Barrington Arms Hotel - Swindon

Sly J.

Have eaten here twice recently, an evening meal with a colleague and a Sunday lunch with friends and dogs.
The bar area was refitted not long ago and is now a clean, bright, spacious and comfortable environment.
Both evening meal and Sunday lunch were perfect, the latter had a nice simple menu of 4 choices, lamb shank, roast beef, chicken or veggie making it easy to get on with. Good sized portions, great Yorkie puds and perfectly cooked veggies (my preference not too soft but not crunchy!) Good choice of drinks. Staff were all lovely - friendly and efficient. And dog friendly? I deliberately asked for a remote table when I booked but they went the extra mile and pre-positioned a water bowl by our table and laid a rug out to soften the wooden floor for our old boy! Struggling to find fault with either experience, highly recommend.

Michael L.

Has been done out recently - it looks nice, clean and fresh. We happened to pop in on the same day as the local village walking group and thought it might take a while to be served.

We were wrong - excellent service and great hot food - burgers are very good.

Liam E.

There has been a change of hands at the Barrington, I have never stayed in the rooms there but have used the bar a lot!
It has been redecorated by the new owner, giving it a brighter look to the inside!
With the addition for a new pool table, a juke box and a games machine I'm sure the Barrington will be as popular as ever! This will be well received at our next work gathering.
I'm a huge fan of the staff there they do a great job of making you feel welcome.

Richard C.

Sadly hotel didn't live up to expectations, staff were friendly, but didn't seem to know much about running a hotel. Rooms very tired and need a deep clean and a revamp. Comfortable bed, but the smoking area of the pub gets pretty noisy, which is right by the hotel rooms. And some very unsavoury pub customers! Also the broadband was broken, with very limited mobile signal, so difficult to get any work done.

Steve M.

We all arrived during Saturday and settled quickly. My wife and I booked the Barrington Suite, a large comfortable room with ample storage and a large shower room ( no bath). The toilet in the shower room was very small, like a primary school toilet!! The toilet downstairs (restaurant area) was also very small! The shower was powerful but the cabinet and shower tray had seen better days. Cleaning between change overs could be better. The bar area downstairs was tired but every effort was made to make it welcoming. The staircase to the upper rooms is steep and a struggle if you have heavy bags!||Breakfast was amazing; a beautiful buffet of fruits, cereals, pastries, cheeses, etc. lots of fresh juice and coffee, tea. The room rate included an amazing cooked breakfast. Delicious!||On our 2nd night, Sunday, we ate again at The Prince of Wales (across the road). We returned to the Barrington Arms at 10:30pm, only to find the door bolted and the lights off. We called the number on their website with no response. Wandering around the back we climbed the fire escape hoping to get in, but was firmly locked. A further call to their number, and knocking on the front door, failed to get a response. Growing anxious two of our group went back to the fire escape. A window near the fire door turned out to be one occupied by them and, after a struggle, it opened, and one of them was able to climb in and open the fire door. We were relieved to get to our beds. But the night had one more irritation; music from somewhere in the building (from well after midnight and long into the early hours, with heavy footsteps on the corridor, and doors slamming. Getting in through the window could have led to a serious accident. ||We mentioned this the next morning and got the shortest apology from someone who was one of two staff who lived on site; “It was me. My fault. Sorry”. Nothing more.||We genuinely believe the owners and staff are making every effort to get things right and, with the shortcomings above set aside we all had a lovely weekend.||All in all would we stay again? Not unless they upgrade their offer, which may take some time.

Catherine F.

The hotel serves some delicious food - we had nachos and halloumi to start with different burgers to follow and everything was spot on. Breakfast was plentiful and very tasty. The family room in the main pub was absolutely fine but room 2 in the courtyard had some small issues like broken hooks, only one bedside light and mould on the shower hose and shower head and the bathroom door had a clump of hair on it, presumably from a mop. The main areas of the hotel/pub are tastefully decorated but some things, like the upstairs corridor and the tables and chairs, are showing a lot of wear. The atmosphere was friendly, the staff very helpful and the pub has its own private carpark. So over all a pleasant stay but just missing the mark. If we were local I'd definitely go in for a drink, live music or food!

Julie S.

I have never been to a place that calls you in the afternoon to say that the bar will be shut due to shortage of staff. So no hot food, no drink.The key was left for us in the room in the outside courtyard. Went out for the evening, on our return, room was cold,radiator and towel rail did not work. As the night progressed my elderly husband put his jumper on due to the cold. Duvet had no warmth at all.|At breakfast the cleaner came in and I said that the room had been cold, she said that the radiator does not work neither does the towel .. it’s on the same system.. she inferred that there had been an electric heater but might have been taken but a previous occupant! Thought it was amusing my elderly husband had to sleep in his jumper..|Not the cleanest room I have ever stayed in , used cotton buds under the bin, which I discovered when I needed to put in used tea bags..Bedside light flickered on and off so could not use it. Was not worth the money at all. Would certainly not recommend the place. Screw sticking out of the wall above the bed where picture should be, could be quite dangerous.

laura A.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Barrington Arms, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The food was delicious, with a diverse menu that caters to all tastes. Each dish was well-prepared and bursting with flavor. The friendly service added to the overall positive atmosphere, making us feel welcome and well taken care of. The surroundings were charming and cozy, creating the perfect setting for a relaxed meal. I highly recommend The Barrington Arms for anyone looking for great food, warm service, and a delightful ambiance. I'll definitely be returning soon!