The Punchbowl Inn - Thorne

Great atmosphere, good eating, very warm and friendly people.

New chef fantastic homemade food. Great atmosphere, lovely open roaring fires. Great staff.

The main issue here is that the couple running it are battling a run down hotel that has been unloved and under invested for years, which means without a significant injection of funds and management with lots of experience to run it, this place will fail yet again. There 's no attention to detail the little things that make it an 'OK place to stay ' to something more memorable and enjoyable and this from a couple who have travelled around the world staying in 4 star hotels to cosy B&B 's. THE ROOM Twin room with tea and coffee/kettle. But...only one saucer and one spoon. There were no drinking glasses. Towels the smallest possible, certainly not full size bath towels. A window with a broken catch so unable to open it was a really hot day. No customer information. They are missing a trick here by not including a menu for their restaurant and, more importantly, what to do in case of a fire or how to get hold of management in case of emergency. Where was the Fire Notice, which is a requirement in every room??? The beds were OK. Water pressure in the shower was pitiful and in general the room was a little 'tired. ' There 's no, or extremely limited WiFi, it certainly wasn 't available on the TV which limited it to receiving standard channels only. In the 21st century, having no WiFi is a big issue especially if you 're trying to attract people who need to work away from the office. Some of these issues were rectified once we 'd found someone. However, we shouldn 't have to be telling you about the basics. BREAKFAST Limited to 7.30 8.30am Really? That 's a bit mean on those guests who might fancy a lie in. Even extending it to 9am would be beneficial. As to the breakfast itself, unless you like a fried breakfast there 's not much variety, certainly not on the menu anyway. A Full English wasn 't that full. As it 's included in the price it offers a start to the day, but with so many options just a walk away it really needs to be special to make it worthwhile. Perhaps offer it as an option because I suspect there 's a lot of wastage here. That makes the room rate more attractive and gives guests the option. There was a wedding on one of the days we were there. All good, except that we were woking at 6am by 6 girls doing their make up and chatting loudly right outside our room. Is there not a prep room you make available to wedding parties rather than use a public area which disturbs other guests? Overall, a general lack of attention to detail and a lot of work and investment needed if The Punchbowl were to shake off the negative reviews and feeling we got from locals. Rooms: 2 Service: 2 Location: 4

Went for my nephews wedding, food wasn't up to much. Lots of people complaining amongst them self's about the food. Service was good I give them that. My sister stayed in one of the rooms but didn't like it said it smelt fusty. Rooms: 2 Service: 3 Location: 5 Hotel highlights: Kid-friendly

Rooms: 3 Service: 4 Location: 3 Hotel highlights: Great value