My husband and I have just returned from a very pleasant weekend at the Avonmouth Hotel. We booked the room by calling the hotel direct. It was fairly last minute and they offered us 2 rooms and 2 rates, we opted for the sea view and DBB. Cancellation up to 12 noon on the day of arrival. A few days after booking we received a letter informing us that the hotel was undergoing major refurbishment. (weekdays only up to 6pm) The balconies had been removed and the outside pool was no longer available. Their web page does not mention refurbishment and their room page picture shows balconies and outside pool. I telephoned the hotel and expressed my concern, we were going away to celebrate our anniversary and the rates we accepted were faily high (above those quoted on their web page although we accepted these would be for a standard room and we had booked a sea view). The lady I spoke to was firm and detailed in her explanation of what was happening at the hotel and was sure that the refurbishment work would not interfere with the enjoyment of our stay. I was told that if we still had concerns we had the option of cancelling.
Our journey to the hotel was delayed by traffic, we called ahead to ask if we needed to book a table as we could be arriving after 7pm, we were told that the restaurant would be serving until 9.30pm, there was no need to book and if our arrival was delayed beyond that they would ensure a hot meal was available to us. When we arrived we were parked at the front of the hotel, there were plenty of spaces. Entrance to hotel is very nice. We collected our key and went to our first floor room. (no2) The room was large, airy and nicely decorated. There was a seating area, tea/coffee making facilities and a good sized en-suite with bathrobes. Best of all was the view across the bay. Binoculars are provided in the room which was a nice surprise. My husband slipped out to order a bottle of champagne which was delivered to the room within 5mins.
The restaurant again overlooks the bay and is very pleasant. The food was excellent and the service discreet but friendly. The wine was reasonably priced and very good.
Breakfast offered a choice of fresh fruit juices, cereals, fruits, yogurts, pastries, cold meat and several hot choices. The cooked breakfast was one of the best we have had. Again service was very good. There is a bar/lounge area off the restaurant with comfortable seating. A staircase leading from the lounge area took you out onto the lawn which leads down to the waters edge.
The refurbishment did not infringe on our enjoyment at all. There were a few areas to the side of the hotel sectioned off and the outside pool is empty and looking a little sad but with such views over the bay you hardly noticed it.
The only critisism we have is the sound of doors slamming. The heavy springs they have on them means that unless you hold on to the door it slams shut and you can not only hear everyone returning to their room but feel the vibration too. Other people mentioned the floor boards and we were consious of them but it did not bother us so much.
We had a lovely weekend and would return to the hotel again.
I will watch for reviews of the hotel when refurbishment is complete and hope the increased number of guest rooms and facilities does not reduce the good value and service.

Four of us went to the Avonmouth for the weekend of 13th July 2007. I had booked two double rooms and i must say that i was surprised by the price as they seemed very high. The young lady that took the booking was rather sharp as I asked for a deal due to the renovations and was told that £276 was the deal - this differed from local websites that quoted between £220 and £230. We arrived and thought the outside looked lovely. We booked in and the receptionist informed my daughter in law that they had a family suite which I thought was a good upgrade. However, when i looked at the sheet it said £356!!! I asked her to change it which she did eventually - but the suite turned out to be another room for children. We hadnt booked it why should be pay? so not off to a very good start. As we went to the rooms we were horrified, we were at the back of the hotel and the rooms were tiny with the smallest beds - they must be less than 4ft 6" and everything was tatty. The corridors, the rooms - in fact everything was tatty. We had good food but had trouble getting a drink as the bar wasnt manned. Also i had booked this hotel as the men were going fishing and we thought we could walk to the harbour - however you had to walk round the road which was inconvenient. The view was lovely and it was great sitting outside in the sun. Overall highly overpriced (although i gather the rooms in the front were much bigger) and i dread to think what they will charge when they are renovated

we were fortunate to book a weekend away when the weather was beautiful. The location of the hotel is perfect, right on the harbour. It was so pleasant eating meals overlooking the sea.
The hotel itself is nice but undergoing extensive renovations, so lots of bargins to be had, i cant wait to go back when all is complete. A new brasserie and health club with swimming pool is amongst the plans, plus all the rooms being updated.
What made our holiday so special was the attentiveness of the staff especially the restaurant manager Sean. He made us feel special and valued, was always cheerful and always on hand to deal with any queries or advice on sightseeing. This was such a pleasant and novel experience we actually looked forward to going down to meal times. The food was also excellent, a good selection, and delicious with friendly and efficient waiting staff. Like the title said great food, great location and great staff. We will definatly be back and will recommend it to all our friends.

We have just returned from a weekend at the Avonmouth. The hotel is magnificent and we have never experienced such incredible service before. It was so lovely that it was hard to drag ourselves away from the hotel.During the afternoon it's literally like tea at the Ritz in London, Quite difficult to fit in any meals out after all that! . The Restaurant is very smart and we dined there for our daughter's birthday, They even printed a special menu wishing her a happy birthday. Which i have to say the new Manager, Sean or Sean the great as my daughter said made us feel like we were the only customers.
Overall I would say this is probably the best weekend we have had as a family in any hotel we have stayed.
So looking forward to our next visit
Mr & Mrs M