Swan, Thatcham by Marston's Inns

My first time staying there was terrible, bedcovers not changed ,bathroom not cleaned ,however, a thumbs up for my stay this time.

Nice place very convenient to wear we had to be Very nice staff friendly and accommodating very nice food basic but very tasty not to expensive The room we stayed at happened to be the same one last time we were there just forgot to duck when I took my shower but apart from that we were very pleased with the hotel room

Mark behind the bar is an outstanding person - I just missed my train and had 45 mins to wait for the next train - Mark made me feel super welcome first thing in the morning and brightened up my day with his positive attitude. Poached eggs on toast was amazing as well. Thank you Sir

Travelled from Suffolk to meet a friend who moved to Thatcham.....saw web site of this place and looked nice. Firstly, why charge to park here....if it was likely to be used by shoppers I might have given it a bit of leeway, but no shops nearby. Yes, it can be reimbursed if you spend Over £40 but if you have no change the app is an obscure one. Next, even though table booked, getting noticed to be shown table took 20 mins as only bar staff (busy serving crowds) were available to ask. Next you have a choice, order on the app. or at bar, so judging by the impending wait ordered, from experience trying to find table, on the stupid app., oh, then have to pay on line!!!! So no reimbursement of car park now then! Food was average, staff were okay but not a pleasant experience all round. Definitely not my kind of place, and judging by similar experience of their pub in Bury St Edmunds, (pay for car park there as well!! ) this may be par for the course in all there pubs. Won't be Marston's anywhere again. Had planned to book a room on next visit but definitely will give this a miss.

I wasn't quite expecting to pay £100 for a Guinness, so you can imagine my surprise receiving an astronomical parking fine for an hour spent in the Swan. After little research, you find an inordinate number of legitimate customers have also fallen victim to the elusive private parking signs and meter, managed by a group of cowboys formally known as Premier Park. The sheer number of people being caught out provides unequivocal evidence that something needs to be revised. However, a dishonest company profiting greatly from this arrangement wouldn't do so. Ironically, I am a patron of this pub, well aware of the parking rules. However, it is incredibly easy to forget, and although there are many signs to jog your memory, you do not naturally notice them. The parking meter and signs exploit natural inattentional blindness. Simply, if you are not looking for a parking sign, you won’t see one. After all, you wouldn’t typically expect to pay for parking in a pub. When you get out of your car, you naturally look directly at the pub where you plan on going. Nobody gets out of their car and scans the circumference of a parking area before going on their way. During my recent visit, when I received the fine, it was dark and raining. Most signs reside in the darkness, and the few that are illuminated rush past your peripheral vision as you run inside to stay dry. One of the staff members informed me my fine could be waived. But I have yet to hear back from the pub, and I don’t want my fine to further increase. Considering this is an ongoing issue that significantly impacts your pub's reputation, you need to deal with the problem. Instructing staff to ask customers if they have paid for parking when ordering a drink or food would be unbelievably uncomplicated. Many establishments have invested in systems where customers can type in their number plates, preventing an unfair parking charge. Think of some solutions. Although I have loved this pub for many years, the situation irritates me enough to reconsider returning.

I wouldn't have come here for myself, but it was a friend's birthday and a convenient location for everyone. There is an atmosphere of 'can't quite be bothered' in so many aspects of this place. Firstly, it desperately needs a refurbishment. It could do with some money being invested into it to make this place feel fresher and more comfortable. Everything, including the walls, is stained, worn and sticky. The furniture is dark and worn. There were eight of us eating. We were sat at the back of the dining area. It was dark; the lighting was depressing, and the walls were splattered with dirt and food from other diners. Every menu was covered in beer and sticky. The ladies' toilets are shabby and given we were there for three hours, there is no evidence these are checked every hour. The urine splashes in one of the toilet seats were a testament to this. Also, the grubby interior of the pub does make you wonder what the hygiene of the kitchen areas is like. It holds a heigne rating of 5, but day to day, is that the case? Moving on to the food. The menu at first glance is good in that there is a good selection of dishes, allergies and dietary requirements are primarily catered for, and calorie information and lighter options are available. Three of us, including myself, enjoyed our food. The kebab was the star of the show. The rest of the diners in our group found the quality of the cooking and presentation of the food well under par. The burgers and grills were all a bit greasy and overcooked. Sauces that were ordered at the till (overheard by two people in our party) weren't added to the order and, therefore, never cooked. Service. It was polite but lacking care. We ordered eight starters and eight mains. There was a miscommunication somewhere in the order. These things happen, and the kitchen received what they thought was an instruction to cook everything and bring it out at once. Common sense is vital in the catering and service industry. Someone should have checked with the group that the instructions were correct. A simple 'mate, they've asked for everything to come out at once... can someone check this is correct before we start cooking this?' is all it would have taken. The result was that we had just started enjoying our starters when the mains came out. Eight main courses were left on the table next to us, turning cold and congealed whilst everyone rushed their starters. When queried, it was a casual shrug off to the kitchen, who 'just start cooking it as soon as they get the order'. This is what I mean about lack of care—small stuff matters. The only thing that helped our group feel better was that someone who came on shift later listened to our complaints with more skill and empathy, offering a free drink or pudding to each person. Finally, the parking. This is the 'straw that broke the camel's back'. You can park here and get reimbursed for your parking against the bill which is good. The parking machine is evil

The room was a comfortable space. Bed/pillows ok, could’ve been better. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

We have just returned from a four day break while visiting our family at Christmas 23, on 1st reflection room 5 was very clean and comfortable but it soon became obvious that there were several plumbing issues. The room was extremely cold and it was impossible to turn the radiator up as the thermostatic valve was seized solid. When the flush was pushed the water continued to run unless continually pushed and the basin push plug did not work, if you filled the sink up to wash it emptied in a few seconds. A few minor repairs costing a few pounds could have made our much more comfortable. Another problem which were totally beyond your control is from. 11.15pm on Christmas Eve a group of 20+ mixed adults congregated outside the window of our room in the light talking, shouting and laughing loudly until after 1.00 am making sleep impossible Mr & Mrs J Rider

This was just a bed for two nights as visiting family for Christmas near by so not much time spoon the room