Thyme – Hotel, Restaurant,Spa

I was genuinely excited about staying at Thyme, which is why I found the experience so disappointing. The property is undeniably beautiful, and the hotel does an excellent job of marketing the experience. However, at £500–£700 per night, I expected far more in terms of service and guest experience. During my stay there were no organised activities taking place, and I was surprised that there wasn’t even a simple daily yoga, fitness, or wellness class available. The weather wasn’t great, so the outdoor pool wasn’t really usable, which made the lack of alternative activities even more noticeable. When I asked staff for recommendations on walks, hikes, or things to do nearby, I was generally directed to maps or information already available in the room rather than receiving personal recommendations. On arrival, I was invited to sit in the lounge and given a bar menu while waiting for my room, but no one returned to take an order or check whether I wanted anything. I also never received what felt like a proper check-in and wasn’t even told the name of my room. The following morning at breakfast, when I was asked for the room name, but didn’t know - there the response felt dismissive rather than helpful. None of these issues were major on their own, but together they created an experience that felt inattentive and underwhelming. Perhaps I visited at an unfortunate time, and I’m sure the hotel is more enjoyable when events and activities are running. However, given the price and expectations created by the hotel’s presentation, I left feeling that the experience simply didn’t live up to its promise. It looked far better in the marketing than it felt as a guest.