loads of room for children to run around as well.

Great stay, room was very comfortable and clean. Food was tasty, and good value, staff made me feel very welcome. Free parking and WiFi, always bonus. Excellent location, close to M5 and a303. I had a lovely evening, bar and restaurant had a relaxed feel,

The room was tired, paper peeling off thewalls. Room was cold, no heat in the radiator, tv did not work, shower had poor drainage, duvet was too small for 2 people sharing the bed. Breakfast was poor quality.

A well run comfortable Hotel. Easy parking and well situated to visit surrounding attractions .( The Minster Church is well worth a visit.) There is an extensive dinner menu and a comfortable bar area We found the staff to be friendly and helpful .

We stayed at The Shrubbery for just one night. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The place itself is very much to my mine and my wife's taste being a Victorian building with a lovely feel to it! No problems at all! We enjoyed a first class meal in the restaurant which could have been cooked by a top chef! Will definitely return!

My daughter is getting married in May next year and plans had started to be made. Sadly I became unwell and was hospitalised with sepsis making it financially difficult to go ahead. Sandra one of the managers has been very supportive giving advice and guidance so much so we are able to go ahead with our daughters wedding. I haven't been rushed and Sandra always asks how my recovery is going. The personal touch is what we wanted from a venue and Sandra has gone above and beyond and continues to do so. The venue is stunning as are the gardens. Every member of staff we have come across has been smart, polite, friendly and professional. The staff have a great understanding and knowledge of different weddings and ceremonies and they will endeavour to accommodate your wishes. Sandra and Ashley (another manager) take the time to listen and offer drinks on our arrival when meeting to discuss further arrangements all before being seated in their tastefully decorated reception area. Thank you so much.

Every aspect met or exceeded my expectations: the room & bed were clean & very comfortable, every member of staff friendly & most helpful: excellent quality food. Given the prices, one can only call it really excellent value for money. I should certainly return.

Took my mum for her 82nd birthday,for afternoon tea.Young man on reception very welcoming and brought our tea straight away and said food will be just five mins.Lovely seating area view lovely of the countryside.Afternoon tea value for money , have had more fancy cakes previously but they were a lot more expensive, also we had two pots of tea. Excellent service by lady at bar, she was doing bar, reception and serving us , but still had time to chat and put our leftovers in box. ALl in all enjoyable experience.

very pleasant stay at The Shrubbery and the deciding point waS we could take our westie into one of their dog friendly bedrooms..also dog friendly section for breakfast. the room was very comfortable and nice bathroom. tea/coffee was provided with extra available at reception. All staff very helpful and chatty..only today's breakfast let it down..yesterday was great but today microwave scrambled egg ugh

Lovely hotel. Very spacious room comprised of desk work station, sofa with coffee table, two double beds, dressing area and bathroom. The fast internet enabled me to set up for work which was ideal. Staff helpful and friendly. Lovely evening meal, tasty food which at £15 for a main course I consider good value. Nice lounge areas for a drink or to meet up with friends. Highly recommend a visit.

Pleased to have booked short stay at SHRUBBERY HOTEL annex for bed and breakfast , asit was good value for money. The staff were friendly and helpful in respect of our requirements. ..............

comfortable room, clear hotel, most of staff friendly,but some needs more training to communicate better. needs faster internet, better dinner choices,to include seafood, vegetarian ,options,and halal meat, chicken

We stayed here overnight on our way to Cornwall. Impressed with the view from the car park at back of hotel, very nice. A pleasant check in and told all details regarding breakfast etc. Hotel a bit of a rabbit warren as stairs to climb and doors to get through everywhere, a bit of a struggle with heavy suitcase. Room very basic but very clean although think the net curtains could have had attention as about a foot too long and puddled on window ledge! Very old fashioned room so if you want a modern basic room - this is not it. View outside nothing to talk about as looking out onto flat roof with old wash basin on it. We both had a good sleep and thought the breakfast next morning very good as so nicely cooked. Restaurant not open Sunday evening so had to go elsewhere for evening meal. We had a nice stay and would stay again if in area.

Very nice staying at the shrubbery , easy to find , large car park and a nice location close to ilminster town centre. Polite and friendly staff gave me a warm welcome. Excellent spacious accommodation with everything you need .

Stayed for three nights as part of a gardening tour. Hotel staff couldn't have been more helpful to us. Rooms were very good and food excellent. They provided a very good barbecue one evening. The whole group of 31 was very impressed with the hotel and its staff.

Took a group of 30 for 3 nights so we filled the hotel. The staff were great, pleasant and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The food was good, including a barbecue they provided for us on one evening and rooms well equipped. Altogether a very pleasant stay.

I don't usually write reviews, however I thought I must on this hotel as I've had two fantastic visits! My first visit was a stay in January (work purposes) - it was wonderful! Warm reception, clean and spacious room with a fantastic dining menu. The best steak dinner I have ever had and leaving the next morning with a fantastic breakfast. I could not fault this place. I only live around 30 mins away from this hotel so I brought my family here for a Sunday lunch. I thought it would definitely be worth travelling for after my previous stay and my goodness I was not wrong!!! The BEST Sunday lunch I have had. My husband and parents were also extremely impressed. Brilliant childrens menu too. Such a generous portion with lots of different vegetables (make sure you go hungry!) I will definitely return again, I can't thank you enough. Thank you for a lovely experience :-)

Came in for Sunday lunch not so long ago. Wow!! They must have a new kitchen team as the meal was absolutely fantastic. The meat was cooked perfectly and the vegetables were plentiful and very tasty! Would highly recommend. Best Sunday lunch around for a great price!

Was glad to hear they were back doing Sunday lunch, and it did not disappoint on Sunday! Amazing food and excellent value for money! Restaurant was full. But didn't impact on service. Barb was great! Will be back very soon, keep up the good work.

food was overpriced for the quality given radiators were loud at 6:30am when the heating kicked in (no option to turn the heated towel rail off) Staff friendly and warm. standard hotel with basic amenities, OK for a night stay (2 at a push) but not much to do

Finally found time to write my Christmas Day lunch review… Had Christmas Day lunch a few times at The Shubbery in the past and lm sad to say l was a little disappointed in my recent experience. The service didn't meet expectations, the table wasn't laid appropriately and the food although a lot of it, was just ok. Paid much the same at another local hotel on New Years Eve and the service, food quantity and table presentation was far superior. Sadly won't be returning until l hear of improvements.

Had my wedding reception here and stayed overnight the night before and day of the wedding. Nothing was too much for the team at 'The Shrubbery'. Everything ran smoothly and they were brilliant at accommodating for our needs. Defiantly worth every penny spent and would recommend here to anyone looking to have a cost-effective wedding reception but still having the feeling of an expensive reception. All food served was lovely and well presented, breakfast had a very good selection and was very tasty.

loads of parking spaces, the food is of a good quality and a nice choice. friendly staff went out of there way to make you feel welcome. the breakfast questionnaire is a little challenging but nothing to be concerned about and if you mention that you got it wrong the staff will help you get it sorted.

Our son‘s wedding at the hotel - staff were experienced and helpful throughout. Food was great making it a wonderful wedding. Wedding cake was damaged in transit but kitchen staff repaired it for the bride and groom. Quickly posted and retuned a left iPad, nothing was too much trouble.

The Shrubbery catered and hosted our wedding. We had already heard good things which us why we booked but our expectations were exceeded ten times over. The food was wonderful the staff was accommodating, kind and friendly. The beds were the comfiest beds of any hotel I've ever slept in.

A really good place for a wedding one venue did it all well done for a great time. The day went with out a hitch the staff were very helpful nothing was to much trouble. The wedding went well and seamlessly moved to the reception to the evening the food was first class. I can only commend the manager and all the staff at the shrubbery a really good time in the hotel keep it up

Well we have nothing but praise for both the hotel and all the staff! We had our wedding here, with most staying Friday and Saturday night. From start to finish they were truly amazing each and every one of them. Friendly, helpful, accommodating, could not have asked for more. Food exceptional, service exceptional Our wedding day was perfect thanks to them (and the sunshine) We were able to have our ceremony outside. If we could do it all again we would and thank them all for making it so brilliant!!!

Just returned from a wedding. I have no problems with the service, rooms or buffet breakfast but the Restaurant - what a disappointment. I ordered "A trio of local sausages with mash, peas and onion gravy" at a cost of £14.50. What I received was a dollop of what appeared to be instant mash, a late delivery;by appearance; of some Tesco value peas and 3 overcooked sausages which looked and tasted like Tesco Value items as the meat looked like mechanically obtained mush. Local butchers must be totally inept if that is a local standard. As it was our son's wedding I did not raise a complaint at the time in case it soured the treatment we all would get the following day. This morning at checkout, there was total disinterest. My message to prospective diners is eat in the town for your evening meal unless, of course, you do not mind paying a rip off price for third rate food.

Fabulous, lovely staff, very attentive. This was our first time to Ilminster visiting friends, the hotel is well located near the town and the best thing of all we could bring our little dog. Staff were very helpful, food was excellent, would highly recommend a visit.

I booked in for a night with my daughter and had little expectations as the price was affordable. I was surprised how lovely the grounds and view was. Our room was modernised compared to say the main hall way and was a really lovely surprise. The bed was really comfortable, blinds to shut out the early morning sun and plenty of room for our belongings. We had a lovely breakfast in the morning before we left and I was pleasantly surprised.

One night stay at The Shrubbery was ideal for a stop over to visit family. Convenient for Yeovil and Yeovilton, Next time we would like to explore Ilminster. The views from the hotel garden were beautiful. Our room was comfortable and characterful. Tea making facilities. (We asked for extra milk, but it was not a problem). Excellent breakfast next morning in the restaurant. Friendly and helpful staff. There is a fast EV charger in the town car park for anyone with an electric car.

I stayed for 2 nights, the first of which was booked through Expedia as they had a 20% off promotion and the second (in order to keep the same room) I booked via the hotel. The hotel upgraded my room for free with breakfast included. This was nice, so it's possibly worth calling the hotel to book even if there's an offer elsewhere. The car park was fairly empty when we arrived on Friday night and the location has a decent view on the other side of the hotel away from the road. Check in was easy and quick. The upgraded room was a nice size, long and thin rather than square and overlooked the carpark. The bathroom was clean and there was a large square shower head, however the pressure was very disappointing. It also took about 10 minutes or so to get it to the correct temperature, it doesn't respond very quickly and there's no temperature gauge, so it's all guesswork. There was no bath. The bed wasn't that comfortable, I suspect a cheap mattress was used. The duvet was a bit loose also and too short for the bed so I either had my feet or shoulders out of the covers. The breakfast options weren't the best for a vegetarian and if you're vegan there's nothing hot you can have. We had to choose eggs on toast despite preferring non-dairy meals. This is where I felt most let down. For about £15 I think, you get 2 slices of cheap toast, two eggs and a field mushroom. I feel this was unacceptable really. Especially as on the second morning we only received half a mushroom, cut up instead of the big whole one we had the day before. Also to be served on really bland toast put me off. In fact I didn't have breakfast on the second day, I had a vegetarian breakfast elsewhere and it was night and day. It shows the hotel doesn't put much effort into breakfast and that's a shame. Finally, the room wasn't serviced during our stay so I had to ask for fresh towels and make the bed etc... Apparently there was a door sign in the room but I looked everywhere for it in all the draws but couldn't find it. It would've helped to have been made aware of this on check in. It seems to be a fairly hands-off approach to running a hotel, not much interaction with its guests, this might be good for a Travelodge but I did expect a bit more, especially considering the price (around £100 a night).

Fantastic. We arrived to a warm friendly reception. The staff are wonderful and made our stay really pleasant. We ate at the hotel and the evening meal was lovely. 4 of us ate and all enjoyed our meals. Very well priced too. The building is a beautiful old building with a lot of character and charm. A pretty garden area too if the weather is nice. Our friends joined us for dinner and they were able to bring their dog along who was given some biscuit bones and a bowl of water. Would definitely stay here again. Rhys was exceptional and goes above and beyond. some people are born to be in hospitality and Rhys is one of those. A true credit to Best Western. We stayed in a suite and there was plenty of storage space. A comfy bed. Shampoo and shower gel provided and a hair dryer, ironing board and iron in the room, oh and a fan which was needed at the weekend.

We were looking for a quiet night away and what a lucky find The Shrubbery was. We stayed in a ground floor level access room with parking right outside. A fabulous wet room. We booked room only as we thought the price of the pre,-order was too high. Nonetheless we will be back it was wonderful. So many thanks to The Shrubbery ❤️

Nice clean rooms, no good if you have mobility issues, clean comfy bed, rooms not serviced daily, not even tea and coffee refreshed, nice breakfast on pre order. Attended for a family wedding which went of brilliantly.

What gives this place some stars is the staff, they were polite, friendly, knowledgeable and more than happy to help. What let's this place down is the food. We were there for a wedding event, On to the food. The starter had me downing pints of water to dilute the overuse of salt content. The main was a Calvary of either Lamb or Chicken. The Lamb being very chewy and the chicken must have spent the last 6 months in the Sahara Desert, as it was that dry. This was completed with a trio of desserts. The profiterole had clearly spent the some time with the chicken in the desert as it was stale, the Eton Mess had a nice mini meringue and strawberry sorbet dash, but what the meringue was sat on, looked like had been scooped out of a baby's nappy. The Lemon Cheesecake must of been in the same dish as the soup as I've no idea how a cheesecake could be salty before now. Maybe salted butter or something? Back onto positives the room was clean and tidy. The staff ensured we were well looked after during our stay. Check in and out was really easy. Location is also ideal further enough away from the 303 that you're not disturbed by noise. A nice venue, just let down by the food.

We had an overnight stay on our way to Cornwall. Hotel is quiet, large reception area and caters for large functions. Room was clean, interesting as in length rather than width. We had an issue with the television in our room not working and asked the gentleman at the reception to have a look. He was extremely helpful trying first to fix it, no luck. Then he found a similar replacement, this did not worked either. Finally, he got us a very large television on wheels used for conferences. The aim of this review is say a Big Thank You for being so helpful.

My partner and I stayed overnight for a family wedding close by. The hotel staff were so friendly, helpful, and polite. Would not hesitate to recommend this hotel. Breakfast was excellent. Great location with some stunning views of Somerset.

It was very welcoming and smelled gorgeous in my room, it was lovely and clean and really nice decor. The dinner was fabulous as delicious as it looked and the service was great. Lovely area. Shame it wasn't for leisure.

Lovely traditional hotel with a fireplace in the bar, comfortable seating areas as well as private meeting rooms and a superb 'ballroom'. Excellent friendly staff and good service. Well-equipped clean rooms.

We had a table booked for the Burger Night (group of 4, 2 couples), the burgers were amazing, both the beef and chicken burgers were brilliant and cooked to perfection (not sure of the chefs name, but thank you). All of us left saying how much we enjoyed the night and our food. It was made even better by Alicia who was looking after us throughout the evening, very accommodating and brilliant service, she's a real credit to the team. Really can't praise them enough, will definitely be going again and hopefully soon!

When Storm Eunice took out our electricity supply for 48 hours, the manager and staff came to our rescue, providing my disabled,cancer suffering, wheelchair bound husband and me a warm place, with the right kind of facilities, to stay at a moment's notice, even though they were rushed off their feet. Nothing was too much trouble. Justina was particularly caring, but all the staff were wonderful.

Slightly dated hotel , but staff make up for this ! Especially Aliscia ,friendly welcoming and nothing a problem to her , credit to a young member of the staff . Will be back in the future Handy for local amenities

Went for New Years Eve and had let them know in advanced that I was GLUTEN FREE and they let another couple who hadn't booked but were gluten free had what I was supposed to have and there was nothing more for me, I was disappointed as we were staying the night as well. They should have been more prepared and had more Gluten free food.

I never write reviews. But this waitress is worth writing about! Her names was Barbra (Barb) and she was our waitress for our big family 3 course meal yesterday. She was very kind and welcoming and extremely attentive. She went the extra mile for us and made sure we were all happy. She was the nicest waitress I ever met and made us feel very looked after. This review is primarily just for her and all her hard work. These 5 stars are for you Barb, thankyou you star!!

We were due to have our wedding at the shrubbery in May 2019, but like everything else in the world this ended up being cancelled due to COVID.........instead we just had an amazing family meal (for 20) to celebrate our 1st year wedding anniversary, the food was delicious, it was a very nice day. The lovely lady that served us called Barb was soo amazing, she clearly loves her job and is an asset to the hotel. Thanks soo much.

We were given Room 6 which was awful, paint peeling of the wall, awful cheap flat pack furniture and the tiniest ensuite. The toilet was right next to the bed (although there was a wall in between) but didn't feel right. The heated towel rail is right beside the toilet, not very hygienic and the basin has no plug. The view is of a fire escape and the radiator doesn't work. It was freezing. We complained to the barman and he said he would put the heating on but when we went up after dinner it was freezing. The receptionist the following morning moved us to room 8 but we walked into an unserviced room, however it was warm so we waited for it to be serviced before moving rooms. A much better room, however the rooms do get cold very quickly and heating isn't on very much (outside temperature less than 10 degrees). The whole hotel was very cold and they did not serve lunch or any food on Sunday after breakfast so had to eat out. Breakfast was good but our steak was over cooked and far too expensive for steak chips a half tomato and pepper sauce the consistency of water. It was the only order in the kitchen at the time, only saw two other couples eat all evening on a Saturday night too. Menu is very poor, not much choice. Won't be back, if that's the standard of best Western hotels we will look elsewhere in future.

Arrived and the receptionist and the bar maid were welcoming and very polite and a good laugh. Good hotel Very polite staff My room (9) on the other hand the bathroom was dated and very cold. For some strange reason in winter the hotel still only put the heating on from 6.30am till 8am then 6.30pm till 9pm which was warm but as soon as the main radiator went off 1h later the room was like an ice box. But they gave me another plug in heater which seem to do the trick. Oh and the hotel is haunted which had the added bonus of scaring the apprentice

The room reeked of tobacco smoke - I went down to reception to demand a change but there was no one there so I opened the windows and then had dinner. On return the odour was barley noticeable. Next morning the bathroom reeked of smoke. It was either that the previous occupant had smoked in the bathroom or the extraction fan was the source from elsewhere in the hotel as it was not working. My luggage still has a smell of tobacco smoke a day later - NOT satisfactory

We stayed for one night on route to Cornwall for a holiday. Lovely hotel, very comfortable, very welcoming. Friendly and efficient staff. Good location as a stopover. Food was good, we enjoyed both dinner and breakfast.

We had a wonderful stay celebrating a 70th Birthday with an afternoon tea. We cant fault anything. The staff were very communicative days before our event and service was brilliant on the day. Special thanks to Justina she was incredibly helpful. Rooms were comfortable and breakfast was the best. Would happily stay again. Thank you everyone at The Shubbery.

Stayed in room 24 which was clean, cosy and well decorated. Beds were comfortable and breakfast was really good quality. Only minor thing was tea machine in breakfast left a film on tea, which a simple filter could improve, but certainly not an issue. Will certainly stay again

Room was clean, lovely shower, nicely decorated and comfortable. Breakfast was one of the best we have had, eggs benedict superb. Special mention of Rhys the young man who was the breakfast waiter for the restaurant that morning. He provided a friendly, efficient service making sure everyone was well looked after. So good to see great service to all the guests.

Booked two specific rooms (Executive Queen and downstairs dog friendly) for a special weekend away but these rooms were not honored and we ended up in a double on the front of the hotel (noisy from traffic) and a dog friendly room on the first floor (not very good when one of our dogs is scared of stairs) had no option but to accept the rooms as hotel was allegedly fully booked

We had a lovely stay , we stayed as we had our wedding reception here. We had the best day and staff were amazing and helpful. They had 3 weeks to organise our wedding and I couldn't fault them in any way so organised and so friendly.

This is a pleasant hotel with helpful overworked staff. It should be noted though that it does not have a lift as this could be a problem for some less able bodied guests. The breakfast was well served and tasty. Why sliced cheap bread though when there is now such a choice out there.

We stayed here for 2 nights as a base to tour the Somerset/Devon/Dorset area. We asked for a quiet room which was provided; the staff team did everything they could to make our stay relaxed and comfortable. The hotel was quiet and relaxing. We had dinner in the restaurant one evening and enjoyed a drink in the bar area - all in all a comfortable stay. We will return if we are in the area again.

We visited on the hottest weekend of the summer but the staff continued to be very helpful and smiley. A special note for Michael who arranged an omelette for my husband in place of the predominantly meat based buffet and then at breakfast remembered and offered a veggie breakfast without us asking. Thanks Michael - appreciated. The hotel could do with a little updating here and there but the room, bedding and bathroom were very clean indeed.

we both really enjoyed our stay at the shrubbery mostly due to the staff they employ, notably barb who was wonderful and made you feel at home. We had a small leak into our room due to some extreme weather during the night but have to say that when we reported to reception they dealt with it swiftly and moved us into a better room and never charged us for the next evenings meal this was in no small part down to a young man called Rhys. we are very grateful that these staff members turned what could have been a disaster into a triumph. many thanks and if we're back down Somerset way we wouldn't hesitate to book into the Shrubbery

Really lovely room and friendly staff. We had a room upgrade which was a nice surprise. Lovely double shower. Nice coffee in the morning. The room was near the road which was a little noisy. We slept really well as the bed was really comfortable.

Stayed on 6/6 for a night en route to south coast Nice old building. Covid secure. Friendly staff. Great breakfast and enjoyed pre ordering it. Had no hot water in the shower and a quick call saw it rectified. Little bit of traffic noise early doors but nothing of concern. Lots of parking and close to the excellent Dolphin Pub.

The Shrubbery continues to provide, excellent, clean and homely accommodation with spacious rooms and competitive rates of stay, supported by excellent staff, good food and well organised service. A feeling of safety predominates without being overbearing, so vital at this difficult times.

Our stay at this hotel was a little different to normal hotel stays, due to the pandemic. There was less activity around the hotel and it seemed quite quiet, but the staff were extremely attentive and all precautions appeared to have been taken. The room was very clean, the bed lovely and comfy, and the food was great. We stayed an extra night and would definitely stay there again. Everyone we met there, be they staff or guest, seemed happy to be there. We certainly were!

Character hotel typical best western. Nice garden . Nice food. Took my dog . Ideal for getting around big carpark. Could do with a refresh of carpet on main staircase and there are a few cobwebs in rooms but otherwise clean and staff helpful.

First holiday of 2020 in September and visited an old favourite in the Shrubbery. Despite all of the excellent precautions, social distancing and clinical hygiene facilities, the hotel and the staff still succeeded in projecting an air of calm, where you the guest were the most important event. Excellent breakfasts where nothing was too much trouble and the whole holiday experience was first class.

My partner and our small dog stopped here en route back to London from Cornwall. We didn't expect much and were surprised and delighted by the hotel and its thoroughly professional and charming staff. They upgraded us to a huge double room, at £50 a night plus a few pounds for the dog, which would have cost at least at four times or more in Padstow, Cornwall, which we had just left. It is only a three star hotel so there are none of the frills of a four or five star. On the important stuff - the comfort of the bed and bedding, a bathroom with unlimited hot water and a powerful shower, Wi Fi, good sound insulation etc it scored top marks. Most important the staff were poilte, professional and seemed to be pleased to be back at work after the months of lockdown.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable stay in a lovely room right at the top of the hotel. The room was cleaned to an exceptional standard and there was hand sanitiser in all communal areas downstairs too. The bar was open and had screening up which was very reassuring. The hotel didn't seem busy even though we thought we had booked the last room available as social distancing meant we ate breakfast at staggered times and we ordered takeaway in our room in the evening. Great location and special mention to Johnny who answered all our questions and requests, speedy service with a smile. Thank you!

Read the reviews before we arrived and I have to agree with one of them that stated it was like Fawlty Towers. Firstly, we arrived and was kept waiting as the receptionist was the same as the bar person. Room 8 was in need of decoration and generally poor although clean. The bathroom was small and shabby. We decided to have dinner at the hotel and that was a mistake. If you are vegetarian the choice was limited to a bean burger or omelette. Beware the mushroom burger is not vegetarian it is meat. Food was below average. We were also told they had only instant coffee as due to COVID they could not get anyone out to fix it. Breakfast again poor with only half the items ordered arriving. The scrambled egg had an added hair along with the instant coffee being given with UHT milk. 11pm we were woken up by a fire alarm. Just managed to get downstairs to be told when I asked that it was a false alarm! The only positive was the location. Certainly not what we expect from this hotel chain

We chose the Bell as a safe base From which to visit our elderly parents as lockdown was lifted. Tyler and his team have done a fantastic job refurbishing several well appointed, comfortable rooms which were spotlessly clean. The pub itself retains a traditional atmosphere with plenty of space inside and out to allow social distancing. Our breakfasts and evening meal which were made using local ingredients, included perfectly cooked wood fired pizzas and everything was really delicious. The whole team gave us a lovely friendly and efficient Somerset welcome. My advice to you would be to drive past the Premier Inn at the motorway junction and made the effort of driving a couple more miles to visit this gem. Book soon though as I'm sure they'll be booked up soon!

This was our first hotel stay since the Covid lockdown, so we were a bit apprehensive, but we had a most enjoyable stay. The hotel had all the necessary social distancing and sanitising arrangments in place which was reassuring. Social distancing made the dining experience a bit soulless but that can't be helped. We had a lovely comfortable room with a four poster bed and a marvellous bathroom. Our room did overlook a busy road, so if that bothers you perhaps you should ask for one at the back. Staff were (necessarily?) thin on the ground, but the ones who were there were friendly and courteous. I would stay again.

We stayed at the Shrubbery Hotel for 2 nights as we were attending a cookery course at River Cottage (30 minute drive away). The hotel had clearly made many changes due to Covid-19 including screens at the bar and reception area. Our first room was a twin but on speaking to the receptionist he happily moved us to a double as per our booking. The room was clean and comfortable. A minor grumble was that the hot water took a while to warm up and the room was located at the front of the room so there was noise from the road with the windows open. Saying that we closed them overnight and slept like a log! We had booked room only but you could have breakfast if you wanted to. We had a couple of drinks at the bar on the Sunday evening and they seemed relatively expensive (£14 for 2 G&Ts). If we were in the area, we would happily stay here again.

We had a lovely stay here and the staff were very polite and friendly. The little extra touch of a Happy birthday sign for my husband at breakfast was a nice touch. Breakfast is delicious. Nothing is much too much trouble. We stayed in the four poster bed room which had a very comfy sofa and the bathroom has a luxury double shower. Definitely worth the money

A little confusing on the booking procedure and actually managed to get a hotspot deal online cheaper than booking direct with the hotel which actually made it a good cost stay. Hotel staff very accommodating but were not wearing masks, despite being advised on my booking that I as a guest had to wear one in common areas. There was also not any anti-bacterial spray available. However, my room had a note on door detailing cleaning procedures. No restaurant/bar facilities available but on check-in was advised of local places where I could get food and was allowed to buy as take out to eat in my room. I didn't as was visiting family locally so ate with them instead.

Lovely hotel really friendly staff, excellent service lots to do around the area. Would definitely stay again. Breakfast was lovely our room was beyond both our expectations and staff went out of their way to accommodate.

A huge big Thank You to Chris, who has just helped sort out our weekend break. It's a much needed break away and Chris has been a star on the telephone. Looking forward to coming back, and I'm sure another great review will follow after our stay. It's so reassuring to have great customer service.

Great hotel as usual. Have been using this hotel for 3+ years and nice food, great breakfast, great wifi available and friendly staff. I've stayed in most of the rooms and all a good standard. Recommend it for business or pleasure.

A small personal hotel that has welcoming and helpful staff with a very comfortable room and Hotel. The dining room is nicely laid out using white table cloths on all the tables. Ample parking easy access and from the rear of the hotel a very pleasant view. We did find the mettress rather hard.

Excellent amenities and good value with the lovely breakfast included. The service as very friendly, efficient and professional....especially from the breakfast waitress. Will definitely stay in the hotel again.

We didn't stay here, met up with family for an evening meal. The food was very good. Couldn't fault it at all and can't fault the service at all. There was 6 adults 2 children and the meals all came together. Nice restaurant too. Would recommend

Couldn't fault it. Room was huge, nice and warm too. Very clean. Tea and coffee making facilities, nice biscuits too! Staff were all very helpful, great breakfast and evening dinner. What more can you ask for. Reasonable price too. Lots of free car parking.

Good greeting and guide at reception. We were given room 8 Room standard was quite good and well equipped. Bathroom was small but adequate. there were a couple of floor tiles projecting up from the floor which were a hazard for bare feet. The Christmas party went well with a carvery for the main meal. There was a good selection of sweets but unfortunately nothing for diabetics. Sleeping was difficult because several of the door closed with a loud bang ( this was a problem with other guests that we spoke to) We were looking forward to breakfast as we stayed at this hotel 2 years ago for a similar function. At that time there was a breakfast menu and we were served our breakfast at the table straight from the kitchen. What a disappointment this time. Cereals, juices, fruit and yogurt were self service as before. After that you had to help yourself from a buffet set up outside the breakfast room in the function area. There was a good choice of fried food but nothing else. You could not have scrambled or boiled eggs. I had a selection of the food on offer served to me on a cold plate. My wife just had a slice of toast as she always has scrambled eggs When we returned to the restaurant I found that my food was only luke warm and some was cold . I spoke to one of the staff who said the chef was cooking some fresh food if I would like to wait for that. I declined

Excellent value Accommodating staff Great food Brilliant wine Overall an interesting location very convenient for a stop off en route to Newquay. Staff friendly and accommodating Would recommend to family and friends

200 of us from the Men of Cornwall Choir and their supporters in four. Coaches stopped at the Shrubbery for a ‘ pit stop - coffee and bits'on the way to their first tour concert, and then returned for lunch four days at the conclusion of their tour on the way home. Both visits were superb. The welcome, the food, the facilities all of the highest quality. The ability for the small dedicated staff to manage such a large party outstanding. Can recommend any organizer of a large party looking for a venue in Somerset within 1km of the A303 -do not hesitate - great value and certainly to be recommended wholeheartedly. And exceptional experience

As a couple, we recently stayed at the Shrubbery Hotel,in Ilminster, which is part of the Best Western Hotel chain. On first impression, of the road side of the hotel, I thought it looked a bit tired and could do with a front of hotel maintenance revamp.Could have been due to being a dull miserable, not particular sunny day.So thought maybe had made a mistake in choosing this hotel for our stay. However everything changed my opinion, The parking was free and spacious, The hotel on entering was very smart, modern and attractive, with a well presented reception area and lobby. The hotel,had a Boutique style decor, throughout while keeping the old style tastefully in character with the old building. All areas, were well presented and very tastefully furnished.very well designed and with nice ornamental touches here and there. I went to check in,very friendly smart professional staff, very easy experience. Also with a nice gesture of a room upgrade, very unexpected, but gratefully recieved. Our room, was number 18, up on the first floor with another few small stairs through the passageways and doorways.I didn't see a lift anywhere, but for us, not a problem.As we only had couple of small travel cases. The hotel was very clean and smart throughout. Our room was large with gold style fittings,with Climate control system ventilation, a bit like air conditioning. Very similar. There was a large upvc tilt window, with nice views over the back onto the hotel gardens, which looks like it can be used for weddings and other functions, nice and quiet area of the hotel and private.Good choice for any travellers that don't like and wish to avoid road noise. We were only passing through, on our way back home, so only booked a 1 night stay. I did visit the bar for a nightcap, the bar I could see had a nice selection of beers, spirits some from the local area.It was quite, well decorated and tastefully furnished to the same standards and style of the rest of the hotel, with nice classy, paintings and ornamental figures. The Hotel makes good use in the way it has styled the big large old fireplaces, to fit in with the rest of the hotel decor. In the morning, of leaving we made our way down the luxurious staircase, to the dining room, where we were given our own choice of where we wished to sit as it wasn't particularly busy at that time. This room was also very smart and well styled in keeping with the rest of the hotel. The dining staff were very professional and polite, couldn't do enough, everything was well layed out and presented. After a few minutes we were asked if we were ready to order, not rushed at anytime, in the meantime you also have a choice of continental style breakfast choices, with cereals, aswell fresh milk, fruit juice.And a good selection of different coffee choices from there new modern style and expensive looking coffee machine, This seems to be the only thing you have to make yourself. Everything else is served, with choices of toasts, also made and served at the table to you. The Breakfast we chose, was the full English, very nice it came hot with beans, a fried slice, blackpudding, bacon, eggs, sausages and mushrooms.well presented on a nice hot plate. The items can be optional to your particular choices and requirements, not a problem to this staff, everything came with a lovely smile. They also, ask if you require anymore toasts, to be honest everything was perfect and filling especially after the large coffee from the machine, which was surprisingly very good. Don't expect a buffet style breakfast here, as with other Best Western hotels, This dining room is small and they seemed to have a very good tried and tested system here which works very well with the very professional staff that make this system work. I found given the size and space of the room, it would not work trying to incorporate a buffet breakfast system as with the other hotels in chain. We were very impressed with how it worked. On our way out from our large upgraded, spacious room, we passed the hotel cleaning staff and greeted with a lovely good morning have a nice day, the only issue we had with our room, which were only small ones, the batteries for the remote for the TV, seemed to be a bit low, and the back cover of the remote was missing, also the sealant around the bath could have been removed and resealed, only small things but they were there nonetheless. Checking out was also very easy, nicely managed by the staff, This hotel I would highly recommend to anyone looking to visit the local area or places like Lyme Regis as we did, well done everyone involved.

Very good value money. Very friendly and helpful staff . Excellent food for both breakfast and evening meal although a slightly limited dinner menu. Very dog friendly in all areas except the dining room. Good clean room. All in all extremely acceptable.

This was a family trip to a wedding close by, so very convenient. Lovely big rooms with a very nice bathroom. All adults, five of us, we ate in the restaurant. There was plenty of choice, nice, but not exceptional food. We would stay here again because it was good value for money.

We were told to watch the step going into the room. That after half an hour checking in by someone who loves there job (not) anyway, grumpy man on desk who becomes bar man but only after he watched you standing at the bar for 10 minutes and then ask him if the bar opened? He says yes and goes to the bar and serve. Trust me it was faulty towers. The room was noisy worst ever experienced in my life.Just glad I was not paying cause if I was I would be taking it further

Good value stay at a competitive rate. A reasonable sized room with a very comfy bed, good hot shower. Clean, with flat screen TV, large choice of channels to watch, tea and coffee making facilities, writing desk relaxing armchair. Friendly staff. Cheery lawn area and good sized car park

Just got back from 2 nights here. Was a really lovely hotel and room far exceeded my expectations (room 7). Staff were friendly and helpful, bar well stocked and the hotel ideally located for trips around Somerset and to the Jurassic coast in Dorset.

Just checked out of the Shrubbery Hotel. All I can say is that the hotel was excellent, especially for a 3* hotel. The team were friendly and really welcoming. And we were more than impressed with the room... we suspect it was the best room (our room was pictured and on the restaurant menu downstairs)! Just so you know it was room 7! I am unable to comment on the food but the menu and price accordingly looked good. We did however have breakfast which was good. We were notified in advanced of an event on, in an evening during out stay. Did not bother us but we were impressed with the contact either way. Really recommend this hotel..... well done Team Shrubbery and thanks Best Western.

Always try to stay at this hotel when on business in this area. It's a great location, the rooms are large and pleasant after a refurbishment and the staff are always friendly. Looking forward to my stay there again next week.

Went in on our 25th wedding anniversary for a meal with the family, but food was very average ..my meal (chicken supreme) had clearly been microwaved ...pockets of heat and other bits cold ...very unappetising to look at too. The only positive thing to say was the chunky chips (which had not been microwaved) were delicious! Veggie curry very average, best meal round the table was probably the gammon but hard to get that wrong.

I didn't know what to expect when I booked to stay at the BW Shruberry as I had never been to Ilminster before. I love this place! The views from the garden are breathtaking - outside space with picnic tables. Both my evening meal and breakfast were first class, and I have to admit I was blown away about how good the food is here! They have a varied menu, and I know my niece would love several items on the menu. The staff had put my room aircon on in readiness for my arrival, which was a beautiful touch. I would highly recommend this hotel.

Stayed in this hotel for work, plenty of parking and easy to find, very clean at reception and bar room was not all that (the annex) food was average meat on mixed grill was very dry, wouldnt stay if it wasnt for work to be honest but it was ok for the 1 night

Reason for this this stay was to attended my daughters wedding. The reception was held here and I cannot recommend it enough. Food was excellent as was the service by helpful and friendly staff. We stayed for 3 nights and have no complaints

My wife & I stayed for a night & had Dinner B&B on our way back from Devon. We found it to be a lovely place to stay at with great amenities, great food & terrific attentive staff. Would definitely stay there again as it broke the trip back to Buckinghamshire very pleasurable.

Had a fantastic Sunday lunch here last week . Excellent service and great quality food. Served in their restaurant. The meat and veg all fantastic piping hot and served on hot plates what a diiference that makes. Had two courses starter and Main too full to choose a sweet Also try their Malbac Red amazing Well worth a visit and for the quality and ambiance seems good value

There seems to be plenty of parking. It seemed the same person kept popping up everywhere in the evening, on reception behind the bar he was friendly. The bar area was nice as was the food served. The room was a little dusty, the bedside lamps were quite dusty as I discovered when I tried to turn them on. There were steps down into the room and steps into bathroom, which I tripped up! I couldn't get hot running water in the morning, it was tepid if that, not the best way to start your day, I do like a hot shower. I think it may have been a fairly new bathroom suite but it looked like the bath panel had been broken and was just filled badly with some polyfiller. For me the bed was too soft and found I had an aching back in the morning. Breakfast was £7 for continental and £14 for full breakfast. Selection was ok

Absolutely stunning. Could not have asked for more .staff very helpful and polite wedding planner very helpful.Food amazing.so lucky that rain held off to have service outside followed by drinks in the gardens.Magical day had by all.Thank you

I have stayed here a couple of times in the last few years. It has some very happy memories for me from the 1970's, Nice quiet Hotel, very comfortable. Food not included in the price this trip, but I have eaten here before and the food is excellent.

A warm welcome awaits you at this fab little hotel , We could not fault the rooms , the food both breakfast and evening meals. rooms where clean , with comfy beds , good powerful shower, views over Ilminster stunning from the window . The staff reception, bar , restaurant and cleaning staff all , very friendly and helpful , will definitely be back .... thank you for making our mini break all the more enjoyable knowing we where coming back to be looked after at the shrubbery ...

Stayed for one night midweek. Meeting friends and attending an evening function at the Shubbery. The hotel I found to be very nice, it has lots of character, which is not normally found in some Best Western Hotels. The food for the evening function (40 people) was of an excellent standard at all the meals came out together, something to my mind is a great example of a well run kitchen. I found the staff to be friendly and accommodating, any issues or questions I had they did everything to help. Something I really appreciated. Top tips. 1. If going into Ilminster itself, I would leave your car at the hotel its only a 10 min walk into the high street. 2. When booking try to get an email confirmation. There was a small mix up with mine, although the staff were fantastic sorting it out on the day. 3. I staying in one of the back rooms, be careful because as soon as you open the door there is a step down into the room. It's not an issue, just take care. 4. Save space for breakfast - excellent! Relax and enjoy, a great hotel for just taking a breath and recharging your batteries.

Great hotel, used regularly for over 2 years. Staff very friendly and helpful. Rooms are to a good standard and food is great. Good options for breakfast and whilst not a massive variety in restaurant the food is lovely. There's also a good bar menu. Nice location for a holiday, one day but great wifi helps when on business. Will continue to use this hotel for business. Occasionally get the nice exec room.

Our daughter got married at the Shrubbery on 30th December 2018. We want to pass on our sincere gratitude to Simon and all his team for everything they did for us in both the preparation for, and on the day of the wedding. Simon was down to earth, approachable, and accommodated our needs as much as feasibly possible – and everything came together perfectly for a wonderful day! It was great to be able to deal and communicate on the level we did – as I think the ability to be flexible to people's needs makes a significant difference. From the décor, to the food, to the atmosphere, to the staff, to the accommodation – Everything came together fantastically, and the feedback on the day was brilliant from everyone!!

When making the booking, particularly asked for a table that was accessible for my elderly disabled Mother, knowing that there are 3 steep steps down to the ballroom. Was assured that this would not be a problem and a note was made to that affect when I booked. On arrival, found these instructions had been ignored and our table was in the main ballroom. Could not find a member of staff to help. Once I had managed to get us to our table, the food was then served. The soup was lukewarm, as was the turkey. The vegetables were at least hot but uninspiring. The pecan pie was lovely but lukewarm, as was the small dollop of cream that came with it. All in all, a very disappointing but expensive experience and not one that we intend to repeat next year. Incidentally, their website says that their chef, Henry, has been with them for over 30 years. This was the case, but he sadly left over a year ago.

At first looks it's a lovely place but the rooms are quite dated (we had a deluxe room, though with and need a revamp the sealant round the bath at present a large messy smear that has loosened! The TV was temperamental probably due to the remote being held together by sellotape! Now the meal, it was ok but it wasn't self service for the veg so not enough served, dessert was nice but the mince pies oh gosh just vile tasted of lard! Will try some where else next time!

We booked 24 tickets for Blues Bros Christmas night on 13th December. The manager emailed to say that the band would not be able to perform as they had an 'accident'. I suspected this was a lie and contacted the band who confirmed that they were playing on the night, had no accidents and had not been informed that they were cancelled! the manager, Simon McBride, still tried to continue with the deceit until he could no longer sustain the pretence. The Hotel decided to hide behind a clause stating that they could cancel at any time and only offered alternative dates or a refund. Can you imagine anyone re-booking with them? This is not the first time they have done this. I know a member of another band who was also cancelled by the hotel at the last minute. I would urge everyone to avoid this hotel at all costs.

2 nights R&R and hard to find fault. Room was clean and well proportioned. Breakfast cooked to order and the coffee very good compared to some establishments. Staff were most helpful and attentive, when required to be. Bar was comfortable and prices very reasonable. A jewel in the Best Western Crown.

Very nice hotel with friendly and helpful staff. Old style building with lots of stairs and no lift, but that didn't bother us. We had a huge room at the top of the building so lots of stairs but it was so worth it for this excellent room. We found the staff to be very helpful and friendly. Plenty of off-street parking and excellent facilities. We ate in the bar for dinner and also had breakfast on both days. All our meals were of a high standard and the service was excellent. On check-out the lady at reception gave us excellent directions to our next location which we found super helpful because it was a very stormy day and we were able to avoid the Motorway. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Ilminster.

We were upgraded to Room 7. Very nice room with 4 poster bed, settee and huge double bathroom. If they had a better chef it could easily get 5 stars. The breakfast was all precooked and kept warm. The fried egg was served swimming in grease. Lots of people were complaining at dinner that the menu was the same for the whole week so not much choice. We only had to stay one night as I was speaking at a conference locally. For one night it was fine.

I have just spent 2 nights as part of a short business trip. The good, the hotel staff are all very helpful and friendly. Breakfast is nice. The bad. When I arrived my room widow was open and my room was buzzing with flys and insects. They have strangely set meal times that don't take travelers into account. Evening meals were not worth waiting for and rather poor quality. The hotel is a very strange mix of styles that make no sense at all, this gives the impression of it being unfinished. If I have an option in the future I probably won't stay again.

Had lunch here recently, sadly the meat part of the meal was inedible, tough as old boots. When challenged the manager disagreed. The sad thing is this used to be a nice place to dine, no longer so I am afraid.

While passing through Somerset heading to Devon we came across the Shrubbery Hotel in a Market Town called Ilminster. On first impressions from the outside it looked like a quant little country hotel on the side of the road. How wrong were we, the hotel has many different lounge areas and a great bar? They have a very large what looked like a conference or party room located to the rear at the time of our visit it seemed to be either a wake or family party going on. On arrival the reception staff were very helpful and directed us through to the bar area where we could get some lunch. We could see it was very busy and expected to be delayed, the 2 Staff in the bar area Josh and Simon explained all about the limited menu, some kind of kitchen refurbishment going on and could not do enough to make us feel welcome. Our snacks arrived very quickly, the Burger is amazing, and my wife had the liver & bacon an old favourite you rarely see anymore. If you are looking for a quick bite to eat, or coffee break its perfect. We will be returning when we head back north and if we find ourselves in the area again perhaps we will even stay. If I had to give a slight negative even though the car park is extensive we did struggle to park at the rear of the hotel, due to the other party going on. Looking forward to our return visit.

Hotel is beautiful staff is lovely nothing to much trouble for them. Our room was amazing the only down side is that there isn't enough rooms with showers only. I had a lot of stairs to climb to our room even though I am registered disabled I am not wheelchair bound. But all the stairs to climb was hard, especially with my leg being so bad... The really bad bit we didn't like the food the breakfast was swimming in grease and our meal the potatoes were rock hard on the out side if they had hit anyone it would have killed them and the meat was tuff.. The plates were cold so made the meal go cold quick. Pleased we were at the back of the hotel as the road is very busy

Good parking. Warm welcome. Helpful staff. Clean room/bathroom.We stayed for just one night during the hottest summer in years and (understandably) needed to have the window open at night. The hotel is situated on a slight hill, and the cars tend to drop a gear when heading into town. I slept through it all, but my wife found the noise intolerable. Recommend booking a quieter room at the back of the hotel - where the views are slightly better as well. But you may then be disturbed by events at the hotelm (e.g. weddings) Limited menu in the evening. Breakfast was a big disappointment - barely suntanned sausage with my full breakfast, and undercooked poached eggs swimming in a pool of water on my wife's plate. Plated up in the kitchen with a shallow ladle instead of a draining spoon? We were left to our own devices, so there was nobody to complain to. In summary: the accommodation and front of house staff were good, but the food was mediocre

I recently ran a training course here for a group of 75 people. It was a hot and clammy evening. The hall had been well laid out with ample decent seating and, with the doors open at either end, a cooling breeze was allowed to flow through making a hot, sticky evening refreshingly comfortable. Ample parking was also a bonus.

We spend 3 nights with a groupe in Shrubbery Hotel! We had a great stay, also because of the friendly stuff! Special thanks to Sema and Barbara! Your hosts made our time very welcomeing. Food was good as well! The only minus - there are some rooms facing the road-very noisy! Angelika

After being told about a recent review on tripadvisor i have joined tripadvisor just to be able to send my views. We were at the wedding 3 weeks ago and very close to the bride and groom the day at the Shrubbery was so perfect we could not fault anything, the gardens which we had the reception drinks were great, although i don't like Pimms. The food during the day was lovely well laid out and unlike some places plenty to choose from. The staff were well organised i believe one of the staff is called Mike and looked after our needs, being gluten free myself along with vegetarians on our table they could not do enough for us. The hotel manager was around from the beginning serving our drinks in the garden and during the wedding looking after the bride and groom, not sure of his name, but speaking with the groom later in the day he had no complaints and was very happy with the attention received. Only one negative from me the pork carvery in the evening could have been left out a little longer, with the heat most of us were outside and only came in towards the end. Spot on breakfast and the room we stayed in perfect although with the air conditioning not working due to a fault it was quite hot, but again the staff provided fans the best they could do. I just wanted to put a positive spin for the shrubbery team, great job

A flying visit to this hotel after a family celebration nearby. Arrived at 11.30pm and departed at 9.00am so the review is based on limited experience. Reception were efficient and helpful, room was spacious, comfortable, equipped and clean. Entering the dining room for breakfast we quickly noticed the lighting was pulsing (unknown reason) which ment we could not sit in there and it quickly made me feel unwell. Not too much of an issue as we could sit in the lobby/conservatory area. Not incredibly impressed with the breakfast, toast was cold and butter was straight from the fridge so could not be spread! Coffee machine was overly complicated. Service was some what cold and it felt a little like customers were a burden. I don't want to be unduly harsh but want to be as honest as possible. We would use this venue if needed in the future however we felt it was not completely up to the standard we are used to from the many Best Western hotels we stay at.

If you are thinking of using The Shrubbery as a Wedding Venue I advise you to think again. What you are quoted is very far from the actual bill you end up with which is not even broken down to be clear to see.....£650 difference!!!!!!!! Not amusing for a young couple starting out in life. If you have Vegan guests then lets hope they will be satisfied with a vegetarian sausage and lettuce leaves as that is all our Vegan guests were offered. Service was very slow and not forthcoming even having to ask for knives!

Stayed here 2 nights for a wedding The reception was held here The room was fine Bed on small side No A/C Baking hot Windows open for air at night Room was facing main road hence noisy and difficult to sleep in Staff helpful Wedding do was well catered for Lovely beer garden

A much overhauled Victorian hotel, with a jumble of public rooms below and a warren of guest rooms above, connected by a staircase that looks imposing when you have a suitcase and realize that there is no lift. But my large room, with large ensuite bathroom, was quiet and, beyond the parking lot, overlooked a nature reserve. The bed was comfortable, and the general standard of cleanliness was high. Traveling in a group, I had two breakfasts and two dinners here. The breakfast buffet needs to be reorganized to eliminate the bottleneck, but hot food could be ordered, and the service was cheerful and prompt in dealing with confusion. Maybe it was luck, but my two dinners were very good. A month later, I still remember the rhubarb semi-freddo. I thought the Shrubbery might be typical of a Victorian market town like Ilminster. I liked the bustle of civic groups meeting there, in contrast to the silence of many hotels in dying small towns. The town is historic, small-scale and charming, with a great number of its core buildings made of Hamstone, a golden Somerset limestone. There is a small Hamstone covered market, for the weekly market still held there, a new Tesco in an adapted old building, a repertory theater, and a Hamstone Gothic church "restored," as was common, in the 19th century. The Church of St. Mary is a Grade I listed building. Its wall-mounted monument to the parish dead in WW I has a very sad list that is utterly and appallingly too long.

The Shrubbery was a very pleasant hotel for our 4 day bike tour. It has had much renovation and in the general areas is super. Lots of parking and even a room to house our bikes. Staff very friendly and helpful. All very clean and new. Breakfast was in a very pleasant room and the choice was great and staff efficient and smiley. My room at the side in particular was very noisy. It was very hot when we visited and I needed to have the single glazed sash window open fully. There is a road which goes along the front of the hotel so therefore my night was very noisy. Double glazing and aircon definitely needing to be installed. En suite bathroom was excellent but the room was too small for all the items in it! I had to move the wardrobe so that I could pull out the chair at the desk to sit at it with my laptop. Rather dark and pokey. So a very pleasant stay apart from the lack of double glazing and aircon

Decent place, not quite as nice as the photos make it look. If you find yourself needing to stay in Ilminster, it's not bad, though some of the rooms are really in need of updating. The drink selection in the bar is pretty basic, and the food is just OK; they made a big deal out of some locally sourced steak, for example, and then didn't seem to know how to cook it (it was very tough—I really had to saw at it with my knife). Beds are hard. They also seem to do a lot of events—there was a Rotary Club meeting while we were here, and some kind of other large group event, which makes it feel a little hectic.

Nice hotel, friendly staff including Connor, Daisy and the hotel team who went out of their way to ensure that drinks and food was to a good standard. Really helpful staff and nice rooms. Nice views also.

This is my third stay at the Shrubbery. It is a nice hotel that feels more like a private hotel than pat of a chain. The rooms were well kept and the staff very friendly. It can get busy in the evenings,but it did not bother me.

Good sized rooms, decently equipped but the hard bed had a mound in the middle and lots of pillows, all of them hard and lumpy. One of our rooms was stifflingly hot because of a broken thermostat; eventually the night porter came and switched the radiator off completely. The gardens are what was left over after the large car park was built. The breakfast menu was not extensive but the food was good. Overall a pretty average place and not exactly good value for money. In the evenings the restaurant has a shortish menu that doesn't seem to change very much but the food was excellent. Someone in the kitchen cooks very well with very good ingredients. The service was cheerfully pleasant. (I recommend the Eton Mess which has the right sort of meringue in it).

I held my parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary at the Shrubbery a couple of days ago for 60 friends and family. We had Somerset 1, which was just right to seat everyone comfortably and to allow us to mingle. Great high tea, lovely sandwiches and cakes. We also had family and my parents staying over for a couple of days, so we were also there for evening meals and breakfasts. We would especially like to thank Jackie for her brilliant customer service and assistance throughout the day. Nothing was too much trouble. And also thank you to Michael and Alicia.in the restaurant. And Rhys for helping to set up the room. All in all a fab couple of days and the whole team worked really hard to ensure everything ran like clockwork.

Our room was freezing cold when we arrived. We immediately turned the radiator on but the room was barely warm by the next morning. It was good to have 2 armchairs in the room and a table that we could have eaten at if we had chosen room service. There was a shower over a bath and for quickness I chose the shower (the bathroom was too cold to linger in). The pressure of water in the shower was poor. We ate in the restaurant. The food was OK. Nothing exceptional and the selection at breakfast the same. I would probably go somewhere else if I had to stay in Ilminster again.

I booked to stay at this hotel because it was near to where I was going for my business trip. I was dreading it because I have stayed at too many poor quality Best Western hotels. First impression was OK, receptionist was polite but I was still unsure. He offered to help me with my luggage, unlike some of the other Best Western hotels. My room was nice and spacious and clean. TV worked and the heaters worked although the room was a bit cold during the night. I did not have have evening meal at the hotel so cannot comment. Breakfast was a bit limited in choices but not a problem.

Staying over Sunday night rather than driving down in Monday morning. I'm pleasantly surprised so far. Reliable hotel with lovelly large room and car park. Looking forward to supper. All staff are friendly and helpful and are meeting Best Western expectations. Beer very drinkable. Supper fine. A recommended stop over, nothing not to like. Dave Wykes

I've stayed here on numerous occasions and always been happy with this hotel, but I have say on this trip the whole experience was so much better. The best experience was the food. AMAZING. I had the pork belly starter and it was so tasty and very well presented. Main was the the lamb dauphinois again very well flavoured and again beautifully presented. Dessert was the panna cotta again superb. All of this was unbelievable and great great value at £19.50 for 3 courses. Breakfast was brilliant as well. Excellent all round stay.

Pleasantly surprised by this hotel. Arrived to be greated by the wonderful views to the rear of the hotel. Check-in was excellent. Room was clean, if not dated for a Queen room, personally I would have preferred a double as a solo traveler. We had dinner in the hotel and I have to say for £20.00 for three courses the standard, quality and presentation was excellent. Fab water pressure for the morning shower. Freshly cooked to order breakfast which was also very good, the only grip was the undercooked toast. The staff were friendly and helpful. We would definitely return.

First the look of this place is amazing! This does not look like any Best Western I had ever stayed in before (probably because I live in the US). Second, our room was even more amazing! I don't know what I was expecting, but we were wowed walking into it. Look at my pics! 4 poster bed, SUPER fancy double shower and, modern bathroom. Awesome! We felt like we must have been upgraded or something because we had just booked a standard room. Breakfast was good. A++

Excellent in every way, carvery was what expected and served quickly and hot, staff were very well trained and it showed as the evening progressed, they were allowed to join the midnight festivities and everyone was very happy. We will book again. Happy new year to all concerned.

We stayed here for a Christmas party night, the room was warm, clean and spacious, lovely shower, no complaints. It was the meal that let this place down. I know they were catering for a lot of people but you do expect a decent meal for the price we paid. The carvery was just average and the cheesecake dessert I had was not good. On this basis we will be going somewhere else next year!

Several friends had a festive Christmas lunch, sorry to say it really was very poor, other years we have had a really enjoyable meal, but this year it certainly did not come up to standard, the vegetable were uninspiring being tasteless and a poor selection , the roast potatoes undercooked, the baileys cheesecake had to be sent back it tasted stale, , most of the food was cold, as was the room . I feel it will be a different venue next year.

This is the most expensive Sunday lunch in Ilminster,but it was far from good.It was a 89th birthday celebration and our party of 5 all elected to have the Turkey meal.the turkey it self was fine, but ther stuffing was like a cannonball,sprouts were yellow and mushy,Roast potatoes dry on the inside,garden peas???and why a dish of 20+boiled potatoes for 5 people.Dont let me mention the starters ,hard toast with smoked salmon ?? please,I understand they were extremly busy but for a hotel of this standard this is not good enough.

Stayed here for a night in December 2017. What I liked: lovely Xmas decorations, good parking, relatively friendly staff, pretty building, easy to find, lovely town, good price, food was ok - not special What I didn't like: my room was way into the back of the hotel which wasn't a great entrance, small bar area with limited seating, no food until 7pm at night, tired bathrooms, untuned tv, cold bedroom on arrival, young servers in the small/limited dining room talking very loudly about the guests - we could hear you. Discuss out of earshot. Just a few bits of additional care and taking a little more time would make this hotel much better.

Just one nights stay for a Xmas party, the hotel was decorated beautifully for the festive season. The food on the night was excellent, a car very with three choices of meats all Cooke to perfection. The room are a good standard and clean, the staff at the hotel are a credit to the hotel. The only slight disappointment was the shower was a bit on the cold side Would stay agin when in the area

I used to go to this Hotel a lot in the 1970's as a Band I knew played there regularly. I had always promised myself I would go back and I wasn't disappointed - the only noticeable difference were the fire doors on the corridors. Lovely staff, great food and very comfortable room. Highly recommended. Can't wait to go back.

Had a brief Sunday night stay. Arrived at about 8pm after a long drive and a very helpful member of reception staff checked me in. Offered either bar food or room service - but decided to sleep instead. Needed more milk for tea and was provided with extra upk request. Room clean and comfortable. No grumbles from me!

I've had quite a number of stays at this lovely hotel and watched the improvements over the years. It's looking fabulous ! This time l was treated to an amazing room, no 7. Beautifully refurbished with a four poster bed, fab furnishings and an ultra modern bathroom with a double high tec shower. Dinner was lovely as usual and breakfast cooked to order. Will always stay here on my journey round the West and would highly recommend. Thanks a million for the room chaps !

I arrived on Friday afternoon at 2pm and was told by the (rather supercilious) receptionist that breakfast was served only from 8am. I told her that I had been looking forward to a cooked breakfast but that I was being picked up at 8am (to catch a train to Bristol to fly home). Her only comment was that I should ask the people picking me up to come later! She also advised me that there was an event on that evening so that I might experience some noise in my room and that the corridors were being repainted so that I should watch out for wet paint. She made no mention whatsoever of any breakfast being available in my room. I was particularly looking forward to a cooked breakfast because I had a long day of travel ahead of me to get to my home in France (taxi/train/bus/plane/bus/car). I had also had a great cooked breakfast in my last stay in a Best Western in Bridgend. When I got up I checked my booking.com form and noticed that it said that cooked breakfast was included so when I checked out at ten to eight I asked for it to be deducted from my bil,l which I told the same receptionist I intended to pay in cash. She told me that I should have ordered breakfast in my room and I asked her why she had not told me that it was available in my room. She told me I should have read the folder in my room! She said that breakfast usually cost 14 pounds and that she was not authorized to give me a refund (apparently only a manager could do this) and that I would have to pay by credit card in order that the manager could authorize the refund. I did this in good faith. She also told me that I should have booked directly cutting out booking.com . I was subsequently refunded just 6.50 pounds and wrote to the Manager who apologised and said that he would refund me a further 10 pounds without delay. A week later this had not come so I had to contact him again. this time (with no apology) he said he would do it and it finally arrived. I would have much rather have had the cooked breakfast that I had booked and that it should not have been beyond a decent hotel to supply before 8am.

Catering for 180 people isn't easy and providing them with a good quality 4 course dinner is even more difficult. The team at The Shrubbery did this admirably and the young waiting staff should also be congratulated on their friendly, efficient and professional approach. The ballroom provided a fantastic venue for this event. Even with close to 200 people, the room didn't feel cramped. The set 4 course dinner; vegetable soup, roast beef, apple tart and cheese and biscuits was all very well cooked. Requests for additional potatoes/gravy/carrots etc were all met with a smile and before you knew it fresh supplies were on the table. Well done to all involved.

Great location and considering going back for a long weekend for walks and tour of local area and it is set in idyllic countryside. Staff were pleasant and professional. Heating was good and windows could be opened for fresh air as aircon was not brilliant. However I have taken a point off as my room #1 was so so noisy with the windows open and at 4am the laundry run must be right next door as one hell of a racket. I did mention this in the morning and they said the extension rooms at the back were better, I asked was they full and they said no, so I said why didn't you say. Also the WiFi in the whole hotel is rubbish, I did complain and was given access to the office WiFi. Anyway that said the breakfast was ace and the morning staff superb, a big difference from the night staff. I do like best western and has I just cam from Chilworth Manor this was totally different to that hotel

My old mate who lives alone in Ilminster never gets out to socialise so took him for a lunchtime treat here as i knew food was good . Three Course A La Carte Menu at £20 which for a hotel in The South was good value . Interesting dishes and excellent service as even on a Wednesday restaurant was full. Even better recommendation the local luncheon club was dining there .

I have very mixed feelings on this hotel. The night I got there.......arrived quite late and the car park is really packed with tight spaces, having to squeeze in. Hotel reception staff were polite and told me I needed to order food soon as the kitchens would close. The food was cooked quickly and was very nice. The bar staff were really efficient. The room......?! Room no2......OMG!! See previous review with regard to the PRIVATE adjoining door.....seriously made me feel uncomfortable....it's paper thin and you hear EVERYTHING in the other room...I mean EVERYTHING! The room is clean and tidy and modern.....comfy bed but the door is so weird.....quite unbelievable. I was so tired so put the TV on to drown out other noises from the other side of the door......the TV doesn't work!! There is a sign on printed card advising you it doesn't work and they can't sort it! WiFi......same problem! Doesn't work and no mobile signal! Nothing to distract me from next door!! Bathroom is clean and provides some freebies. Breakfast.....nobody told me where to find it....had to interrupt staff talking at reception to find out. The breakfast room is small and so quiet. Nobody there to greet you...just left waiting. There is a bit of fruit and yogurt with a small selection of juices. Nobody tells what you can have or how it works. They are very slow and don't listen to what you ask...they just keep asking you the same questions! I got fed up after a cup of tea and left. Check out was quick and efficient. Nice location....hotel is right on the main road through village....quiet at night but gets busy as rush hour starts. Avoid room 2 at all costs!!!

This is my second time staying here and this was so much better than the first. I was upgraded to the Bridal Suite and I couldn't believe my luck. It is an absolutely fabulous room and I would recommend staying in this room to anyone. The staff here are also amazing and they really do look after their guests. The young lad on reception was 5 star. If I come back here again I will try and get the bridal suite.

Nice and quiet hotel along a roaqd that is quite busy. Not had any problems with that. Good parking next to the hotel that is easy accisble through different entrances. thank you for the stay and hopefully we will meet again soon

My wife and I are away in the Caribbean on 20 September for my wife's 70th birthday therefore, in order to celebrate with her work colleagues at Portman Ward Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton we booked a Sunday lunch at The Shrubbery Hotel. Since being purchased by the owner of The Swan in Wells the hotel has undergone an absolutely fantastic overhaul. The day was almost indescribable. Despite a huge wedding party we were made to feel that we were the most important party in the place. Mike and the young lady who helped him with the service were fantastic. We waited for nothing and the personal service was beyond excellent. It is with a huge regret that we are unable to recall the young lady's name because she deserves a special mention as she was confident and professional throughout with the ability to converse with all of the guests. My wife and I have on many occasions popped in for a drink but, on this occasion we tested their ability and professionalism to the ultimate. It is almost impossible to find the words to describe the quality of service and food that we received on Sunday. The Shrubbery has our assurance that, for all future special occasions they will be at the top of the list. Fantastic food, fantastic service, fantastic venue. Our thanks to all Kevin, Mark, MIke and that lovely young lady (sorry we cannot remember your name but without you it would not have been the same.

We stayed overnight in a large room at the back of the hotel looking over a valley. The room appeared to have been recently refurbished and was in excellent order and very quiet. We stayed midweek and paid £74 for the room, and that included a full breakfast, which represents excellent value in my opinion. I see higher prices are quoted so perhaps we benefitted from being midweek, anyway for whatever reason, we had very good value. The breakfast incidentally was very good, with delicious freshly cooked scrambled eggs. Dinner the night before had been good if not outstanding, and again excellent value for money. The waiting staff were all young, bright and eager, the only slight downside being one of the girls delivering every dish with a "Here's your whatever, awright?" which became a little tedious, but at least she was cheerful and efficient.

We only stayed overnight but were treated like best friends. The staff were professional but extremely friendly. The evening meal was superb and the waiters were attentive but not intrusive. A great hotel for a stop of for Kent to Cornwall. Thank you and we will be revisiting.

We had lunch at the bar here as a break from travelling down the A303. The food was good and the bar person helpful, particularly sorting out options for children (there wasn't a children's menu). There was only one other table of people so it was quiet and the room we ate in was lovely.

We can't fault the rooms, food, service. We had a fabulous weekend at this hotel. The rooms are modern, beautifully decorated and spacious. The food was excellent and we were surprised that the bar prices were cheaper than we expected. A lovely weekend. Full marks to the staff.

At this place I felt like home. Beautiful furniture, warm welcome, nice bar and all staff were super friendly. All areas of the hotel were super clean and material of good quality. Breakfast was a dream, freshly made and delivered with a smile. Good value for money.

We booked late and had the last room, it was lovely. Big, spacious clean and overlooking the gardens and a view over a very nice estate of new houses of more greenery. We had half board and we were not disappointed at all the food was amazing, fresh. The vegetables were cooked to perfection. All staff very attentive and polite. The hotel is in an excellent position to visit the surrounding area. The only reason I have not given it 5 stars is because at times we were the only people in the restaurant and bar, lacked a bit of atmosphere. When more people were there it was great. Think this hotel is used for business people etc. My only gripe was the bed it was so hard, like sleeping on a bale of hay and the pillows were like bricks, could do with investing in some new fluffy ones. We had a great time though, very relaxing. Thanks to all the staff.

Stayed here for one night en-route to a show, the staff was pleasant and bar food nice, but accommodation quite basic inside and my room number 10' would have been hard pushed to get two of you in comfortably and quite a lot of road noise , but for the price it was good.

As a night stop this was okay, room was clean, tidy and comfortable as was the en-suite. We needed to be out of the hotel at 8.10 am on Sat morning to make our next appointment. Breakfast started at 0800, we asked if it was possible to have a slightly earlier breakfast 0745 - No was the flat response. The option was to have a continental breakfast picked up from reception the evening before. I was handed a large tray with 'breakfast' for 2 and left to get it through 2 fire doors and into the room. I was quite proud that I managed to get a heavy tray loaded with plates, glasses and bottles up 2 flights of stairs, through the doors and into the room without drama; however I would normally expect hotel staff to do that not dump it on me. Clearly the hotel and I have different views of a continental breakfast. Why can't they at least drop it outside the room the night before and offer a choice of cereal Overall if you want a bed for the night it's fine. Just don't expect any hospitality.

Arrived at reception for our booking mid-evening Saturday night. There was a wedding on - not a problem, but despite the associated busy-ness we had to wait sometime to be noticed. The young guy knew who we were instantly but there wasn't really much of a welcome, for which he did, admittedly, apologise once we were at dinner. The food in the restaurant was un-fussy but impressive with large portions. My partner and I both had steak, for which no steak knife was available. The very friendly and helpful young waitress admitted that she'd been trying to get her bosses to provide these for some time - when we also mentioned to her that the wi-fi was out of range in our room (and in the restaurant) she said she'd been on to them about this, too: something to do with thick, traditionally-constructed walls, apparently. When we unlocked the door of our room (with some difficulty as the key card arrangement was intermittent) my partner nearly fell down the steep step on the other side. We are not particularly old but if our elderly parents had rented this room this could have been a legal issue as there was no sign or other warning. The room and bed were fine, with an adequate telly (only Freeview) and a fan, together with a larger-than-average bathroom that was nice but the shower was weak and took a long time to get hot. There was only enough coffee for one cup, too - unless you wanted decaff, which isn't really coffee. Although the Shrubbery has nice views and a beer garden and the staff were pleasant enough, it was really only the food (and waitress's service) that stood out among a rather mediocre package that left us thinking that - for this price - we shouldn't be left regretting not choosing the nearby Travelodge.

Attented a wedding here on the 8th july. What can i say, they made the whole place magicial. Julia was very helpful with the wedding planning. My friends were getting married and i have heard so much wonderful stuff about julia,how helpful and wonderful she was. She also helped the photographer les moxon in the morning,allowing him to go in to the venue room to see what camera settings he needed. They set the rooms up beautifully. The weather was kind to us. The pergal outside was a great settibg for photos. The food they provided was execllant. The service througjout was also amazing. We stayed in a room which had air conditoned which was a god send,it was getting a bit warm. The room was clean,bright and large. Bathroom also very clean. Dont judge a book or in this the building by its cover, u will not be disappointed.

My daughter got married here and what a fabulous day we had. The venue was all beautifully decorated and the food was lovely. We also stayed over night and we had a lovely room with a nice view over the valley and our room had air conditioning which was a bonus as it was a very hot day. My daughter and her husband were very impressed with their room too. Staff were all very friendly and helpful would definitely recommend.

We used this hotel for a stop on our way to Cornwall. The staff were so friendly and helpful. The bedroom was somewhat dated, being a mix of old and new. Used the hotel restaurant, good food, large portions.

This is a lovely hotel where we stayed overnight on a Saturday night. Our room at the back of the hotel was spacious comfortable and had a lovely view. We had a delightful dinner and the service was great.

Stayed here several times on business and always found a friendly welcome, good food and pleasant surroundings. Just a short walk into town to some decent pubs/restaurants should you not want to eat in the hotel, however dinner has always been good when I've stayed in for the evening.

We stayed at this hotel whilst attending a wedding at the venue. The wedding was amazing and the venue was absolutely perfect.Our bedrooms were lush, with high quality bedding and toiletries. Breakfast was lovely and the young girl serving was so pleasant and friendly. What amazed me about the whole place was the attitude of the staff, everyone was so friendly and seemed genuinely interested in the bridal party and their guests. Well done everyone at The Shrubbery and thank you for making our stay so pleasant!!

I recently stayed at The Shrubbery on two separate occasions. Both visits were thoroughly pleasant in beautifully refurbished rooms. The staff were all pleasant and helpful. There was a lovely served breakfast and I enjoyed a light evening meal. Overall this was excellent value and I will definitely stay here again when travelling through the West Country.

I spent several days here and was surprised and delighted by the quality of service and catering. My room overlooked the car park and had a patio style glass door at ground level so privacy was not total, I consequently had to keep blinds and curtains drawn. However there was a large, bright and airy spotless bathroom with plenty of good quality towels. Staff were welcoming and efficient even with a large group plus functions occurring simultaneously. Food was great, fish dishes beautifully cooked and fresh vegetables plentiful. Breakfast was exceptional and included delicious kippers or smoked haddock, and scrambled eggs excellently cooked. My only niggle was that no healthy alternative to butter was available: this is unusual nowadays as so many of us have to avoid butter for dietary and/or health reasons. A very pleasant bar, and lounge area well supplied with a range of magazines, provided a relaxing central space. On my last morning, the young waitress did a sterling job of serving breakfasts to everyone in a large group with good humour and efficiency despite quite unwarranted complaints which placed her under unfair pressure. A delightful Hungarian member of staff insisted on helping me with my luggage. I would return to the Shrubbery any time. Well done!

My companion and I were visiting family in this lovely town. The hotel was just down the road from the family home which was under refurbishment. I have stayed at hotels all over the world and this was among the best. The only problem I had was that there is no lift. But the stairs had wide treads and a good handrail to help drag oneself upstairs! There are a few ground floor rooms but, sadly, they had all been taken before I booked. We arrived just before 1pm and the friendly receptionist said there was no problem in booking in even though slightly before the advertised check in time. A great start. The room was large. It was so good to see the detail that had gone in to making a good place to stay. Little things like face cloths in the bathroom and a rubber mat to put in the bath to make it non slippy. Lovely large bed and two armchairs and also a leather tooled desk for anyone wanting to work! Beautiful curtains too. We faced the back of the hotel looking out on to the delightful garden. Free and easy parking also. We had a bar snack - we knew we would be eating out with family in the evening - and it was first class. Breakfast was as big as you wanted it to be! And so nicely served. Altogether a class experience. I recommend a visit.

Attended a wedding here yesterday. Everything really nice. Biggest problem for me was the rubbish that was dumped in the space behind the wedding garden. Horrible view. Difficult to bake good photos wth that tip n the background.

We stayed for two nights. Well appointed beautiful hotel. Room 31 is a bit odd up in the attic. The restaurant is a bit limited. Busy hotel which hosts any local groups (rotary etc.). Room had an annoying fire exit sign which kept buzzing all night and had an awkward bathroom layout.

We checked in last weekend, it was a great experience stay with Best Western at Ilminster. Friendly receptionist and bar staffs. We have dinner at the Bar, very nice snack. In fact, we wanted to dine at the restaurant, unfortunately no vegetarian on main course. Therefore I have no other option, we have to go to the bar for our dinner, very nice and freshly cooked. Bar service was great and friendly. However, because of a wedding at the hotel, the whole night we can't sleep, lucky until 12 midnight, out room just right outside the function room. In fact, if the management knew they is a wedding function, they should check us more quiet room or far away from the noise. Therefore, do check with the hotel before check in. Great breakfast and lots of selection. Don't expected connection of internet is fast. usable.

Booked this last minute for the bank holiday weekend as our previous booking elsewhere let us down so I was quite nervous as to what to expect. I needn't have been. From arrival to leaving the people could not have been more friendly. The hotel is very nice. We had our little dog with us and he was made very welcome. We had room 26 which is upstairs at the back with stairs straight to the garden shared with the room next door. The room is huge with an equally large bathroom. Everything was spotless. Breakfast (in the little conservatory area as we had the dog which was not a problem at all, he was allowed in the bar as well) was lovely. We ate out a few nights and just had drinks and snacks in the bar which were very nice and reasonably priced. There was a wedding in the hotel on the Saturday but it still never felt busy and even though we were warned it may be noisy it really wasn't. We had a lovely time, Ilminster is a good base for exploring the surrounding areas. Thanks for a great stay.

It started out so nice...Great hotel, comfortable ...BUT... Unfortunately I just had to have picked the very day that they were having a wedding reception in the hotel...And guess what..We were put in the room that was the nearest to that reception/disco. At the top of the stairs opposite to the function room. Admittedly it did stop at 12 midnight, but we had had an early start (5.00am) so found it very annoying. Otherwise a lovely hotel, nice staff, lovely breakfast and evening meal. And of course ..I wish the newly weds all the best for the future. If you book this hotel............... But remember to check first if they have any function on during your stay !!

This is a delightful hotel where the staff are keen and greet you with a warm smile and are willing to sort thiongs out, such a plate of asndwiches mid afternoon even after normal serving times. The sandwiches served in generous portions with fresh salad. Our room overlooked the valley with car park below. Dining room intimate, but also areas which caters for larger groups for parties, celebrations etc.

A very nice place to spend an overnight or a few days if exploring Somerset. Staff were friendly and the food good. The evening menu (2-course or 3-course fixed price) was limited to about 6 choices for each course, so rather less than a typical pub menu, but was a decent selection. We had a 4-poster room, very well-appointed, which boasted an ultra-modern ensuite shower room with twin showers (if you go for that sort of thing) and the capacity to jet water at your body from every conceivable angle.

I stayed here several times whilst working in Somerset and found this hotel to be very comfortable and friendly. The food is very good and the staff are very helpful. You couldn't really ask for more on a business trip!

We had a Great room very clean and big, Food on Sat evening was excellent and could not fault, as with Breakfast was one of best we have had. All staff very friendly. only issue was that the bar did not have any Presecco (small bottles) as was told they did ,had no Ginger Beer, also had run out of Guinness. Minor issue and would stay there again/.

On Saturday 4th March 2017 our daughter had her wedding day at this wonderful location .The staff were second to none with there help in putting all the finer details of the day ,the rooms where fantastic for our guest who stayed over night .I would recommend this for a wedding due to the professionalism of all the staff including room maids ,bar staff ,catering ,and especially Julia on Reception who was exceptional in the help with it all from start to finish .Thank you all for a great day .

We went to the Shrubbery for lunch, the menu was not extensive but their was a good choice. We had pate, pork loin in plum sauce followed by lemon and lime cheesecake, all of the food was wonderfully presented and cooked well. The waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. We would recommend the Shrubbery for a meal. The only downside was that they were serving a cheap version of diet coke which did not taste good.

Very nice hotel, room was very spacious, clean and comfortable , bathroom was also very spacious. Menu was reasonable for both choice and price, breakfast was also very good. I would happily stay here again.

Visited with aged uncle,he being local and we travelled from Kent to visit and have lunch. Very quiet on Friday lunchtime but at least able to have a good catch up. Randomly ordered from 'bar menu' and 'a la carte' and ate in the restaurant. Staff very attentive and professional and food was plentiful with lots of veggies. The 'shrubbery' burger was delicious as were the proper chips. Reliably informed the other choices, scampi and sea bass were also very good.

For the third time my wife and I have taken a holiday break at The Shrubbery. We can only, once again, commend the management and staff on their continued high standard of service, food, and accommodation, and the particularly relaxing and friendly warm atmosphere of the hotel. A thoroughly enjoyable holiday and we will definitely return Michael and Suzanne Edwards

Took some potential customers out for a bite to eat. Had a couple of drinks in the bar. We then entered the restaurant, the pulled pork starter was excellent. Chicken main course was tasty, but a little dry. Plenty of veg and potatoes, so no one went short. Service was OK, staff ensured we were happy at all times. Will definitely use again...

Ideal location for either north or south especially when the leaves are in autumn colours. Explore during the day & relax in comfort & quietness whilst enjoying some good food & wine. Bring your own television.

I stay in many hotels weekly inthe UK and this is so far the best Best Western I have stayed in. Very good rooom size and quality, clean quiet and comfortable. excellant quality breakfast served by very efficient lady. Bar well stocked and a good selection of local ales on offer. The only negative I could posssible give would be that there are too few seats in the main bar area` however there are plenty of seats i function area and foyer. I will be looking forward to booking this hotel again soon

We chose the Shrubbery for its location, and that was great. Ilminster is a lovely town worth a visit. The hotel is a short walk from the centre with a large car park. The rear of the hotel looks very added on, we were in the original part which was nice.the telly didn't work during our 4 days and the Internet was on and off. They didn't seem particularly sorry for this, just a note under the door. The room was very clean and looked after daily which was nice. One evening we wanted a drink in the bar, my partner had a large g&t, I asked for a cappuccino but was told the machine had been turned off. That was a no then. The bar man then stood behind the bar and ate leftover dinner from the restaurant. The girls in the morning,probably housekeeping were always pleasant. Over all an OK place, clean and tidy but would not bother going back.

We stayed here because it is near several National Trust proprties, and within driving distance of Lyme Regis, and had a thoroughly good stay. The staff were most helpful - sorting out our internet problem, and offering lone of an umbrella during a thunderstorm. Breakfasts were superb,cooked to order, and there was a range of cereals, fresh fruit salad etc..We were spared those awful toaster do-it-yourself machines and were brought hot brown toast, with offers of more. The chef here is particularly good, and we had some delicious food in the evenings. Our room overlooked the hills, and was spotlessly clean, so overall the best Best Western that we have stayed in.

This was an easy location with accessible parking. The rooms were fine and comfortable, but the common areas of the hotel were a bit worn. Breakfast was fine, and staff most helpful. Hotel met our expectations.

I come here a lot and the food is second to none as well as the service try it for your self amazing! Menu changes all the time, the service is excellent, food is amazing. The setting is very modern a very laid back atmosphere, the staff are very attentive, it is very clean etc etc

Stayed here on business and had a very pleasant nights sleep. There is plenty of free parking on site and the hotel looks lovely from the outside. There is nice grounds with a lovely view. I can't say anything about the food here as I didn't eat here. The restaurant looked ok though and there is also a bar. My room was room number 24, it was around the back from the main building and it was a lovely peaceful room. I have to say the furniture is a little dated but it fits with the hotel image, if you know what I mean. Overall I had a great nights sleep in a nice clean hotel with good staff. Definitely choose this hotel again if I'm in the area.

My room was a twin, a late booking and the hotel was busy. It was quite large, the desk was a good size, and an armchair is always good. Pleasant views across houses and hills. The food in the evening was nice (beef & ale pie was on special) and the bar area nice (could eat in conservatory also). The hotel obviously caters to large gatherings in the evenings also, but it didn't feel too busy then. The breakfast however felt a bit chaotic - no buffet for breads, ham or cheese, only cereal & fruit; and there didn't always seem to be enough staff on the cope with the number of people wanting breakfast.

There is a great bar and nice seating areas around the hotel - great for groups. The hotel rooms are clean and well maintained, and fairly old, but the whole building is - so I would call it quaint. The food is good in the restaurant for breakfast.

Stayed here for two nights in rooms 4 and 9. Room 9 is very tired and gloomy. Not value. Our student daughter has just travelled home overland from Hong Kong and she said this is the worst room she has had - worse than most of the hostels she stayed in! Seriously over priced room at £111 per night. Room 4 was more expensive £149 p night and very basic by today's standards. The shower over the bath is a mere trickle - the TV small and stuck up near the ceiling. The wobbly cheap wardrobe not good enough - what can I say other than find an alternative hotel. Breakfast was nice. Won't be going here again!

The hotel provided a great location for a our short visit to the Yeovil area. We booked a superior room which was both large and comfortable with an excellent view. It had been modernised to a high standard. The breakfast was hearty and substantial with a good choice of items. The hot food is cooked to order (rather than a buffet) and very satisfactory. The hotel had pre-warned us that there was a disco in the hotel on the Saturday evening. We decided to stay anyway. This didn't cause us a problem, some of the music was audible in our room but the comfortable bed soon had us asleep. We would definitely return if staying in the area.

We stayed here for 2 nights, the room was superbly decorated to a very high standard and lovely clean linen and towels . The breakfast was lovely the cooked part was good quality ,fresh and hot . All the staff we met were helpful and pleasant . I would definitely recommend staying here

I have stayed at several Best Western Hotel, but this was, by far, the best yet. The staff were extremely welcoming and nothing was too much, they even tried to block out the emergency green light in our room with cardboard. it worked The room was big and the lighting and décor was lovely, the drapes and curtains were splendid. The bed was comfy and the white linen was clean and crisp. Plenty of fluffy white towels and plenty of lovely hot water. Breakfast was a delight with complete waitress service. It was completely quiet and a good nights sleep was had. I thoroughly recommend this hotel.

We had a comfortable and clean room. When we visited the weather was very warm and it was a definite plus that the room had climate control. The food and service in the restaurant were both good. There is a large car park with good sized spaces.

On our way home we stopped and went to the Best Weston Shrubbery Hotel at Illminster, since our last visit here the hotel has been refurbished. We had a lovely cream tea with warm scones, strawberry jam and Devon Clotted cream in ‘The Atrium', a lovely ‘Roman' themed conservatory. We had in lovely comfortable chairs at a white wrought iron table. There was music playing softly in the background, it was nice to stop and rest and come in out of the rain, which had followed us all the way. We spent a lovely hour here and felt very refreshed afterwards and ready to continue our way home

Large car park, good sized room all facilities in working order, comfortable bed, wifi was fairly reliable in the room I had. Good choice for breakfast. Evening meal was good with a reasonable choice of dishes over the A la Carte and Bar menus

We stayed two nights. Met up with 'old friends'. Good meals.Very friendly staff. (No change there then!) Will be Back! (But not until our next return from France! We are always in that country for most of the Summer!)

We visited today and I went with my normal trepidation.......as I require a strict Gf meal. Rather than offering me one or two choices I was told I could have the whole menu minus one or two items. The chef adapted my choices to suit my needs, excellent Gf bread and desserts to boot. Just a shame the ladies rest room left a bit to be desired. We will be back ??

brilliant hotel could not be faulted the staff were very friendly and helpful the room was everything we wanted and the food quality was superb i would certainley reccommend this hotel and we will use it again for sure

Good quality hotel with easy check in and out. Breakfast was the highlight Our room was very nice but others in our group were disappointed. Would stay again if in the area. there was a wedding on the evening we arrived and they took over the reception adn entrance area but were all very friendly. We were also pre-warned there would be a disco until 1am which was fine as we were at another wedding elsewhere. We arrived back around 1am and everything was quiet.

We had a two night stay incorporating a wedding on the saturday. From the moment we checked in on friday night 15 minutes before last orders for dinner (bank holiday traffic) the receptionist took great care of us and this continued throughout our stay. Excellent hot food in the restaurant for dinner and again at breakfast. Nothing was too much trouble. The staff were all lovely and made us feel very welcome and looked after....especially Barb in the restaurant and a lovely lady on reception (I cant remember her name) . My only negative was the bed was uncomfortable and could probably do with a new mattress. Thank you all so much for a lovely stay and an excellent wedding reception venue. Kind regards Laura and Terry - Southampton

Stayed at this hotel last year and have returned once again. The hotel has been going through a refurbishment program and you can see the improvements. My room was large clean as comfortable with a view of the surrounding country. The food is still good and the staff friendly and helpful. Has free WiFi and a large car park. You have a choice of a bar menu and a restaurant menu and eating need not be overly expensive. A popular venue for meetings and functions so occasionally you might unfortunately stay on a night when there is a disco. It is just a short walk into town if you fancy a change where you can also find a Tesco superstore. Will definitely stay here again.

Stayed here for 1 night and was pleasantly surprised. Room was large and comfortable with a very nice bathroom. Breakfast was great and was included in the price. Very good restaurant menu and well stocked bar. I can recommend the slow cooked pork belly. Big car park so plenty of room.

A nice hotel very well situated for touring Exmoor. Friendly staff. Very good food, breakfasts were excellent. The saturday evening during our stay was noisy. Their was a presentation event with a very very noisy disco until 12.15 a.m.

My allocated room was really basic and far too hot but when I opened the windows it was too noisy to sleep. I was moved to a cooler, quieter room which was again really basic (water stains on the ceiling, really old furniture and floor coverings, lampshades/curtains etc more fitting with a caravan. No room service - in fact service at all is an issue. There are so few staff that one person is covering the reception and the bar which means a long wait for everything. Food is only served until 9/9.30 (dependant upon the night of the week) - not much good for business travellers. There is no lift and rooms are accessed by a labyrinth of staircases and winding corridors - impossible with a suitcase or any kind of impairment. Wifi is poor with no connectivity due to buffering most of the time. On the plus the beds are comfortable and what staff they have are extremely pleasant and helpful.

Lovely room in a clean hotel with excellent service by friendly staff. Breakfast was freshly cooked. Good stop off point on the way to the Jurassic coast. Plenty of car parking available and free wifi

The hotel is located in a good position with plenty of parking. The room I stayed in was up one flight of stairs across a landing and then down another flight of stairs, not very convenient. Not much room as the bed is queen sized, TV on the wall only one chair although its supposed to be a double room The food in the restaurant was acceptable and plentiful, the breakfast was good but cold buffet very limited.

Lovely hotel and dogs welcome. We spent a night here on our way to cornwall - perfect stop-off. Staff friendly and welcoming, great food and breakfast to die for everything was great would definitely visit again.

Not cheap but, well worth the £80.00 a night, our room was more than adequate with a full sized bath with shower, it was pleasing to the eye, clean, well maintained and comfortable. The bed was wider than other establishments, which gave my wife and I space and not forced us to overheat as we slept. At home we use a super-king, We only stayed the one night, as we were visiting friends locally, arrived Friday and planned to return home that night, but as it became evening, we decided to spend the extra day with our friends. We tried the what you see, you get budget place, and having not pre-booked, they were full. Remembering The Shrubbery Hotel, we drove there and met Mike on reception. He booked us in and told us breakfast was inclusive in the £80.00. I realized that made it £40.00 per head for us, if you know what I mean. Mike not only showed us to our room No 10, he even took my wife's case and carried it for her. A real gentleman, and not just looking for a tip. If you like your breakfast, it's worth it just to stay for the Full English. So taken with the portions and quality of food, after checking out, we decided to invite our friends to lunch. Again the quality of service, and standard of food, was first class. The only downside was the price of the Vodka in the bar, but we weren't there to party. It would've been easy to though, because the atmosphere was so nice for a Friday night. Also for a Friday night I found it easy to conveniently park on the ample car park. This hotel and Staff met our needs perfectly. A very big Thank You, I hope you will all be there the next time we stay.

Stayed here for the first time while visiting Chard on Business. The room given was excellent. Lovely size with 4poster bed. I ate in the bar rather than being the only person in the restaurant the food had a limited choice but was excellent. Breakfast was excellent. with a good choice. I will visit again.

I arrived late from working, but the friendly and helpful hotel staff had all prepared for my arrival and check-in. The rooms are clean, and to the typical Best Western standard with toiletries and the cooked breakfast menu is good.

Another great stay, Hotel reverbe really looking classy and fitting with the age of the building. Dinner was delicious, lamb very well cooked with plenty of flavor. Breakfast cooked to order, which I really appreciate, and another big plus is the quality of the bread, cut from a loaf and not from pre- sliced ! Staff are a delight as always. One thing I would add is perhaps low level music in the dining room would be pleasant, just my opinion...

We stayed for one night, as husband was singing in Ilminster Cathederal. We arrived midday room was ready, pleasant room very large. Plenty of tea,coffee and biscuits in room also bottled water. Went for lunch which was okay. Large portions, cooked to order. Fish was tasty, hubbie had shrubbery burger which was huge. Breakfast was great, although busy and only one member of staff who did his best. Staff very attentive, and friendly. Ilminster is a lovely place plenty of individual shops. Great butcher.

We stayed at this hotel overnight the staff were friendly and helpful . As we had our dog with us we were given a room in the hotel annex. We did not see the bedrooms in the main hotel. The annex rooms were clean and tidy small and quite basic more like old style Motel accommodation. The cost of £124 per night was in our opinion high and poor value. The breakfast was OK but nothing special. If we are in this neck of the woods in the future I think we would give the Shrubbery a big swerve.

Couldn't of wished to stay at nicer hotel. The staff where eager to please, polite and made you feel valued. Breakfast excellent with top quality produce. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who is in the area and we will be visiting again.

Very good hotel with excellent staff and good food at resonable price. Hotel in the middle of some refurbishment but this did not affect our stay.Good location for visiting the area with good access to major roads

I stayed at this hotel for a one night visit with friends. It was excellent value for money and he staff were very welcoming and friendly. I only sampled the breakfast but this was also good and coeliac friendly although.

To be honest after the last two Best Western hotels we have stayed in I wasn't really expecting our dog - friendly room to be up to much . I'm happy to say I was wrong. It was in a lovely position and even had a view! The room was light and airy and clean. The bed was firm and we had plenty of room for us and our dog. On the whole the service was excellent. The only reason for me not to give this hotel top marks was the breakfast/breakfast staff. I had stated when booking online I was a vegetarian and hoped for at least a veggie sausage for breakfast. I asked the girl serving out breakfast if this was the case and she said she would find out but when she returned with my eggs beans tomatoes and fried bread she didn't even speak! How bizarre. Obviously her training is lacking at this level. However we would go again as the rest of the food i. e dinner was delicious and the hotel was warm and very comfortable. This is the best if the best western hotels so far .

I arrived at the hotel at about 7pm and the reception was manned, I pressed the bell on the desk several times and was eventually acknowledged by the person working the bar. Finally checked in but was given a room which was outside the main building and it was the furthest room in the hotel, which meant I had to walk outside in the rain to get back into the main hotel. Apart from that the hotel was nice and the food was good. I maybe will stay again if I had a room in the main building.

The waitress Barbara was very attentive and ensured the the tables were arranged so that our small group from all over South Somerset were able to sit together. We had lovel cloth napkins & tablecloths. Such a change from the usual paper variety. the vegetables and meal were superb and we were told that the chef insists that the vegegables are freshly prepared for the meal chosen. We were also told that the chef has been there since leaving school. everyone was so impressed with our experience that we have booked again for next month.

We booked to stay here for a weekend break, we have stayed here before, but not for a few years. It has changed hands since last visit. The new owner is gradually refurbishing the hotel, to a very good standard I might add, public rooms look lovely, will be doing the bedrooms in due course. We stayed in the annex room, which are ideal with our 2 dogs, very clean and tidy, glad the new owner still allows dogs to stay, great. Food excellent, lovely breakfast, good bar menu, we ate in the orangery each evening so we could keep dogs with us, which is a big bonus. Staff all very helpful and friendly, so glad Barb is still there, lovely friendly lady. Weather not brill, but that can't be helped, managed to walk down into Ilminster in between the heavy rain showers. We will be back again, looking forward to seeing how the rest of the renovations are going.

Never been to this area to stay before and this Hotel is just right for exploring the area of the Jurassic Coast. In the summer the coastal Hotels are very busy, so we hope to visit the Shrubbery while we admire this stunning coastline. The hotel is in the process of being refurbered and what has been finished looks stunning. The staff are all very nice and extremely helpful. Had a slight problem with the Wifi, which I'm sure will sort itself our eventually. The problem is that these old hotels have very thick walls and Wifi sometimes kicks out. The restaurant is very nicely decorated and we ate off the bar menu which was very tasty. The staff here was also very friendly and could not do enough for us. Our room was large and nicely outfitted with a large bathroom. Very comfortable. The TV was a bit difficult to change channel on and as there are about 300 stations took an age to scroll through to find the one you want, but I'm sure that can be sorted too. All in all, we will be back soon.

Our surveyor stays away in hotels almost every week. He called me from his hotel room to say it was 'the best he's ever stayed in". He was booked for one night 27 Jan 2016 at the Winter Warmer rate of £43 inc breakfast, had a 3 course late lunch for £13.50 and a pot of tea for £2. He said his room was cavernous with a kingsized bed and 2 large singles (or 2 small doubles?), hotel was quiet for him to work in and customer service was excellent. I will be booking in all our engineers when they return to the area to work in a few weeks time. Happy workers, happy office manager. Thank you. (In fact, I liked his comments so much, I may have to book a cheeky weekend with the husband next month)

We stayed here for just 1 night, while visiting family for a special event. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and our room was well presented and comfortable. We hope to stay again in the future.

Nice new menu, fillet of beef and dauphinois potatoes a must, very very nice , the wife had the pate' to start with , which she said was gorgeous, and the the chicken supreme , with a mushroom sauce, which was a let down by the very small quantity of the sauce,two members of the family had this dish, both asked if they could have extra sauce, and the chief relayed that that was it, and no more sauce would be made,very disappointed with his attitude , which makes you believe he has no skills,and the dish comes as a hole cook in the bag microwave dinner,or he just couldn't be assed !!! Still I'm shore this will get back to him,& he can home in on his sauce making skills, Barb the waitress was a Jem, lovely person,great service from Rhys too!

The Shrubbery is just a short drive from the Clarks Village and Bridport and West Bay perfect for our relaxing weekend. The hotel has a large car park and you can park outside the hotels main entrance. We stayed in a superior room that was large, well appointed, decorated to a good standard and well heated. Our king size bed was comfortable and bathroom was newly fitted. Dinner was excellent. The set menu, £20, for 3 courses was good value. Breakfast was also good, consisting of help yourself continental & individual cooked items of your choice including the 'full English'. All staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel is old and has plenty of character. It was a wet weekend and we noticed some leaks in the upstairs corridor but I must emphasise our room was lovely and we had a great stay!

Good location just off A303. Half board for £62 was very good value, but assume this is a quiet time of year for them. Upgraded room was well furnished and of a good size. No complaints about the bathroom clean and fresh looking. Large car park. Evening meal was large portions for a fair price, and the breakfast was also the same with freshly cooked items. Down side was unable to get any internet access in the room (14) at any time but was told this was not normally a problem. Also bill had evening meal added although bill showed that booking was an all inclusive half board tarif. Corrected when I pointed it out. Was told they would get wifi checked out as my room was not far away from router.

My husband and I stayed here for New Year. There was a carvery main course and dessert and served starters which were excellent. Staff were all attentive and very helpful. Disco in evening was great and everybody looked dressed for the black tie occasion. However two chaps were not and in our opinion should have been refused admission. There were fireworks at midnight. Breakfast was one of the best we have ever had. We are in our late fifties. Most were older but there was few younger ones. The only downside for us was that we booked on line and were allocated a room in the annexe. These rooms are normally allocated for disabled therefore had an extremely hard bed and assisted toilet and shower facilities. We did not sleep at all and it did spoil the enjoyment of the previous night. We would stay again but only in the hotel.

A typical BW U.K. property, nicely appointed, with friendly staff and comfortable rooms. Recently underwent refurbishing apparently, which is how the non-functioning room WiFi service was explained away - several mumblings about "fixing" the problem but the solution never appeared. Dining room carpet somewhat dirty both at breakfast and dinner, so a little more attention to cleanliness would be useful. Overall, a little overpriced for the week between Xmas and New Year, although the room was comfortable and staff friendly overall.

The Shrubbery Hotel was stayed at by my husband and myself whilst we were on a group tour visiting gardens of the area. The hotel was excellent and the staff well organized considering we were greeted as a group that meant room keys being organized for many people. The room was delightful and very large. We stayed in the annex out the back that was attached to the hotel. We stayed at this hotel for three nights. The meals that were arranged for our group were no less than excellent and tasty and served in a delightfully large dining room overlooking scenery below. Breakfast was served in a smaller room but equally as good. It was a pleasure to stay at this hotel and I would certainly go back.

Hotel website makes the bedrooms look far better than they actually are at present. There is a refurbishment scheme underway, however, so the next 12 months should see some of their former glory restored. Staff service was friendly and very good. Bar food and breakfast were particularly good but the dinner menu was restrictive and mainly "spicy" so we ate out in the evening. We would stay here again if we needed to - but not until the bedrooms have been improved.

My wife and I together with 8 friends attended an Elvis Christmas Party Night at The Shrubbery Hotel, Ilminster. We had a whole table to our selves. The Christmas Meal was carvery style, it was hot, plentiful, and a very good eat. The sweet was a choice of several puddings including Christmas Pudding. All followed by coffee/tea and mince pies. Once again Elvis was our local man Barry Paull. His entertainment was exceptional and we all danced the night away and had the time of our life. It really kick started the Christmas Season for us.

My wife and I on a leisure trip really liked this hotel. The welcome, service, cleanliness were all good. The location was good without any road noise rather surprisingly and it was within a good travelling distance to a couple of tourist spots we wanted to visit. Especially the Willows & Wildlife centre in the Somerset Levels.

Came here for christmas meal, great service at bars & food, however very small portions for the price-my roast consisted of some turkey, 2 roast potatoes, one stuffing ball one pig in blanket and four carrots-i was expecting a bit more! But what i did have was good, would be intrigued to come back again and see what else they offer!

A work Christmas 'do' at a hotel - carvery and disco. To be frank I was not expecting much, but the hotel is beautiful inside and the food was very good. Well above expectations. The carvery was much better than the average carvery, really lovely quality, a choice of three meats. Plus there was more if it was wanted. Three or four choices of pudding and then tea/coffee with home-made mince pies. Crackers and screaming balloons were on the table. to finish it off a disco was provided. The staff were very friendly - good service.

The hotel is easily located on the main road through the town. Our reception was with a warm welcome and speedy check in. The room was well appointed with a view over the town towards fields rising on the hill a couple of hundred yards away. The public area was split up to give smaller areas in which to relax and all close to the main bar. Food in the dining room was unpretentious, well prepared and presented. On the evening we were there a mid-sized function/dinner took place. This was handled so other guests were not inconvenienced. Clearly the staff were accustomed to dealing with several aspects of hospitality at once.

We stopped here for Sunday lunch and I have to say it was AMAZING my husband and I had beef and my daughter chicken the meat was beautifully cooked and generous in portion size. We had plenty of fresh vegetables, baby carrots, parsnip, green beans, roast and new potatoes and gravy boat with the most delicious gravy I've had in a long time. The restaurant was full and they seemed to have two large groups in the ballroom having lunch as well, this did not effect our meal at all, service was speedy, our food was hot and had obviously not been hanging around. The communal areas inside are very tastefully decorated, welcoming and relaxing, outside there is a nice seating area and a large car park. I must give a special mention to Barb who looked after us so well and is clearly a lovely person who genuinely likes her job and Henry in the kitchen who cooked our delicious meal and came to check everything was ok. We would definitely visit again and hopefully next time I'll be able to review a room as well ;-)

My husband and I stayed here for 1 night. The staff were friendly, and accommodating and the ground floor communal areas such as the bar, reception and restaurant were beautifully decorated. The food was exceptional. Our evening meals were delicious and presented to a high standard. The cooked English breakfast was by far, the best I've had in a hotel, ever! Freshly cooked to order. And simply delicious! Would highly recommend :-)

A group of forty of us had lunch here today, our starters and main courses were pre-ordered, with desserts selected afterwards. The service was very efficient and the food was very enjoyable. Drinks were not cheap, especially wine by the glass. However the overall experience was good and I would certainly go back again.

Stayed here for one night. The food and service was excellent. Staff were friendly and efficient. The communal areas were well presented and comfortable. Breakfast was served hot and was the best we have had for a while in a hotel. We will definitely be returning.

Staff friendly helpful, busy hotel which can mean car parking is an issue and not really anywhere close by to park, wifi hit and miss which was a let down. Food tasty simple menu, if you was stopping for more than a couple of nights could get a bit boring. will visit again when in the region

Average in all aspects. Nice staff - very friendly and serviceminded, but rooms and enviroment was very average. Nothings tat sticks out. Looking at the area where it is situated its probably the only hotel within miles why competitions is little. Some refurbushing was being done when we were there so once can guess it will imporve in future. Clean and tidy though. But a bit boring.

Ilminster turned out to be one of the most friendly towns we have ever visited, typified by the reception we got at the Shrubbery Hotel. Really friendly staff, being refurbished to a very modern high standard, the Hotel became "home" for our three nights stay. The breakfast was to a very high quality, the poached eggs were so good she had them on toast twice, and we overheard a lady say the scrambles egg was the best she had ever tasted in a hotel. The bar was not overpriced and offered a good selection. We really enjoyed our stay in this Hotel which is obviously central to the town with the local Majorettes practicing in the Hotel car park before changing and heading off to the performance. Lovely Hotel, lovely staff, lovely atmosphere, thoroughly recommended.

I arrived tired after a hard day at work to find the restaraunt closed at short notice due to the opening of their new conference centre. They said that they could feed me at 8.45. But not before as they were playing host to their VIP guests who were on a freebie. I requested to see the manager twice however he would only phone my room. When he did he was very off hand taking the stance that the VIP were more important than someone who had paid for a room. To balance the review the room was clean and well presented however I burnt my hand due to the hot water being connected to the wrong side of the sink. The whole team could benefit from visiting the Best Western Ulesthorpe who know how to look after customers. If you looking for a a well presented room and poor service then this is the hotel for you.

Stayed for a few nights for a recent wedding, although there were ongoing renovation works this in no way detracted from our stay, great hospitality, clean and comfortable throughout, all staff very friendly, Julia on reception very helpful. Only ate in the bar, but they delivered on an excellent liver and onions! Breakfast too was very good, overall a thoroughly enjoyable few days.