The Saracens Head Inn

Location great. Pub and bar staff good. Our room, No 38, broken toilet seat, shower not great, not enough pillows, desperate for a refurb. Pub didn't serve food at the weekend, big mistake over a bank holiday weekend! We had to go across to The Crown for breakfast which was nice. Our friend in the room above us, shower didn't work unless you turned the tap on and then it was scolding hot. Overall, for one night it was okay but wouldn't be happy if I had booked for longer.

Just catching up on leaving my reviews from the last six months, lil'hobby of mine on tube, hence late leaving it. I stayed here for one night in September (a v cold September day with wind & rain), to avoid sat night Met line after my friend's gig. Lord knows what it's like in the depths of February. Woke up legit chilled to the bone with a cold that lasted a week. Really unnecessary & royally pee'd me off. It's the UK, not Barbados.🙄 Firstly, heating should be on (pretty much at all times in a UK Old skool pub inn, unless its peak July/Aug heatwave). If you want to save money, have the heating off & pop it on the AM of the eve your guest is checking in. Basic stuff. Secondly, check the heating works before assigning a room to an occupant. Ours did not. Judging by the review below, it's either still not been fixed, or is an ongoing reccurrent issue the establiashment needs to address to be a comfortably operational residence. Secondly, dont have the windows fully open 'airing the room', all day so it's like Elsa's palace on entry. I get in an old place you need to do this, but not for that long & definitely shut them by the time the guest arrives. Thirdly, dont close the thick old skool curtains over the windows so that the guest cant even see they are wide open. Yep. You can think im a numpty for this but neurodiverse brain here didnt even consider a hotel would leave windows wide open on a day like that, & especially after reporting broken radiator. Fourthly, when your guests report a broken radiator, don't say "oh you just need to turn it on properly" & them say "right im off to bed" leaving us with no help. Dont assume your guests dont know how to turn on a basic radiator - kinda patronizing dontcha think? Dont go to bed. Wait. Investigate. Make sure it IS actually working before coming off shift. I was left with the distinct impression that she forsaw the ballache of a roomchange, knew it would delay beddyboes & just fobbed us off. Finally, in an old drafty inn like this, provide extra layers; blankets & the like, it costs nothing, and definitely go to the effort of getting some from a vacant room (there were lots), when your guests report they are cold & their heating is faulty. Being cold is one of my bugbears & i cannot get past this, nor enjoy anything if i am. Give me too hot anyday. Thanks to this joint, I lost a few £thou in self employment the subsequent 10 days due to a nasty cold I woke up with there. A huge price to pay just because the resident woman on duty wanted to get to bed on time. Breakfast was lovely. Server was lovely. Pub is lovely - hence the 2, not 1 star. But do not consider staying over unless it's peak summer or you're one of those tough-ass, ruggerz blokes like my Liverpudlian uncle who proudly wears a t shirt in allllll weathers. ✈️❤️

Room was good though at 6ft 4” and the door being less than 5ft had to remember that. Very friendly staff.

My worst ever two nights in a hotel! Checked in at 12am; bedroom was coldish but the owner said 'just about to put the heating on'. Returned at 11pm' the room was truly icy the ensuite like a refrigerator. Thinnish duvets, no extras provided- we slept in the freezing sheets with our clothes on, with our coats over the duvets. and with no heating at all by 9.00 am. We telephoned to complain to the owner next day, who apologised lavishly and said the radiator would be turned on. Foolishly we believed her and returned too late to a bitterly cold room for us to move hotels. At breakfast ( excellent) other guests said they had had a similar experience. Radiators are controlled centrally individually and are not turned on until the ( very nice) breakfast chef arrives! Our room was a (pretty) converted stable with no ceiling and brick walls, not plastered or insulated, so the temperature in the room was similar to being outside and it was frosty those nights!

I stayed 1 night with a friend. We were in room 12 which had a door on to to street and looked like a little cottage with a pretty window box. Inside was cosy with everything we needed it was traditional style and a little tired. The bathroom could do with a refurb but the shower was excellent with plenty of hot water. The breakfast was adequate with basic cereals and juice with a tasty full English. The price was fair I think. The location was good for local restaurants

The pub and the staff are better than brilliant. But the hygiene in the rooms needs some serious work. Blood/ faeces on the linen isn’t ideal.

Didnt use bar. Had to go to another hotel for breakfast

Shivering at night I interpreted "free parking" to mean there was a hotel Car Park - but there was not. This is misleading - however the street parking was very convenient so it was not a huge issue. BUT it was a cold late September night because of high atmos. pressure and there was no heating in our room. Despite the quite thick duvey we had an uncomfortable night. Breakfast was good

Stop over whilst pilgrimaging from St Albans to Oxford. Lovely village and location. Great pub and breakfast fab. Great dinner too!