The Castle at Taunton

I remember when this was a go to destination with various top chefs leading the kitchen. They make much of 75 years of family ownership but that means little if your offer is average at best. It feels more like a Forte hotel from the 1970’s and we’ve moved on. It feels like there is no passion now for what was once a venerable hotel. The public rooms have no cohesion and where they have been refurbished they simply seem to have been done cheaply. By contrast the grand staircase shows what the whole could look like. Bedrooms are basic and not worth the cost really. Again whilst upgraded this seems to have been done cheaply: painted walls, an odd mix of furniture and a very basic bathroom. Simple toiletries, no bathrobe, less than luxurious beds, poor insulation. A very quiet night but I still had the smallest double room. So glad I stayed one rather than my originally planned two nights. I’d hoped for a rather enjoyable trip down memory lane but It’s all rather sad and a bit depressing. It needs a rethink and perhaps new life rather than simply relying on ‘we’ve owned it for 75 years’. I last visited over 30 years ago and the years have not been kind.

This hotel is so average. Our room was really poor, the bathroom tired and breakfast poorly presented with staff who just weren’t interested.

Stayed the weekend and attended the Chefs Tasting Experience on the Saturday evening. Absolutely fantastic meal with a tasty wine flight. The menu was well thought out and the food beautifully presented.
Enjoyed a cocktail in Brazz beforehand for a perfect start to a great evening.

We also stayed for Sunday lunch, another outstanding meal, best Sunday roast, everything cooked perfectly, very generous portions (including the meal on Saturday evening).

Fantastic staff, wonderful hotel. Will definitely be staying again.

Really disappointed considering the cost of the "garden room", which overlooked the so called garden.
Room itself was big but there was music being played which kept us up until midnight. I had to put tissue paper in my ears to try and drown out the noise. Hotel claims it was from a venue outside but we believe it came from the music room in the hotel as it was the same noise when we left the morning after.

The central heating was noisy and woke us up at 5am. Then when checking out we had our parking and drinks charge duplicated. When challenged they already processed payment so they owe me money, which I still haven't had 4 days after our stay.

No refund, just an apology so I would stay clear.

We stayed for one night at the very grand Castle Hotel. The hotel has a long history dating back many centuries.
The receptionist was very helpful as was all staff we encountered. Our room was large & spacious unlike many hotel rooms which tend to be on the small size.
Breakfast was good we had the cold buffet with various fruits, yogurt and pastries followed by Eggs Benedict.
The Castle is located in the centre of Taunton with an abundance of shops, bars and restraints close by.

Went with a friend for Sunday lunch - superb! Should have asked for a small plate :) The stuffing was exceptional as was the whole meal including wonderfully tasty carrots, a huge Yorkshire pud, cranberry sauce, cauliflower cheese, greens, turkey, roast potatoes, pig in blanket, parsnip and so on - all beautifully cooked so well done chef/s! ~And the salmon starter also very good and beautifully presented. Many thanks! And the decorations were also lovely with a huge tree.

Only moan would be having to pay for parking whilst a guest - seemed rather petty to us and I think any charge should be deducted from the bill.

For a hotel in he middle of Taunton it was excellent, had to pay to park the car though, but parking very convenient. Staff were helpful and friendly. We enjoyed our stay.

Stayed in a Garden Room while attending a black tie event at the hotel. The room was clean comfortable and a really good size. the staff were friendly and efficient and I have no complaints at all

The vegan breakfast options were extensive, the staff were so helpful and kind to us. The room was super clean and the building itself felt magical. We ended up walking around the area and finding nice shops and cafe's as well as the market on Saturday.

The shared parts of the hotel are lovely but the rooms, especially the bathrooms, are a little dated and lack amenities commensurate with the cost. The breakfast should be included in the price.

A classic older hotel. Very comfortable with separate reading snd lounge areas. Rooms sre good size and restful de ore. Ipdated bathroom.

On entering this historic old hotel we were pleasantly greeted and asked to take a seat in the lobby. After a few minutes we were shown to the drawing room (which was cold) for afternoon tea where the four of us were seated at a nicely laid table
The friendly waitress gave us menus detailing the various sandwiches, scones etc but the menu also listed the price (£27.50) which we really did not want shown to our two family guests.
Tea pots arrived very quickly but it was some 10 minutes later that the tea stand came by which time the tea was cold. The finger sandwiches were freshly made and the scones were magical coming with large bowls of clotted cream and jam. The other miniature delicious cakes were superb. More hot tea was provided on request and all in all the whole event was a great success.

Our first visit to Taunton and staying at the Castle was a real treat.
We arrived early afternoon in the middle of a downpour after a long drive from the south coast and welcomed the sanctuary that the lobby provided.
All the staff throughout our stay were friendly and helpful.
We shared our excellent breakfasts with the Hampshire County Cricket Team who had spent the first day of their four day match with Somerset waiting for play to begin.
If we return to the area the Castle would be top of our places to stay.

I stayed here while excessively jet lagged and booked the Mendip suite for extra comfort. The hotel was very comfortable and very well appointed. The staff were friendly and courteous, the bathroom spacious and clean, and the breakfast was superb (especially nice to see Black Pudding on the menu!). Would very much recommend for anyone looking to spend a night or two in the charming town of Taunton. For anyone looking for a decent pub nearby, the Ring of Bells was excellent.

This character Hotel is a really lovely place to stay. It boasts a warm enviroment with friendly staff throughout. It is decorated through on old english style. Comfitable rooms & good food in the Brazz Cafe. The best flat white coffee

A unique privately run hotel

Unfortunately, our stay at this hotel was very disappointing. We were given a top-floor room where the walls were paper thin — every sound from neighbouring rooms carried straight through (including nocturnal activities & bathroom movements).

There was no air conditioning, and when we opened the windows for some air, the constant noise from the surrounding area made it impossible to rest. There is a loud nightclub nearby & the sound carries till very late. The square at the front also seems to be somewhat of a gathering place for late night festivities.

While the bedroom had clearly been updated, the bathroom looked like something straight out of the 1970s and was badly in need of refurbishment. Service throughout the stay was poor, with no sign of management taking charge. Staff seemed disengaged and uninterested, which added to the sense that guests weren’t a priority. They looked like they had heard the same issues raised on numerous times previously & at this stage the response was fairly robotic and unsympathetic.

Dinner in the attached Brasserie was again less than anticipated given the starry past of The Castle & the confident selling of themselves on the website. Food was slow to arrive and substandard when it did. The Hake was sadly overcooked & dry, the accompanying Sauce Vierge so acidic it could remove paint. The staff again seemed experienced in hearing negative feedback, but dealt with it by shrugging of shoulders & promising to pass on feedback.

Breakfast was another let-down: the buffet was sparse, items weren’t topped up, and what was available was of very low quality. Combined with inattentive service, it left a bad final impression. Again in the dining room there appeared to be nobody in charge

Overall, this hotel fell very far short of expectations — tired facilities, poor service, and a lack of care or management presence. Definitely not somewhere I would recommend or return to.

The hotel is a stunning building, my room was very well decorated and immaculately clean, the bed was very comfortable the housekeeping team are very pleasant and professional. All staff were nice, however Louise on reception was excellent, very welcoming, friendly and super helpful. Evening meal was lovely however breakfast was sadly a bit of a letdown the hot food could have been hotter and fresher, & I did notice some bickering between staff during breakfast service which was quite off putting!

Wonderful afternoon today enjoying a delicious afternoon tea. Lovely sandwiches, warm scones with plenty of cream and jam. The most gorgeous desserts and pot of tea. Great service too. Thank you 😊

Looks amazing from the outside, however it was a bit of a let down in the room. Looked clean but furniture etc is worn and tired. Bathroom looked brand new although there was very little water pressure in the shower. Stopped in a castle suite so it was nice to have the separate lounge area and extra TV/fridge/tassimo.
Rest of the hotel could do with an update too really.
We paid for a room with breakfast, went down on the first morning and the buffet section was really limited, a disappointing selection and menu wise not much on there either. 2nd time we ended up elsewhere for breakfast.
Staff were always about and very friendly on reception.
Difficult to just scrape a 4 star, won’t be long until it goes down to a 3 if no update done to the hotel.