We recently stayed at the Palace Hotel in Buxton and, unfortunately, left feeling disappointed. While the building itself holds undeniable historic charm, it’s clear the property has seen better days and is in need of serious attention to bring it back to its former glory.
The biggest letdown was the dining experience on our first night. We both ordered the pork belly, which arrived smothered in a beige-orange sauce that overwhelmed the entire dish—any other flavours were completely lost. The restaurant appeared understaffed, and our drinks didn’t arrive until we were nearly finished with our mains. To their credit, the staff did comp the drinks due to the delay, but the overall experience put us off dining there again. The dessert, a cheesecake, seemed to be cut from a tray and was cloyingly sweet, with little depth of flavour.
The room itself was unremarkable. We’d booked a double but were given two singles pushed together, topped with a thin mattress cover that did little to disguise the gap or add comfort. The room and adjoining bathroom were dated, and the bathroom’s extraction fan was not strong enough to deal with moisture properly.
All in all, the hotel has potential, but it’s clear that it's currently coasting on its once-grand reputation rather than delivering a genuinely comfortable and enjoyable experience. We'd recommend spending less and stay at the local Premier Inn which we've found to be a standardised comfortable stay that is good value.