Celtic Manor Resort Reviews 

I had a voucher gifted to me for my birthday that unfortunately it expired before I was able to use it. Totally my fault but sometimes life throws curveballs. I contacted CMR to enquire about extending it, willing to pay any admin fee. I had a response telling me that wasn’t going to happen and when I enquired on two more occasions (thank you, Lowri) on my statutory rights, I have had no further response. As a small business owner who also issues gift vouchers, I always try to accommodate customers where possible. I would have expected a business of CMR’s calibre to show the same level of flexibility and customer care. Hugely disappointing and judging by the reviews, I’m not the only one who feels this way. Why do we let large companies get away with behaviour like this?

As an update, I wanted to thank CMR for reaching out to me and offering to extend my voucher. The gesture is hugely appreciated.

Awful cleanliness and racist staff !!

Me and partner stayed over night at this hotel and we were treated with nothing but disrespect and contempt.

For starters they gave us a room in which was not cleaned; hairs on the bed, red stain on toilet seat and coffee stain on wall. When we complained, they did not even offer us a different room only kicked us out of the dirty one to clean it.

Staff did not greet/treat us with the same enthusiasm as the other guests. Staff then were making shady remarks about dress codes and assumptions about how we wouldn’t be able to afford a fancier restaurant. Me and my partner are black/Asian and we felt the discrimination as soon as we spoke to the front desk.

When complained to the head office, they did not rectify the issue only offered percentage off our next stay. Which we explained we would never come back.

Avoid at all costs !!!!

- Failed to provide the room type I had booked and instead gave me a queen room. Did not flag this to me, I had to instigate this conversation.

- Requested a refund, Byron (the member of staff) said I would need to come to the desk tomorrow and raise the issue. Failing to take accountability and creating a poor impression. Showed next to zero empathy

- Byron couldn't find my details on the system supposedly and left me waiting at the desk for over 10 mins. He went on to say it was a spelling error (even though I booked this).

- Offered a bottle of wine as an apology for failing to give me the room I had booked which was one of the highest grade rooms. I don't drink and the wine costs £6

- Found a clump of hair in the shower (see photo attached).

- Given a refund of £70. All in all £76 back for a room I paid x6 times this amount and didn't even get.

I've been a member here for around 20 years and every year it gets worse, you may wonder why I stay , maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I do like the course.
The course now isn't a patch on what it used to be, around the greens and the fairways there are bare patches and most bunkers have very little sand it like a concrete base with a sprinkling of sand on top.
Play is slow at best as there are never any rangers to keep the pace.
For example went out a couple of weeks ago the about 40 mins after the group infront played steady golf caught the group infront on hole 7 they carried on holding us up finished the front 9 in 1 hour 30 mins.
The back 9 took 3 hours 20 mins, when I complained was told that around 4.5 to 5 hours was acceptable.
Could not get the person there to understand that 3 hours 20 mins for nine holes was more like 6 hours plus

Dreadful service. Lots of problems. Staff miserable and very rude. I have been to the Celtic manor many times. This was my last time visiting!
I emailed my list of complaints and they didn’t even have the decency to respond!
V poor!

We booked the “Sunday Spa Stay Over” for the bank holiday weekend expecting a relaxing, luxury experience—but unfortunately, it fell far short.

Upon arrival, there was a long queue to check in, which moved painfully slowly due to a lack of staff at the front desk. Despite booking a Signature Collection stay, which supposedly offers a separate early check-in desk, we were told to queue with everyone else.

By the time we finally checked in, I had to rush to make my spa appointment—only to be told they had no record of it. After searching my details, they informed me my treatment was booked for the Monday instead. Upon checking, buried in the terms and conditions is the rule that treatments are only offered on the Monday. While I accept I should have read the fine print, calling it a “Sunday Spa Stay Over” is incredibly misleading when the actual spa treatment is scheduled on a Monday hours after your stay ends. We were fortunate to live locally and could return, but most guests wouldn’t have that option.

The blonde girl at the spa reception was also dismissive and unhelpful, making an already frustrating situation worse. That said, credit where it’s due: the brunette receptionists the next day were fantastic, and my masseuse, Amy, was lovely—along with the food and service at the Grill, which were faultless. These are the only reasons this review has one star.

Our room was modern and clean, but disappointing for a 5-star hotel—no minibar, which you’d expect as standard. Overnight parking also cost £20, it should be free when you’re paying around £400 for a one night stay.

On Monday, we had breakfast included at Steak on Six but chose instead to eat at The Olive to meet friends. That was a mistake. Despite having a reservation, we waited 20 minutes in a queue stretching to the main doors. Once seated, the food was cold, and there were no bowls, cups, or cutlery available. It was chaotic and disorganised. We left and went to McDonald’s instead.

The final insult came days later when my card was charged without permission. When I called, I was told it was a gratuity charge for the Grill—two days after we dined, despite having already settled the full bill (which included a 10% service charge) at the restaurant. The staff member has promised a refund, but frankly, this kind of unauthorised charge is unacceptable.

Overall, this hotel is not what it used to be. Many of the staff are kind and helpful, but the operation is disorganised and the experience isn’t worthy of a 5-star rating. There are far better options in the area that offer a genuinely luxurious and stress-free experience.

Strongly advise against coming here!! Rooms are outdated, service is poor, bar 2010 golf course the other two are bang average & prices are extortionate! £5.25 for a Pepsi max & £3.50 for a bottle of water is ludicrous. They charge £20 a night to park your car which isn’t advertised. Will never return.

Incredible to read these reviews. I see they have asked for their google rating to be removed from google. I didn’t even know you could do this. This place is literally comically bad. I’m attending a conference here next week and tried for an hour to get through to someone to ask about the venue. Not only could I not speak to anyone, when I emailed and asked them to give me a call they emailed me back and have still not called. I cannot believe that they manage a so called luxury resort. Just appalling service across the board.

Mouldy food served during a spa day. 3.5 weeks chasing a refund, including writing to Julie Hammond (CEO). Finally received refund, but no apology whatsoever. There’s far better quality and customer service elsewhere. As much as I wish it were better, it’s particularly poor.

They took my £100 deposit, promised Id have it back when I checked out, 2 weeks later and. Im still emailing and calling to get my money back, i explained that they were leaving me really short by with holding this money but they did not care, shocking customer service.

I've had to borrow money between pays to afford petrol to be able to pick my daughter up, this is beyond a joke.

My daughter and I visited on 14.04.25.
We booked the pool for 6pm and were pretty shocked to arrive to see that the spa area was filled to capacity with people everywhere. There were far too many people in the pool and there were children ingesting and spitting water out into it. There were overflowing used towels and robes in the changing areas which were also damp and crowded.
We managed 15-20 mins in the pool, clutching onto the side, saw more people coming and got out.
Within half an hour of being back in the room, my daughter developed a nasty pulsating red rash across her midriff, swimming costume shaped, which I attributed to dry skin/ eczema at the time.
She then developed a temperature and headache and the rash worsened. Within 48 hours, I broke out in the same symptoms and managed to book us both an urgent GP appointment at home where we were diagnosed with pseudomonas folliculitis and given antibiotics. It was made clear that this condition is caused by unsanitary pool/ spa conditions. The onset of symptoms fits exactly with our visit to the Celtic Manor spa- we had certainly not partaken of any other pool facilities.
l immediately alerted the hotel and requested feedback within 24 hours. This bacterial infection can induce sepsis in the immuno-compromised and is extremely serious. They have not bothered to respond.
I notice one reviewer from Tripadvisor today has posted about the strong smell of chlorine in the pool area - they clearly then got my email and have acted by belatedly upping their chlorine levels but have not bothered to respond to me. They clearly know there is a problem. Other reviews in the past 48 hours show they have shut their main jacuzzi down, which is strongly where I feel the problem originated from.
Four days following the start of the antibiotics, we are still not better. I urge anyone else who visited in the last fortnight who has developed symptoms to report them to the local council health and safety body. I have no faith that one emergency dump of chlorine will address the ongoing health and safety dangers of the Celtic Manor pool area.
I remain appalled that they could not even bother to respond to my urgent concerns and will be taking it up with the H and S department of Newport council myself.

I have attempted to add photos but I'm unable to on this site

I had prebooked the 4 poster bedroom for a special occasion. Via Expedia. The booking was based on the images portrayed in your brochures and booking sites, but the experience did not live up to it.

I want to enclose photos of our actual room against the one advertised and ask if you think they compare?

They do not and to further point out the bathroom windows were sealed closed with silicone which meant after using the toilet, there was no ventilation, and the experience was unpleasant.

The checkout time was 11:00am and yet we were hurried out at 10:30am following breakfast. A positive was the food was excellent, but the experience was below par.

This is an expensive venue with hidden charges. The parking was an additional £20 and was not advertised.

I do request a reimbursement and will await your response.

Yours Faithfully
Daren McGowan

While the 2010 course is a fundamentally sound golf course the overall experience is really lacking. Celtic manor seems to strive for a Disney experience rather than a round of golf with photo shoots on the tee box and gimmicks taking precedence over a warm up and an enjoyable round of golf. The pace of play is really slow and overall focus is given to the wrong details. Eg we had detailed explanations of how far the 180yard bunker was from the tee and how we would get our photo taken but everyone neglected to mention that buggies can’t go anywhere near the course- not ideal as my playing partner has had a hip operation and needs a buggy. It’s possibly an ok day out with mates and a few beers but not for good players

Terrible, gone right downhill. Outdated rooms. Stayed last Friday paid over £350 and still charged £20 for the car it’s a disgrace. £7 for a water and bottle of lucazade. Roman road golf course is in awful condition was told “time of the year everywhere” for the greens to be that bad the price should be reduced a lot more than what it was being promoted at!!
No tees or a gift anymore on the 1st tee was told inflation was the reason that is stopped.
Buggy’s are £55!! It’s unbelievable how expensive it is for such a poor service.
£7 for 40 balls on the range!
Living off an event that happened in 2010, nothing has ever changed by the looks of it.

To escape the bedlam of house renovation works I treated my partner to a night in a Deluxe room at Celtic Manor. The room was beautiful and we were looking forward to a relaxing evening, meal in the restaurant, glass of wine, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, £40 per head for dried up starters, cold curry, cold rice, cold nan bread…… sweet table nearly empty, congealed custard… add to this, staff clearing our table whilst we were still trying to find something edible on our plates and our experience was appalling. I asked a member of staff if I could see the manager and was told ‘he’s in the bar’. I went to the bar and he was not. With an early morning ahead of us we retired.
On checking out I requested a refund for the £80 meal (if I were to estimate the value of what we actually ate I’d struggle to make it to a £5er)
The check out lady was delightful and requested attendance of a restaurant ‘manager’. The person who arrived clearly didn’t understand how important customers are to a business and possessed zero customer service skills.
He finally conceded to a 50% discount and nothing more. His explanation being that I hadn’t told anyone last night.
McDonald’s would have provided superior sustenance and certainty would not have cost a fraction of the £40.
This location I am told was once nice, perhaps the business should refocus on what made it so as currently I’d advise anyone, steer clear and book a holiday Inn! Whole cost of one night £270. - disgusting 😡

Very disappointing service. Appalling level of communication, they do not answer their phones when you are in the queuing system — your call just gets cut off. After 8 attempts of trying the different memu options to speak to someone, my reasonable request to resolve my issue was not resolved.
No senior staff were available when I did finally get through. 2x promises of call backs from management and 2 days later, still no phone call or resolution.
In the past, my experiences were always positive, however, things seem to have declined immensely, in service, staffing levels and obviously profit to take £40 from me.
I have been charged £40, for cancelling an afternoon tea, within the 24 Hours terms and conditions.

**I cancelled with 23.5 hours notice!!**

The afternoon tea was for my friend, as a gift for her birthday. Unfortunately, the day before, my friend had some very upsetting news, and was understandably too upset to attend.
I have tried to resolve the issue by requesting to put the £40 to a future booking and re book for 7 days later and after 9 phone calls, and 2x promises of a manager to contact me to resolve the issue, I have not been contacted.

I parked next to the Tesla car park and arrived carrying a mountain bike on my car roof. From the car park I had a good ten minute walk to the main lobby carrying my bags and bike. Once checked in I was told to take my bike to the concierge. Here I waited a good 20 mins before anyone came to help.
Once checked in, I did find it a mission to navigate to my room on the 3rd floor. Once settled in, and tired after a days biking, I tried to order room service online but couldn’t get any further after entering the first set of details.

I decided to order an uber delivery thinking this would be an easier option, however staff will not allow them into the hotel, so again another 10-15 mins trying to navigate my way from my room to the front lobby door.

My room was large and pleasant, however the tech was pretty dated. No usb port , so I was unable to charge my phone. My room had two tvs but the one in the living room area didn’t work. The trim around the bathroom mirror was falling away from the wall and the shower cubicle did not drain the water well and began to fill up to the door when in use.

My conclusion is, the hotel is nice but lacks in some basic details. Decour and tech are dated (the travel lodge near has better tech). The journey to rooms is a mission, and if like me you were tired upon arrival and just wanted an easy first night then this isn’t for you.

Awful hotel & quite rude staff

Absolutely appalled by my experience with The Celtic Manor Resort – Rafters.

They took £40 from my account without authorization, and despite reaching out multiple times since Monday, I have been completely ignored. No apology, no explanation—just robotic, emotionless responses from staff who clearly don’t care about their customers.

I had to cancel last minute due to a family emergency—a loved one in the hospital—and the lack of empathy from the team was shocking. I’ve been a loyal visitor for years, but after this disgraceful treatment, I will never return.

A Christmas voucher I didn’t even purchase has somehow resulted in money being stolen from my account, and instead of addressing the issue, they’ve chosen to brush it aside.

I will be taking this further to expose just how awful my experience has been. With my connections at Wales Online, I intend to ensure others are warned. Stay well away from this company.

From the outset, bad first impressions - the clueless reception staff member doesn’t know how to check me in and has to disappear into a back room to bring someone out to help her… check in takes 15 minutes.

The room is shabby and in need of refurbishment. Very 2000s and I’m sure ok at the time. The bathroom is well designed and spacious. The towels could do with renewal. The bed was comfortable.

I called housekeeping the following morning to get some laundry done. Apparently housekeeping don’t show up for work til 8am. Reception says they will get them to pick up when they’re on. At 8.20am no one has picked it up. Call down to reception. Oh dear. They will radio housekeeping. I am hungry.

8.50am no one shows up. I go down to reception. Ask to speak to duty manager. The hotel doesn’t have one, I am told. I am asked to wait in a side area. Ten minutes later the same receptionist comes to me saying she is the front desk manager. I complain about the service. I get nowhere.

I go for breakfast. It’s in a place called the Olive Garden. It looks like a plague of locusts has swarmed over the place, with waste food and used dishes all over the tables. Someone asks for my room number. Doesn’t tell me it’s all buffet. Hot drinks from a machine. Awful. No milk on my table. I find another table with some milk. Scrambled eggs dried into the buffet dish. A young waiter comes by and stirs it up. Bacon is like dried shoe leather - probably cooked at 6am and under a heat lamp since. Nothing is freshly cooked. You would do better to eat at Magor services.

Hugely disappointed, I decide to check out. I am told that there is ‘nothing to settle’ when I ask. I leave, paying £20 for the privilege of parking overnight yat the hotel….

Later, I check my credit card app. The hotel has put pending charges of almost twice the value of the reservation on my card. I call the hotel and ask to speak to reception. Eventually I am put through to someone who is not from reception. We go around and around with him evading my questions. I can’t get him to tell me how much I have actually paid for about ten minutes at which point it is clear that I have paid for one night. So there was something to settle? I feel like a fool for not getting a receipt or invoice for the one night. I end up paying for two nights despite staying for only one and being led to believe that was what I would pay for.

In sum, this hotel is supposed to be a five star hotel. It is supposed to be one of Wales’s premier hotels. It is not. It feels like a very, very badly run heavily used Premier Inn. There is no sense of service or quality. It is most definitely NOT five star.

Read all the reviews on this site. Don’t waste your time. It would be a big mistake. You can do better at the chains or small privately run hotels. One is across the road.