Ruthin Castle Hotel Omdömen 

First the positives: the hotel staff where friendly and welcoming. The heating in the room and bathroom were easy to control by the guest. The food was good although a bit expensive.
The negatives: The hotel and grounds are shabby and lack maintenance. The public areas are drab, dark and draughty. The restauran's walls and ceilings are painted in a very dark colour. Need a torch to read the menu. The bedroom was OK, some tired furniture and lacking any decoration. some prints on the walls would have cheered the room up. A large stain on the carpet did not help. And the bathroom: more a wetroom. A curtain around the shower which was about a foot off the ground and did not quite meet the wall to keep the water within. The fan did not work. The result was that , after a shower, there was water everywhere and the walls where dripping. Because of a lack of vantilation there was mould on the grounting and the bathroom door was suffering from damp as well. Cobwebs and dust on the shower head and fan indicated a lack of proper cleaning. The odd thing I found that there was a back in the bedroom. It would have been better to have spent the money on a shower cubicle. All in all a rather disappointing experience. The hotel inspector must have worn sunglasses when inspecting and awarding 4 stars. 2 stars are more fitting with a rate to match.

We had high hopes for our visit since it was not only booked as a belated birthday gift, but we travelled 5+ hours for our visit and were let down by the facilities and the customer service from both the Woodland spa and the hotel. We were booked in for a package deal which included a £30 meal voucher pp per night, spa facilities (hot tub access and 4 treatments). We noticed a lack of cohesion with the booking details as I had booked everything in my name and my partner was a guest, yet a number of facilities were booked in his name and a few in mine which led to confusion when trying to deal with the restaurant, the spa and the hotel. Which felt highly unprofessional.

Upon arrival, we thought the grounds looked nice and situated in a lovely area. However, after checking in and going to our room we discovered white stains on the curtains and black stains on the backboard of the bed, a rotten hole in the window frame, a toilet that smelled and didn't flush properly. In addition, the corridor our room was situated in smelt strongly of mildew and damp.

Moreover, after our long drive we were excited to experience the spa facilities and treatments, however, we felt certain members of the spa team were lacking courteous and polite behaviour. We found that the facilities were lacking, as we used the changing rooms to get ready, my partner noted that the men's changing rooms were unclean with dirt on the floor and a pair of dirty underwear in one of the shower cubicles, I struggled to lock the locker within the women's changing room and after speaking to a few other women, their lockers wouldn't function either. In terms of cleanliness, it felt as if the hot tubs had not been cleaned enough as after left our hot tub we noticed another couple in it within the next hour. We thought the masseuse was professional and friendly and the treatments were enjoyable. However, the issue was that the spa staff neglected to explain how long and what spa facilities within we were able to use, this left us feeling rushed as we had a dinner booked at 8pm on the first night.

When we arrived at the dining hall, we were seated after a short wait however, we waited 15 minutes on both nights for our orders to be taken despite it being relatively quiet. As a pescatarian (a vegetarian that eats fish not meat), I found the menu selection to very limited. I ordered the 'Cajun Cauliflower' and it tasted off nothing but burnt cauliflower and served with anaemic and outdate tasting rocket which after a long day was a laughably small portion.

Me and my partner thought it was unacceptable that you didn't have a non-wine drinks menu, understandably the bar is nearby but this is no excuse for a lack of a menu during an evening restaurant meal. For breakfast I felt that the option to order specific requests was not explained and the serving experience felt of amateur quality. The fact that the breakfast was the best meal we both had during our whole stay is telling of the quality of the facilities. We thought the service and food quality on our first night was poor. As we have had better service at much worst places.

Ultimately, we travelled a fair distance and paid a large sum for very little in return. For what one would expect from a google reviews 4.7 star rating, we don't feel our experience and stay was worth the money that we paid, and we will not be staying again.

It's a place of faded grandeur. Sort of like staying with an elderly aunt in a stately home. Quite appealing. An amazing series of rooms and, outside, intriguing ruins. But don't expect perfection in the interior décor. It's a trifle run down. If you can live with this, you are in for an interesting experience. The remnants of its glory days are lovely. Staff are hard working. Breakfast okay some gripes such as no lift to third floor. WiFi a bit dodgy, but if you see beyond these it's a unique stay. Would I return? Yes.

Faded Grandeur But avoid the food!
August 2026
First of all This is a beautiful setting and ideal if you want to explore Wales but unfortunately you could call the castle ‘Faded Grandeur’ It needs someone coming in and sweeping it up
And spending money on it A LOT of money! Our room was clean but needed a bit of TLC The bathroom was lovely with a roll top bath but unfortunately with a shower above it meaning water went down the back causing brown mould under the bath not a good look! The staff be it young were very helpful and pleasant But the real problem is the FOOD It’s awful! We were 16 people on a road trip and having booked a table for a birthday we expected a lot more for our money!
Starters came out with the mains
Lamb that looked like it been under a hot plate all day So bad it got sent back
Gammon on the menu served with egg but when arrived no egg on any of them
Scotch eggs as a starter again looked and tasted as if they had been in the oven all day and not served with what was on the menu
And it is extremely expensive!
The breakfast is done on the cheap
Cheap bacon and sausage
No black pudding Why not use traditional meat There’s a butcher in the town
Apparently this is a 4 star hotel I don’t believe that for one minute having stayed in 4 star hotels!
It says it all when talking to the gardener used to be 3 of them but cutting costs he’s the only one the staff are all young and clueless about how to handle complaints and not a manager in site!
Go and stay but walk down the road for food at a lovely wine bar called Jacs or there is a Wetherspoons 😊

We were looking forward to a stay in a lovely old castle hotel and whist we can appreciate the old and not everything is perfect the bathroom was in very poor condition with mould and lime scale, freedom to walk anywhere around ground and with a dog that was good but broken glass on grass, the side of the building is in a very bad state with some windows boarded off, leaking damaged ceilings and web site showed some lovely areas that were not opened to the general clients but did not say that. Limited areas to eat if you have a well behaved dog, so unable to enjoy what rooms were available to sit and have a drink . Definitely not a 4star hotel. We booked for two nights but only stayed one. The staff did offer to change our room but due to access with a dog we could not enjoy so of the other areas. Although the website said dog friendly…..

Beware — Faulty Towers on steroids — avoid !
We wanted to love this place. Booked for my birthday. The photos, the history, the promise of a "castle experience" — total illusion. What you actually get is a masterclass in mismanagement. Memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Our room itself was actually fine — nice bed, decent bathroom. But the extras read like a checklist of what a hotel isn't supposed to skimp on: no fridge, basic tea and coffee with no milk (BYO cow, apparently), no food room service, and you can't even run a tab — very much "cash up front,." Furnishings tired, corridors with cracks in walls, nowhere near what's advertised. Very Overpriced, in reality, a 2-star hotel not a 4 star castle.
Spa: we cancelled on sight. It looked unhygienic — not somewhere I fancied immersing my body, thanks.
Dinner: also cancelled. The restaurant looked tired, and reviews from actual guests were scathing. Turns out that's not paranoia — the owners were fined £40,000 in 2023 after inspectors found decomposed food, a leaking fridge, filthy mops, and thick grease in the kitchen (North Wales Live). We walked five minutes to Jacques Wine Bar instead — genuinely excellent.
Service: honestly, we felt sorry for the staff — young, poorly trained, overwhelmed, or simply nowhere to be found. Management doesn't seem to invest in training or retaining good people, and it shows.
Worth noting: many of the 5-star reviews propping up this rating are from "Local Guides" racking up points, not actual guests. Compare them to the one- and two-star reviews from people who clearly stayed .
Save your money. check reviews across all sites, not just this one.

It was very much charged with an historic atmosphere! The castle, the grounds, the long corridors just felt like they had secrets and we wanted to know all!
I was expecting exactly what we got, an old historical castle stay!
Lovely helpful staff all throughout, the room was truly spacious (De Grey Suite) and had an extra room with it, so was like having an apartment!
The grounds were tremendous, the history of everything was clearly signposted and also so creepy areas to many spot the Grey lady herself!
The bars were lovely too.

DOWNSIDES…
It’s old! It does need a little bit of TLC in some places and if a lovely millionaire could swoop in and help, it would be the most outstanding in the land.
Lots of “do not enter/this is broken/ cautionary” signs everywhere, I understand for safety, but if those parts were fixed, it would be so much nicer.
The spa isn’t all that great, don’t book to go there just for the spa as you’ll be disappointed. The hot tubs under the stars experience was very dirty, under maintenanced and unattractive.

Book for the history and the vibe of a castle stay only!

Breakfast was as though it was from the 1600’s it wasn’t giving in anyway shape or form, BUT there were options to have hot or cold.

I am rating this hotel a 5 star ⭐️ as it truly is magnificent, the staff are amazing and welcoming and if you book, you are in good hands! 🙌

Just needs some love!

Lovely location and buildings but could do with some TLC around the grounds and throughout the hotel areas. Rooms werent too bad could do with running a duster around.

Spa isnt big enough for the amount of people who go there.

Steam room broke on the morning of our arrival.

No privacy when using the hot tubs as you have the main pathway to the gym and spa right past all the hot tubs which are spaced only a few meters apart.

Booked in for breakfast at half 9, no hot food in the bain marie and staff were in no rush to fill it as more people entered the breakfast room, hardly any cereals left in containers. Coffee and tea were cold.

Personally think it was overpriced for a single nights stay.

Hotel very tired and needs some attention in most areas concerning paintwork and general maintenance of the hotel and gardens, we reported a problem concerting glass fragments on our bedroom floor and it was not fixed during our stay.
The food was expensive.

My friend and I called in for lunch on a quiet Tuesday afternoon and really enjoyed everything The food the surroundings all really nice and welcoming as were the staff
The chicken and fish were cooked to perfection and the freshest salad I have had in Wetherspoons
It was good value for money including our bottomless tea and coffee all for a tenner each
This is truly one of the best with high standards overseen by an efficient manager
We will be back again

Recently went for afternoon tea after receiving a voucher for afternoon tea for 2. It was very disappointing, the worst afternoon tea I have had. The cakes were all very dry including the scones. Drinks were very expensive. On the website it says ‘one of the best afternoon teas in the UK’ but this is a blatant lie. It was very dark and dingy inside. We had booked over the phone and they didn’t even have our booking down. Very poor all round.

Yesterday my husband and I called into the castle for a drink with the view to book in again for a break.
We were shocked by the dilapidated surroundings in the bar, but the biggest shock was still to come !
My husband ordered a double Tanqueray gin and tonic for both of us, they only had Tanqueray Ten which surprised us, and 1 packet of crisps.
My husband brought them over to me and asked me to guess how much ? I nearly dropped when he told me it had cost £41 !
He had questioned the price but I thought they must have made a mistake , so I asked the barman. He confirmed that it was £9 for a single gin, therefore 4 gins had cost £36.
We would have given them back if that was possible. I went and asked the manager of the hotel how they could justify this daylight robbery. He just told me that was the price and it was set by head office.
Obviously , we didn’t book for a break there . It is so sad to see the place being run down, the bar area was just downright scruffy with all mismatched chairs and sofas and the grounds around the hotel and bar look neglected .
No wonder the bar was virtually empty.
There are pubs in Ruthin within walking distance who would be pleased for the custom and would not charge such outrageous prices.

We stayed at Ruthin castle for a two night stay. Our room was beautiful (Jennie Suite) and was clean and well appointed with lovely views. There were signs of wear and tear (cracked wood on windows and around the taps on the bath) but this caused no issue and I expected this in a castle of this age.

I had a number of spa treatments which were absolutely wonderful and the staff at the spa and across the hotel were extremely helpful and friendly. The hot tubs/sauna and steam room were also great however the changing rooms are in definite need of modernisation.

We dined at the hotel on both nights. The hotel has limited gluten free options and my husband was told they had no gluten free bread, cereal or sausages for breakfast on both mornings. Our evening meal on the first night was not great and not what we expected from a 4 star hotel. The food on the second night was much better and we wondered if the quality on the first night was impacted by the fact there was a wedding at the venue.

We ordered a single gin and tonic and a large glass of red wine at the bar and this cost over £20! Again there were no gluten free beer options which was disappointing.

We were woken up at 1am by knocking at our door. Not by one of the castles notorious ghosts but by a drunken wedding guest who had clearly lost their way.

It is a shame that many of the best rooms in this hotel are no longer available for people who stay to spend time in and are reserved for weddings.

We were also disappointed that after our room was cleaned after the first night toilet roll and water in the room was not replenished and there was a general feel of cost cutting throughout the hotel.

We would not recommend a stay here if you have coeliac disease or any other dietary restriction. We visited the town itself on Monday to have lunch and no where was able to accommodate our requests for gluten free food options and we ended up going to Tesco after walking around the town in search of food for over an hour.

The saving grace of this hotel is the building itself which is fantastic, the peacocks, wonderful staff and spa treatments. Sadly this would not be enough to make us want to visit again.

How very sad to see that Ruthin castle has been run into the ground by the new owners. Having stayed here many times before I was so embarrassed to bring my guests having gushed about it. The staff are really lovely and it is clean -but the once fabulous & grand Bertie's restaurant is now moved to the cold dark shabby part of the hotel- The now tiny lounge bar (half stocked with no atmosphere, no cocktails & 3 lifeless sad & scruffy lounges felt more like a waiting room in a youth hostel) was pitiful for guests. But the worst was the food -not only is the menu & food awful -the breakfast was the saddest I have ever experienced in my life and any hotel (I've stayed at 100's) there was no pastries(just a croissant) no fruit bar but an apple and no fresh bread -just tinned food (cold)-I don't think I have ever seen a more pitiful breakfast display ever at a hotel- AND we (and 3 other guests) were all over charged on the evening meals. There is not a 'spa' but a few hot tubs in the tired unkempt gardens -It is clearly being run to squeeze as much money out of it while spending as little as possible - Sadly AMAZE Hotel group appears to be running Shrigley Hall the same way -Once lovely but now neglected by the greedy owners -don't waste your time going. It has gone from 4 star to 1 star sadly.

We have just got back from a three night stay at the Castle and it was wonderful. It's located in the most beautiful grounds with trees dating back hundreds of years. The location is quiet, peaceful and home to Peacocks and all manner of wildlife. The Italian gardens are just like the ones I've visited abroad and the Peacock Terrace is just the place for a peaceful coffee and a chill out/
.
Our room was spotless, as usual, and the few requests we made, had all been done. Perfect!

It's a fair price for what is included. We had breakfast in the Dragon Tavern. It was tasty with a lot of choice. All the staff are fantastic but a heads up goes to Diane. I am very disabled and and she went out of her way to help me. The Tavern serves great food from noon till 9 and the Tavern Bar is well stocked.

It's even dog friendly and we always meet some lovely dogs.

The Castle is steeped in history and has an Olde Worlde charm It's so different to the usual hotels on offer. It reminds me of the Palazzo Marziale in Sorrento. That's a converted Palace with a great history..

Ruthin Town is full of quirky shops. It has a Craft Centre, Victorian Goal. If you make it to Denbigh, just beyond is a 1950's Museum where you could spend all day. It's massive and brings back a lot of warm memories. Mold has a good shopping centre.

There's a lot more I could say but don't want to bore anyone. We've stayed in some fabulous 5 star hotels in Athens and Rome. They had some great facilities but we got very odd looks with me being on a mobility scooter.. lol. I can whizz round in the Castle and everyone lets on. It does have good disabled access and accessible rooms...I am impressed.

If you are looking for a warm reception in very pleasant surroundings, Ruthin Castle is the place for you.

We will be booking again in May or June.

Jan and Fred Robinson

We have just had 2 nights at the hotel with our german shepherd. I cannot say enough good things. The room was lovely. bed comfortable. The staff were fantastic. couldn’t do enough. They were friendly. welcoming and so helpful.
As for the food. we ate in both nights, the standard was amazing. Will definitely be going back. Thank you everyone at the Castle

Recently stayed in the Lillie Feature Room at Ruthin Castle, and it was nothing short of fantastic. The room itself felt like stepping into a romantic period drama .... a stunning four‑poster bed, a large freestanding bath in the room, a cosy sofa, and a beautiful window seating area that made the whole space feel luxurious and unique.

Our dinner in the castle’s dining room was excellent, with great service and beautifully prepared food. Breakfast the next morning was just as impressive..... generous, delicious, and a perfect start to the day.

What really makes Ruthin Castle special is the building itself. Staying in such an old, atmospheric castle is an experience in its own right. The history, the character, and the sense of place make it feel like a true escape.

A fantastic stay from start to finish ....highly recommended for anyone wanting something memorable, comfortable, and full of charm.

If you want to stay in old Castle lovely.. needs some tlc in places. SPA id give no stars couldn't book app no answer on phone went directly told be reception to go via stairs down several flights stairs waited 20 mins no one at reception .
Staff at Ruthin Hotel very helpful and pleasant. We only ate once in evening food ok . Breakfast little dissapointing welsh breakfast was sausage having tinned tomatoes and fried eggs if your vegetarian you can order veggie sausages.. on a plus very dog friendly and great location 👍

Advertised as 4 star. Place was filthy. I’ve stayed in better premier lnn’s Beautiful potential but really run down.

Quirky castle, beautiful grounds. Breakfast room was so dark you couldn’t see what you were eating. Room was quirky but very very dusty , pity we couldn’t share photos of the year old writing in the dust on top of the wardrobe, people had written dates in the dust.