The Celtic Manor Resort Chepstow Road, Caerleon, Newport NP18 1HQ

"Very nice stay at the Celtic Manor in Newport Gwent. The service and the room were very good. The breakfasts, that were a buffet style are great, you can always go back for a bit more if you feel you are still hungry. I stayed in the old part of the hotel at the Manor House, the room was warm and comfortable, the amenities also were very good. The staff are very friendly and helpful, always a smile and fast with the right information. The gym I used daily and was very clean and well maintained, also they have some staff available most of the time in the gym. Overall it was a good stay and would recommend it highly."

"There are so many good things here but really undercut by the negatives. Biggest negative was the fire alarm going off twice in the middle of the night. I know these things happen but the communication both during and after the alarm felt terrible. - We were surprised to find we had to pay for parking on top of our (not cheap) room rate, and it means you are rather trapped as if you take your car out and back again you have to pay the parking rate again. - The rooms were comfortable but there were no plug sockets anywhere near the bed, so the lamps there were completely useless - just a trailing cable to nothing. - swimming pool was lovely and warm and the kids loved it, but all 3 toilets in the changing room were out of order for our whole stay, so when my daughter needed the toilet we had to end our swim early, and you only get 2 time limited slots with your stay so that was it. - all the staff we met were lovely, but the phones are awful, impossible to get through to someone and if you do manage it they immediately transfer you on to a number that either rings forever or goes back to the beginning of the menu. - the buffet dinner is hugely expensive for what it is. The puddings were impressive but the rest of the food was very mediocre. I wouldn't mind if it was half the price. The decor and ambience was lovely but I don't think we would stay again, we were hoping for a treat but it didn't pan out as we had hoped at all."

"The resort was amazing and so magical around Christmas time. We loved every minute of our stay. Room was spacious and clean. Service was great. Food at the Grill was lovely as well as the breakfast in the Signature floor the next morning. The only thing I was surprised with was the £20 parking fee which wasn't stated anywhere when I booked. I felt the £20 was a bit steep."

"First of all, the resort as a whole is amazing. My average score is based on a number of things. The break was booked for 14 of us through a golf travel operator. There was an issue with a couple of the group being deleted from the booking - not sure where the blame lies, but it resulted in a lot of back and forth at reception to get it resolved, which frustrated a large number of the group. To be fair, the reception team did try to help get it resolved as quickly as possible, but there seemed to be a lack of info passed from the early shift to the late shift, so it had to start again from scratch and I had to be present in order to show the booking info again. My biggest gripe is the extortionate amount of money you are charged at every opportunity for things that should be included as standard from a luxury resort, or at least priced fairly. £8.50 per night to park in the overground car park with no security seemed a bit steep. I think this should be complimentary, as the ones up by the golf courses are. Bottles of water were provided for the room in the morning, but the fact you are charged over £5 for a 750ml bottle when needed is not justifiable. We're not a "cheap" bunch, but the mentality does appear to be that of a nightclub whereby once you are in, you are obliged to pay whatever they want to charge you. It's a shame as the golf courses are exceptional, the views are amazing and the hotel is very nice. Still worth a visit and I would probably stay again, but would spend free time in the town 10 minutes up the road."

"Upon arrival the Hotel was impressive. Checking in was straight forward, although I was surprised by the £50 deposit taken out of my account which I was told would be refunded within 7 to 10 days. The Rooms are clean and good size. The facilities in the hotel are good especially the swimming pool area which I'm pleased to see is cleaned every evening. The staff are friendly and helpful. However, there were times I was dumfounded by the lack of hospitality and professionalism of some staff especially around dinner service. This could have something to do with being understaffed maybe, but when you are charging high prices for drinks and food then expectations are considerably higher. The Golf courses are amazing with some spectacular views and you won't be disappointed with any of them. I am really impressed with the shuttle buses from the hotel to the different courses and the drivers were always helpful and had a great sense of humour. Would I recommend this hotel to others? I certainly would. I think with a few team building sessions/ refresher courses this hotel could be 5*"