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The Victorian Palace Hotel sits in 5 acres of landscaped gardens in the spa town of Buxton. Ideally located for visiting Buxton Opera House and exploring the Peak District National Park, Britain's first National Park and one of the country's most popular walking destinations, this hotel has an imposing facade and opulent interior to provide an unforgettable backdrop for any occasion. With 186 bedrooms, including 12 premium rooms, a Health & Leisure club with swimming pool, gym, beauty rooms, hair salon and a restaurant using local ingredients to prepare British and Continental cuisine, it's the perfect spot for a country town retreat.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa garners appreciation for its historical ambiance and cleanliness, with guests often finding the rooms and public spaces spotless. The hotel's prime location is a hit among visitors, offering convenient access to local attractions, though parking fees are a sore point for some.
While the rooms' comfort receives mixed reviews, with occasional complaints about size and noise, the grandeur of the hotel's atmosphere is widely celebrated. However, the additional costs for amenities, including Wi-Fi and pool access, have left many guests feeling the value proposition could be improved.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Uncomfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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In October 2024 I attended an ROC reunion at the Palace Hotel, I was bitterly disappointed by the experience and although booked in for three nights felt compelled to leave after two nights. Before travelling I requested a room with a walk in shower as I have limited mobility and cannot negotiate a shower over a bath. They informed me that none was available but could accommodate my wife and myself in a disabled room which was acceptable. This room was as far from reception as it was possible to be down a procession of shabby and dingy corridors. The staff were most helpful assisting us with luggage, however on access the room was huge lit by a single low wattage bulb with an eclectic assortment of furniture and located next to the bins just outside the window. The disabled facilities in the bathroom were obviously a recent refurbishment and were very good but let down by being a huge room without any form of heating not even the facility to dry towels. The food was not very inspiring akin to school meals in quality and at the time we had dinner no staff on duty to assist which would have been useful as it was not until going for a dessert discovering that was where the soup was located. The function we attended was beautifully laid out and presented spoilt by appallingly uncomfortable chairs and in my opinion mediocre food which was explained away as being due to temporary staff. It is a shame that the experience did not live up to immediate impression of grandeur when first entering the hotel. To be fair compensation was offered however a night at preferential rates plus a free bottle of wine at dinner as we had already paid for a nights accommodation and would have to travel from the N Scotland to benefit. It is a shame since the hotel should have the capacity to offer so much more with Buxton and the Peak District such an attractive area to visit
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton, Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 2 weeks ago
Dear guest, Thank you for taking the time to write a review of your stay from October. I am sorry that we could not accommodate your request for a walk-in shower as these are limited throughout the hotel, I am glad to see that we was able to accommodate your wife though. Your comment about no staff on duty at meal times is concerning as we always have staff in the restaurant. The event that you attended no other comments were made about the food from other attendees. I am glad to see that we had offered you a preferential stay for the issues you faced.
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On arrival we were impressed by the public spaces, especially the grand staircase. Our room on the third floor had been renovated and was both spacious and clean with a small window. No sign of electric sockets, we eventually moved a chest to find the sockets behind. No window in the bathroom, the extractor was hit and miss, a shower over the bath worked well while the lack of a grab handle hampered access and made use quite dangerous for us less mobile people.
The one lift was shall we say temperamental and very slow, inadequate for the size of the building. Essential for us to access the third floor. A low floor room had been requested, that request was not met.
We found the staff all pleasant and helpful if overworked, particularly in the dining room. Wifi in the public areas was often frustratingly inefficient. We parked easily and found the access to Buxton a straightforward short walk.
Now to the food. Breakfast was good, the usual range of cooked items, cereal, fruit, small pastries and a toaster with decent quality bread. The evening buffet was another matter. We found the main course food either bland or overly spicy, vegetables either under or totally over cooked. The first night the food was late, no staff or labels so choice was guesswork. After that staff were available to explain the content, on one evening all food was labelled which really helped. Starter was a buffet salad with pate every evening or a soup which we did not enjoy. Pudding selection was good if sometimes lacking in flavour.
The dining room has two levels We thought the tables on the lower level crowded. Hot drinks were accessed from a machine meaning customers were squeezing between chairs with plates off food, full cups and tea pots in a potentially dangerous manner.
To summarise. Our room was of a good standard, public areas especially on entry impressive, breakfast was good, staff pleasant. Evening meals were frankly horrible.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Probably best to eat out in the evenings
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton, Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 15 Jul 2024
Dear guest, Thank you for taking the time to write a review of our hotel. I will pass your comments on to the relevant Managers
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A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
I was so worried reading reviews but was happily surprised
I had had trouble getting through to the hotel and spoke to someone on chat Facebook
I had been upgraded to lex room front of hotel with fridge
I had managed to speak to someone on the number given who confirmed pool wasn’t shut …. It was my main reason for the trip 😟 and upgrade
We arrived 2.30 pm parked right out side , Beth who was on reception very sullen and unhelpful person, jasmine who took over was more helpful.
Room was clean and big , one robe in cupboard but as usual not my size and asked at reception said go to spa … also shut and in the morning also !
Looked like Refurb had been done , the odd blip could be seen but clean
Fridge with water in, only one plug in whole room which we had plugged the fan in already, had to use the extension behind the table ( tv/ kettle )
One lamp on only one side bed
Bath mat didn’t stick nearly came a cropper there !
Loverly toiletries in bathroom
No toilet brush and had to use loo roll a lot not nice 🤢
No sleep, bed rock hard and creaky floor boards so room above could be heard walking about, many trips to loo 😳
Went to get sugar from reception no one about , took some from the seating area up to room instead
Breakfast went at 7am so quiet and hot food, had to wait till lad of reception filled his box before I could get my hot breakfast !!
Loverly food, coffee tasted odd ??
Loverly staff dinning room
No pool open you would think wait til after summer !
Lift was fine
No room service
No door sign do not disturb
Check out stood at reception waiting someone to appear then handed keys over, not asked if all ok ?
Crossing the road outside rather scary very busy road in the day
Walk up to the hotel steep
Walk to your right toward park and theatre loverly
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Take extension lead
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton, Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 14 Aug 2024
Dear guest, Thank you for taking the time to write a review of your recent visit to our hotel. I will pass your comments onto the relevant departmental managers.
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Room Tip: If you visit here, eat and drink out !! Can’t comment on the location as we had no time to got...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton , Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 3 Dec 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you for your constructive feedback, if you contact customerservices753@britanniahotels, we will be able to look into your issues for you.
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OK so 5 out of 5 on the basis that it was cheap and cheerful. We paid £74 including breakfast and parking for a night in a huge room that had a massive comfy bed with clean sheets and a massive bathroom with clean towels. Breakfast was a 10er each and a 5er for 24 hours parking in the carpark within the hotel grounds......Fairs fair and as the saying goes "it is what it is" and "what's not to like" ......You can't complain for that price and the brecky was lovely and plentiful (for the price) Ok, it's not the raddison or the Hilton or even the Premier Inn but it's darn good value for money and we'd defo come back - at that price! Yes ok the kids who work the reception need a reality check on manners & civility but as I say, for the price you can't go wrong. We decided to stay over after drinking too much at the festival and not wanting to risk driving we booked a room, good decision!
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Try it for a night but don't expect the Ritz Carlton but it is 4 times cheaper than the other...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton , Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 23 Aug 2023
Dear Guest thank you for your positive feedback on the Hotel the staff are currently undergoing training as all our team are new to the business and the hospitality industry we do hope to see you back at the Hotel soon. Kind regards
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Stayed at this hotel before wasn’t good then and even worse now, but because it was so central to Buxton thought we would give it another go. So to be sure of a good room we booked a suite. Furniture very dated, the window ledges to sitting room and bedroom had badly peeling paint and was full of rust. The bedroom window glass was broken, was left open and no way would I attempt to shut it in case the glass fell out. The veranda was full of moss and the railing was in need of a good scrub and painting, was definitely not a good look. There had been an accident where the bedroom door had been bashed; this was covered up with a plastic patch.
On our second day when we got back our room wasn’t made up, when I enquired I was told that unless you request it the room wouldn’t be serviced. I therefore asked for the room to be serviced for the next day and asked for clean towels, she produced one and when I asked for another one she said she would bring it up, this didn’t happen and I could tell by her attitude that she wasn’t going to.
When we went down for breakfast on the third morning, were informed that we hadn’t paid for breakfast, told her we had booked through booking.com and breakfast was included. I informed her that we had breakfast the previous two mornings, but she said to go to reception and explain which I did I then got a voucher for the last day of our stay, which seemed very odd considering we didn’t need one for the previous two days.
Breakfast was help yourself to a table and self-service breakfast. Not enough space to get cereal or toast without bumping into everyone, also long queue at cooked breakfast counter. In the end we settled for cereal and that was it.
On our last day we decided to have dinner at the hotel. Was really amazed to find it was self-service again, not waiter service as you would normally expect. The food was very unappetizing, even though there was a choice everything look dry as it if had been standing for a long time. So instead of a nice leisurely dinner it took us half an hour to decide we had had enough.
I would not recommend this hotel for more reasons than the above but to be honest I just want to forget about the whole experience.
If I had known beforehand there was a new Premier Inn in Buxton we would have stayed there for half the price cleaner and better service
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Do not book the suite if tempted as way over priced for the room, also parking can be a nightmare
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton , Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 16 Aug 2023
dear guest thank you for reviewing the Palace Hotel your feedback will be passed to relevant mangers
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This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in,booked in saturday ,reception lady lovely a rapid decline after that .Evening meal a carvery which was an experience for us chef nowhere to seen waitress had to find him no vegetables topped up and definitely no roast potatoes ever ,fish dried up under the light .we ordered some wine had to ask for wine glasses ,the young waitress said they were busy so when we had finished our meal she brought the bottle of wine then had to ask for the wine to go in the ice bucket .The full time we were eating the waitress was setting up tables around us for breakfast which was not very relaxing .We noted lots of diners had the same problem as us ,we decided together we would not dine in the hotel again . At 8.30 when the chef had at long last refilled the food four men came to dine they were sent away this was not good for business it showed stressed staff and poor customer service . This morning was so much worse the dinning room was packed and chaotic when I went to get a pot of tea from where the tea pots were stored the waitress sharply said you can’t fill the pot this end go down the other end this was disastrous there was a queue for the toast , hot water and the cereal this blocked the assess to the kitchen . I decided to put my toast in but there was no brown bread the man beside me said did the waitress snap at you when you asked for bread .My husband said the dinning room for like s factory canteen but less efficient. we came back from a day out no clean towels no tea no coffee the receptionist said you don’t get any of these for the duration of your stay unless you ask every day she was very dismissive . Parking charged and Wi-Fi this is such a bad experience it’s good that there are good restaurants in the area where we met many of the hotel guests . This morning again had to ask for brown bread no individual little yogurts no milk beside the tea pots . This morning was not busy but there seems a big lack of management through out the hotel and customers service skills nearly non existent . The hotel is in a good location .
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Needs more staff training
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton , Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 10 Oct 2023
Dear guest thank you for your feedback i will pass this over to the relevant manager so they can make improvements but we do appreciate your feedback
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You may wonder why I have the review title, well let me explain, I read the reviews prior to our break (Xmas present) and was shocked at what I was reading but thought as it’s a gift go with an open mind, so here is my review. The hotel was everything the reviews wasn’t, first impressions on going through the carousal door was well this looks nice. The receptionist was and continued to be throughout our stay was very polite and more than happy to help with any questions we may have. We was given room 215 and again opening the door, the room was clean throughout bedding was fresh and bed very comfortable. We had a table and 2 chair where we could sit in the window area and look out over views of Buxton and the peaks seeing the sun rise and set. The bathroom was cleaned to a very high standard with plenty of hot water, the towels were on the radiator that was hot and kept them fresh and dry. We had bathrobes and slippers with tea and coffee facilities The restaurant food was fresh and tasty both breakfast and dinner. The staff were very polite and friendly assisting with any needs required. Yes work people were working fitting new carpets (it seemed throughout the hotel) decorating was also being done but discreetly. You also need to remember the hotel is over 100 years old so must expect work needs to be done in the property. The hotel is situated right next to the town so easy in reach. There is a £5 a parking charge a day which you may think a bit much but when you consider its location to the town, its peanuts because the town is only a short walk therefore no hunting around to find parking spots that charge by the hour. We used the pool facilities for free but found the pool to be a little cool but work again was going on to upgrade the area which meant doors were left open allowing cold air in I can only speak as I found but this was a lovely hotel with all members of staff and work people being very polite and friendly, so a BIG THANK YOU to you all and hopefully will return again Well done team
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Date of stay: February 2023
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â room 215 which is a double standard
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton , Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 25 Feb 2023
Dear Mark thank you for your review on the Palace Hotel, we are really pleased that you enjoyed your break with us at the Hotel, we do hope that you come back and visit us in the future to see the completed renovations Kind Regards The Buxton Palace Team
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I booked this for an autumn break for me and my wife, it looked like the best hotel in town. And we booked a 'Lexx Executive room' in the expectation of a superior experience. It's a lovely old building, with a spectacular reception area, foyer and staircase, but that's where the praise must end. I'm no executive, but if I were I might expect free Wifi, but no, it's £7 per device per day! With 2 phones and a laptop, that would have been £63 for 3 days, I don't pay that at home for 2 months! And I might expect to plug my laptop and phone in: no spare sockets. Had to unplug the fridge and the kettle. No point unplugging the bedside lamps as the used those ancient round pin plugs. Never mind, let's go and use the pool, that must be included. No, that will be another £6 per person per visit. I asked at reception what an 'executive' room actually gets me, and the answer was a bigger, more luxurious room. Add to the the above: ancient rusted up windows that don't open (a previous occupant had cracked a pane in the bathroom, probably trying to force it open); to boil the kettle (after unplugging the laptop), it has to go on the floor due to a short cable; no phone in the room or other way of contacting reception, but there's no room service anyway, so why would you? No bath mat, no welcome pack or info, no room servicing unless you specifically request it, not even a loo brush to do your own cleaning. Breakfast was disappointing and understaffed: on our first morning there were no clean tables so we had to wait for the sole staff member to clear and clean one, which took a while as she was also parrying requests from other frustrated breakfasters. Can't blame the staff, they were doing what they could, but I would never visit again, and I'll avoid Britannia hotels in future.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton, Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 1 Nov 2023
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to write your review regarding your recent stay at the hotel. All of our extra charges are listed on all booking websites so i am unsure as to how the charges for WIFI and the pool was a surprise to you. The widows do open but they have a restrictor on them due to health and safety reasons. Our premium rooms do have extra's in them such as mini fridge, robes and more toiletries. Our standard room do not have these.
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We have just had a fantastic bargain overnight stay at the Palace Hotel in Buxton. The hotel has obviously just undergone a makeover so everything was clean and fresh. Our large room was very comfortable - beds, pillows, towels, toiletries etc all good quality. We enjoyed using the swimming pool and steam room. Towels were provided in the leisure club and the lockers just needed a 4 digit code rather than messing about with keys or coins. The breakfast was also first rate with a great choice.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Palace Hotel Buxton, Guest Services / Front Office at Palace Hotel Buxton & Spa
Responded 1 Aug 2024
Dear guest, Thank you for leaving a review. I am glad to see that you enjoyed your time with us.
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I don't believe they have a dress code for dinner .obviously most people just dress smart but I've seen all sorts of attire . Just wear what you are comfortable with
There are more places to choose from in the Buxton area.
PRICE RANGE
$106 - $168 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
palace hotel buxton, palace buxton, buxton hotel palace, hotel palace buxton, barcelo buxton
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandDerbyshireBuxton
NUMBER OF ROOMS
186
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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