The Speech House

The Speech House descritpion

Built in 1676 as a hunting lodge for King Charles II, the Speech House Hotel has been refurbished to offer modern facilities and luxurious rooms while retaining its period features.
Most bedrooms have forest views and several have four-poster beds. All rooms are decorated in a traditional style and have TVs with Freeview digital cable and free Wi-Fi.
The Verderer’s Court restaurant has beamed ceilings and offers modern British cuisine. The Orangery serves light meals and afternoon tea and a bar is also available.
The Speech House is a 10-minute drive from the Dean Forest Steam Railway and the Dean Heritage Center. Chepstow Castle and the center of its town, and Goucester with its historic docks are a 30-minute drive away.

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Facilities of The Speech House

Outdoors ：Grounds

Pets ：Pets are allowed on request. Charges may apply.

Activities ：Golf Course (within 2 miles) | Hiking | Bicycle Rental

Food & Drink ：Bar | Restaurant with Dining Menu | Snack Bar

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：Free!Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).

General ：Safe | Facilities for Disabled Guests | Heating | All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

Languages Spoken ：French | English

Reviews for The Speech House

Review 1：The room was shocking I've got spots on my back after lying in that bed I'm sure it had worms or something, the toilet didn't work, parking was poor, there was no hot water, the breakfast was like eating plastic for £97.50 you would expect a lot more

Review 2：That our room was very close to entertainment so not very far to walk back

Review 3：Water pressure variable and bath and fittings somewhat dated.

Review 4：Nice setting. Main building impressive, Room was adequate; comfortable but not anything special.

Review 5：Poor heating (No 22) On arrival it wasn't on and even when it was on was inadequate Shower very weak TV also needs upgrading

Review 6：Good bar & food Peaceful

Review 7：The hotel had extremely pleasant and helpful staff and the hotel was very dog friendly. Our courtyard room opened onto the courtyard which was perfect for the dog. The bar food and our evening dinner in the Verderers restaurant was delicious. We would definitely return

Review 8：The whole place stunk of raw sewage and staff admitted the owner knows about it and calls it "taste of the country". NO, it is a very strong overpowering odour of raw sewage from an establishment where the owner is refusing to get it rectified. AVOID

Review 9：Staff were very friendly, place was clean

Review 10：Would have like a better seating area for hotel guests- lobby got cold every time someone opened the front door.

Review 11：Location, staff good. Liked the hotel very much.

Review 12：Our room was far too hot. Also have to say the décor reflects the period when it was last updated which looks like the '90s and we thought the whole property would look much better internally if returned to fabrics and colours more in keeping with the original character of the property. I know some people like this sort of colour palate but it does 'date' in the negative sense of the word. We noted some works are planned to the ground floor including a permanent marquee and changes to the reception areas soon, so this will be an opportunity to redecorate in a less incongruous style.

Review 13：Great location right in the middle of the forest for excellent walking. Only 10-15 minutes walk from Beechinghust centre (for Go Ape). Brilliant staff who really loved our dog and were all very friendly. Excellent cooked breakfast, served via buffet - so 'all you can eat'! Room was very comfortable with a 4 poster bed.

Review 14：2 small things - 1) when there were few guests hot breakfast appeared to come straight from the kitchen and was delicious. On our third and last morning when apparently there were more guests there was a hot buffet which was not nearly so delicious. 2) the lighting in the room was dire.

Review 15：Kind, helpful staff and very dog friendly. You can eat all meals in the Orangery with your dog yearning below. Good food, the Verderers' Court Restaurant (no dogs) has a posher menu. Lovely location for dogs, the Arboritum next door is fenced and safe for failed squirrel hunters. The Speech House is not inexpensive but well worth the money. We were in room 26, a suite with twin beds, slightly remote from the main building but very comfortable, despite the intriguingly busy road just outside (it goes nowhere much). Please can you look at your website? It says "Please note pets are only allowed outside the bedrooms." This makes no sense. Actually dogs are allowed in some bedrooms, but not in the bedrooms in the main building, i.e. they are only allowed in the outside bedrooms, in the courtyard!

Review 16：Comfortable room, with very friendly and helpful staff. Good variety to choose from for breakfast and our evening meal was very good if a bit slow but probably only because we had arrived rather late.

Review 17：Restuarant meals a bit over priced. Car park often full on return tohotel in the evening due to corparate meetings etc nearly every day& weddings at weekends. Owners often present & keen to let youknow who they are. The top rate staff would cope better without biengwatched from the bar by Mr h . Bad smell near our cottage room may bebottled gas or could be drains?.A Bit more attention to detailedcleaning between guests needed.

Review 18：Every member of staff, polite, friendly, helpfull. Breakfast firstclass.Nice room good heating , plenty of hot water. Good location, Niceold building with lots of history. This hotel is only this good due tothe first class team of staff, credit to the owners for good stafftraining. Credit to the staff for all bieng so dedicated

Review 19：We didnt like the first room we where given but they sorted it out no trouble

Review 20：The location was great .The staff where friendly nothing to much trouble.the food was first class great chef .we where upgraded to a lovely room very comfortable we will return .

Review 21：Just returned from a great stay at Speech House.The property itself is a step back in time especially the Verderers room. The rooms are well equipped and very clean. We did have a minor problem at dinner which was pleasantly and professionally resolved by Jules,who was excellent along with Neeleigh on reception ( extremely patient whilst we checked in and decided which room we wanted !). Overall a great stay with amazing food at both dinner and breakfast. I would recommend this hotel to anyone.

Review 22：On arrival receptionist ignored us. Too far from towns. Tiny monitor size TV. Found several glass shards on carpet, cut my foot, reported it to reception. The same evening there was still glass, it had not been cleaned up.

Review 23：Restaurant and bar staff were friendly. Evening meals were tasty.

Review 24：Room not,serviced or cleaned properly - this was reported and compensated with £5 at check-out. Wi-fi did not reach our bedroom. Comments made regarding room requirements when booking with Booking.com were ignored (requesting not many stairs and quiet room) and we therefore had to negotiate a slightly less good room in the courtyard with smaller bed but one that didn't involve two flights of stairs directly over main road as had been allocated!

Review 25：Orangerie meals good, staff very helpful particularly in handling my special food requirement. Lovely four-poster bed. Problems addressed as well as possible by reception - particularly manageress.

Review 26：We had a courtyard room and when I opened the room door it immediatelymade me think it was a motel, not a £100 a night hotel! The smell alsostruck me! Come 1am, I eventually worked out it was like the smell ofwet, unwashed rugby gear or wet, smelly socks! Not pleasant! The roomwas very cramped and there wasn't really any space to put asuitcase, so I had to put it on the floor and climb over it. The viewout of the window was of a patch of stinging nettles and oil tanks withpipes and the marquee, which was only about 5 feet away. Luckily therewasn't a wedding on, or I suspect the noise would have kept usawake. As for the decor, well! It didn't look as if it had beentouched since the1980'S. The bathroom was a good size but the oldshower cubicle was far too small and some people might not have beenable to fit into it. There was no bath. There was a cheap out-datedvanity cupboard under the sink and the sink was old, plastic and marked- come on, not good enough!The plastic toilet seat was the cheapest andthinnest I have ever seen and the white bathroom radiator was rustingbadly. Not what I expect for £100 a night. We were told that they have aselection of four-poster bedded rooms at £220 a night. The main buildingwas very characterful but badly in need of some care and attention. Thewhite radiators again were covered in rust and everywhere badly needed alick of paint and a make-over from a professional interior decorator. Ithad the air of a youth hostel, not a 3 star hotel. The main restaurantwas full of character and history, but the decor was very heavy andagain very old fashioned. If I had paid £220 for a room, I would havebeen most unhappy with the state of the rest of the hotel which was notup to standard. I have stayed in a lot nicer places than this which havebeen considerably cheaper! The location, right in the middle of theforest,was good.

Review 27：Very good restaurant with young staff who were trying very hard anddoing well. We had an excellent evening meal and a good,buffetbreakfast. Nice bed linen and comfy beds.

Review 28：Problem with wifi initially which staff were slow to fix -- needed re-booting but needed a number of requests before they actually took this need seriously

Review 29：Historic place, good location, they undercharged, breakfast fine but not spectacular

Review 30：The reason for our visit was a cremation in the local crematorium. The hotel was both convenient and, with regard to the hotel itself, very good and we would recommend it to others who are likely to be in the area.

Review 31：Very Weak Wi-Fi signal,even in and around the Bar Area,where it supposed to have been stronger.

Review 32：Evening Meals,Afternoon Cream Teas,Dinning Areas,Garden at the BAck,Orangerie.

Review 33：Dog in the next room which had to have a telly loud

Review 34：Location and the Orangery was a nice place for evening meal. Much improved from previous stay in 1980

Review 35：Nothing.

Review 36：Lovely forest location. Staff kindly upgraded us from courtyard twin to main house room 1, a spacious comfortable room with dressing hall and large bathroom. V nice.

Review 37：The lighting in our courtyard room bathroom was too dim , also lighting and decor in the corridor from the courtyard to reception was a bit 'tired'.

Review 38：Evening meal in the conservatory was very good, food excellent and a lovely place to sit.

Review 39：Stayed 2 nights but courtyard room wasn't serviced/cleaned? Shame on Friday night there was a prom on the grounds, could hear the thud thud of music up to about 11pm and screechy cars (and girls). Understand events are on, but would have been nice for the hotel to warn guests prior to staying as the hotel is miles from anywhere one expects a peaceful place Wifi poor

Review 40：Liked the courtyard rooms (second time we've stopped in those). Breakfast very good Evening meal very good Waitress Jules very very good, knowledgeable about hotel/area and food recommendations were spot on

Review 41：The room offered to me for the 120 Pounds a night was claustrophobic. I complained to staff that I could not stay in it. They then offered me a lovely room with a four poster bed on the ground floor.

Review 42：Location was good and so was the breakfast. Staff very helpful.

Review 43：Be aware of Hotel description of Room/Courtyard. These Rooms are sited in the Hotels Main Car Parking area. Check if Wedding Receptions,.. if so there appear limited facilities for staying guests. Hotel sited on Main Road Crossroads

Review 44：Room comfortable but Hotel displayed signs of tiredness in places. Breakfast good. Staff friendly and very helpful

Review 45：Staff were very friendly and helpful. Cottage twin room was lovely a mini suite! Only things not so good were pillows were lumpy and hard and shower lacked any power BUT otherwise fabulous location, clean and very friendly staff. Would definitely recommend and stay there again!

Review 46：Excellent food with attentive staff. We enjoyed the locality - lots of interesting places nearby, and plenty of wildlife (though we didn't see wild boar on this occasion).

Review 47：I had been booked into a courtyard room but was given one in the "Cottage". It was small and cramped and would have been at home in a two star B&B. Wifi didn't work at all in the cottage and was completely overloaded in the main hotel . Heating was off in the cottage and I had to ask for it. There was no in bath nonslip mat and I did slip trying unsuccessfully to get a decent flow from the old and weak shower. Then at Dinner at only 7.15 I was told that there were no faggots as they had "run out". The Full English breakfast was enormous, but so saturated in fat that the black pudding and fried bread were inedible. Not a great time all in all.

Review 48：Being in the heart of the Forest in an ancient place

Review 49：Breakfast was nice but it was self service which meant some of the food had started to become dry. The view from the bedroom window was limited as the window was quite high and small. Everything else was fine though.

Review 50：It was nice to be able to go walking at Beechenhurst Lodge from the hotel and back again without needing the car. We had dinner in the evening, it was delicious and the service was superb. We stayed in the Junior suite and the extra room gave it a much more spacious feel.

Review 51：When the heating kicked in, it sounded like a pneumatic drill going off next to the bed! However, a quick fiddle with the radiator temperature control sorted it right out. Shame as we didn't order a wake up call! ;-) Otherwise I couldn't find fault with the place. It was a lovely hotel.

Review 52：We stayed here for a friends wedding and despite arriving early, we were allowed t check in and wewere upgraded to a larger room at no extra cost! Bonus! The room was spacious and clean and the bed was huge and very comfy! The bathroom was nice and clean with a glorious shower. Normally hotels can be noisy places, but despite being fully booked, we were not disturbed by any one on our floor. The buffet breakfast the next day was delicious. All fresh and piping hot.

Review 53：Housekeeping could be a Little haphazard - bed not made one day, bathroom not cleaned another. Poor Sound proofing in courtyard rooms.

Review 54：Friendly staff, great breakfast, good Location for Forest amenities and the local half Marathon. Comfortable room. Good Food.

Review 55：Spending the two days running in the forest I was very disappointed to find that the heating and hot water didn't come on until 6pm. I wanted nice hot baths before an early dinner and had to make do with tepid baths. Even with radiators on full, my room (22) and bathroom never felt warm. A few staff members were friendly, but others were surly and offhand. At this price none of this is acceptable.

Review 56：Excellent location. Wonderful restaurant room. Outside appearance excellent.

Review 57：The courtyard room carpet was quite tired.

Review 58：Delightful location in the middle of the Forest of Dean. Very friendly and helpful staff throughout the hotel. Dinner in the Verderers' Court was delicious with a wide choice of dishes and served most professionally and always with a big smile.

Review 59：Attractive 17th Century hotel (formerly Carolean hunting lodge and still housing Verderers' Court) beautifully situated in heart of Forest of Dean. Staff very pleasant and helpful - it was pleasing to find many were the same as on previous stays.

Review 60：Some road noise. We were allocated a room in the nearby outhouse. Whilst everything there was O K,we had to walk about 50 yards (in drizzle rain )to the restaurant for dinner and breakfast.

Review 61：Conveniently situated on the road between Monmouth and Gloucester.

Review 62：The shower did not work in our bathroom, it ran off the taps in the bath, the mechanism to turn from water coming out of tap to water coming out of shower, was too stiff for me, which my husband also found very difficult, and when he did manage to turn from the taps to the shower head, the water dribbled out, so it didn't work at all. This we discovered in the morning when we got up, so there wasn't an opportunity to ask the staff to intervene to try and fix it before we showered. So rather a frustrating experience.

Review 63：The staff to a man and woman, were all really helpful, friendly and extremely polite.

Review 64：Lack of hot water in room

Review 65：Country house feel. Breakfasts cooked to order. Butter, marmalade and Jam in a dish.. Not in small pots. Complimentary tea/coffee and bottled water in room.

Review 66：I just found our outside cottage to be a bit out dated, bathroom had mould in corner of shower and sink was all stained, cobwebs were quite common... Needs a bit of TLC... Couldn't pick up wifi

Review 67：Breakfast Location Character of building

Review 68：Two flights of stairs up to our room ( they did carry the case upwards) hardly any space in the room to other than sleep. We had to move the TV for a place to put the suitcase( it should have been on a bracket on the wall) No heating till we asked for it. Expensive for what we got!

Review 69：Good location, historic property, autumn colours, friendly staff, good food.

Review 70：Could only access the wifi in the main reception & lounge which is just a minor issue. The dinning/bar prices were rather expensive especially when you have fussy little ones & after a day in the cold rain we just wanted a standard roast, which lucky for us, we found a Toby Carvery less than 20 minutes away, happy days!!

Review 71：Arrived early, soaked through as we were attending a dog rally just down the road & were able to check in early. My 8 year old son & I were in courtyard room 30 which was warm, clean & cosy. Had everything you needed including hairdryer & an alarm clock & most importantly a decent shower!! Both of us slept really well in the comfy beds. As we had to leave before the stated breakfast time the hotel opened the breakfast room early & provided us with a lovely continental breakfast with plenty of variety ... great tentative service like what we experienced during our stay is pretty hard to find these days so very impressed indeed!!

Review 72：. On the first night the room we were allocated was quite pleasant but it would have been helpful to have been given more written details about the facilities provided. For example It was not until we were leaving that I discovered that there was a ventilation fan, this would have been a useful tool to have known about, because of the busy road which had necessitated keeping the window closed at all times

Review 73：A very beautiful setting in the middle of the forest. We stayed for twonights within seven days on our journey to and from Wales, on eachoccasion the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Review 74：The food was very good. The staff were extremely helpful and the service was good and relaxed. We stayed in the courtyard rooms. The beds were comfortable and the decor was good quality. We had a problem with our room but we were offered a change of room without a problem. It is a good location for touring the area.

Review 75：Food in Orangery was mostly 'seared' pub grub. Dining room is adepressing place to eat, especially as my friend and I were alone forthe only dinner we had in it. Bedrooms were cramped even for singleoccupancy. Television set took up much of limited table space instead ofbeing on a wall bracket. Poor light at table.

Review 76：Service at meals was very good. Parking ample & convenient. Well-sited for forest walking and many places of interest.

Review 77：I asked for a quiet room but the traffic noise woke us early in the morning. The hotel is situated on a busy road junction which surprised us. The hotel is in need of refurbishing. Our bathroom was very tired looking.

Review 78：The staff were very friendly and helpful. The restaurant food was good value and very tasty.

Review 79：nothing to report

Review 80：The hotel is in the heart of the forest of dene a beautiful area. we have always found a warm welcome here and a relaxed atmosphere.

Review 81：Good climb if you're on the second floor. Not a criticism but you may mention this if you're not able to get up steep stairs easily.

Review 82：Where do I start..... This hotel is both majestic and elegant in a setting that is just beautiful. I can't praise the staff enough. Nothing was too much for them, friendly, polite and helpful. The food in the restaurant is amazing, the breakfasts are truly GREAT. Just what you need after a few days walking. Centrally located, two day trips to Bath and Cheltenham. Second time here, there WILL definitely be a third☺☺☺...... Thank You ALL.

Review 83：Receptions mistake with booking which meant we had to change rooms after the first night.

Review 84：Staff were very helpful and dealt with the booking error professionally.

Review 85：Unfortunately they haven't got breakfast right. The hot food buffet provided some really overdone inedible items and although the serving staff continued to poke and stir, they didn't seem to recognise that even only half way through breakfast service, some of the food could not be eaten. Also- REALLY bad coffee.

Review 86：The layout of the family room is ideal- a double and two singles with a dividing wall between.

Review 87：Apart from the orangry the hotel is a little tired,it needs modernising sure this could be done without losing charachter The fact that there was very little in the way of toiletries in the bathroom was disappointing for the price of the room we expected a little more

Review 88：The food in the orangry was excellent the staff were very good The breakfast on our first morning was self service food only just warm, the second morning we were waitress served & cooked to order,much better

Review 89：Maybe the close proximity of a very busy road when one has bedroom at the front of the hotel.

Review 90：We liked the friendliness of the staff and the ease of facilities available. All staff being very helpful.

Review 91：Wedding was occurring on one of the nights and therefore difficult to sleep from the noise outside the door as people were smoking outside our room, and smoke coming into through the window of bathroom. Music until midnight. And had to wait to enter the lobby, bar, restaurant to have dinner, as the wedding guests were waiting to come into the marquee for an hour.

Review 92：Excellent staff, great customer service. Lovely location. Room little small but very nice.

Review 93：A miscommunication between housekeeping and reception regarding late checkout, Cooked breakfast and toast arriving with a 10 minute gap between them.

Review 94：Excellent service by staff, with nothing being too much trouble, Comfortable beds, Good traditional food, especially a wonderful steak and very tasty cream tea.

Review 95：Evening meal was quite expensive which I don't mind but the quality did not live up to the price tag

Review 96：Lovely room and the location is perfect to a walker like me Gave me a free upgrade because of a wedding, so I don't know what I would have got, but my room was really nice and very large

Review 97：Fairy thin walls in the courtyard rooms meant that I slept well with earplugs in. Not sure that would have been the case without them . Snoring from next door!

Review 98：Fantastic food. Particularly the breakfasts and cream teas. The staff were friendky and very approachable. Really seemed to care about the quality of our stay.

Review 99：Bathroom would benefit from revamp. Shower poor function. New CD in orangery please! Several repeats of same CD every night for many nights.

Review 100：Staff were excellent, friendly and very helpful. Superb cheese board! Best we have ever had. Food well presented. Good selection of beers, wines etc Location very central for walking, cycling etc.

Review 101：The room was a bit overpriced for what was quite standard accomodation.

Review 102：Nice clean room and a great breakfast. Good selection of food at the bar, which was of a good quality.

Review 103：The night service The noise in morning The bathroom was a poor show compared to rest of room

Review 104：The decoration in the room The elegance the room presented

Review 105：size of room in cottage was small and not worth £80-00. Drinks were also overpriced.

Review 106：The staff were very pleasant and very helpfull. Nice old building.

Review 107：There was nothing that we didn't like!

Review 108：The food was superb, the room was nice and spacious with everything we needed, we both slept wonderfully and the staff working there were polite and welcoming! Would truly reccomed :)

Review 109：Wifi didn't work in our room (due to the thickness of the walls apparently - well, either get some more effective routers or don't claim that you've got free wifi available). On the pricey side for what it offers.

Review 110：The location is excellent: perfect for exploring the Forest of Dean.

Review 111：Frequent smell of sewage outside so had to keep windows shut in hot weather Room with seating area - lovely, but would have been better if the TV was in the seating area not the bedroom 'Quiet' room in cottage was very close to the road and early morning traffic noisy so no holiday lie in. (little/no traffic other than rush 'hour' so great at other times)

Review 112：Friendly and helpful staff Lovely peaceful location (mostly) Very comfortable beds Excellent breakfast

Review 113：Venders court is ok for a small wedding but tricky to change, breakfast,wedding service, wedding breakfast. Need to get the timing right.

Review 114：All facilities on one site. Good service. Friendly personnel. Value for money.

Review 115：Everything was spotlessly clean except the carpet in our cottage (probably ready to be replaced) however the carpet in the children's small room was very clean.

Review 116：The staff were so helpful. They organised my wedding meal so I had dairy free food which was delicious. We asked to add extra beds for the children and we were able to have both children in the cottage with us. When we requested somewhere to change for the wedding we were told one of our rooms would be available early so our party could check in early. After a long journey this was such a relief. The wedding was such fun and staff were so friendly throughout the whole day as well as breakfast and check out the next day. After breakfast we went for a beautiful walk in the Forest of Dean and left our car safely at the hotel. I would certainly recommend the Speech House to friends.

Review 117：Room was decorated below par we've stayed in better premier inns, staff in restaurant slow to serve and when we ordered our drinks we were told there will be a wait on our drinks due to a wedding party. We booked Bed&Breakfast for £130 we did not go to breakfast due to the service we had in the evening before our courtyard view was the car park to front or a patch of grass behind then we had a view of the other guests bathrooms. Our fourposter bed looked like something from a closing down sale very cheap. Only things we enjoyed about our stay was the food when it arrived and leaving.

Review 118：Very pet friendly , excellent food , lovely woodland walks nearby

Review 119：Room could have been cleaner

Review 120：Food was excellent, staff helpful and friendly.

Review 121：Very friendly and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble! We felt like old friends returning, even though it was our first visit.

Review 122：lovely staff stayed on the 7th of november when the firework display was in wasnt aware but lovely suprise.

Review 123：Nothing really .

Review 124：Lovely staff , food good .all good .

Review 125：Lack of mobile signal and wi-fi dropping out.

Review 126：Excellent food, efficient, helpful and pleasant staff. Well looked after.

Review 127：Didn't have one

Review 128：Situated in the Forrest of Dean. The parking. The atmosphere old word feeling was really nice.

Review 129：The location is nice and peaceful, and the food is excellent, as always.

Review 130：Staff couldn't do enough to make stay perfect

Review 131：Competent friendly staff. Comfortable, spotlessly clean bedroom Would stay there again

Review 132：so very relaxed I wish I had more time to have stayed longer

Review 133：The hotel was great, delicious food, very helpful staff, would visit again.

The Fine Print

There is likely to be music until 24:00 on the weekends, which can be heard from some rooms.A 25% deposit may be required to confirm bookings and will be required for group bookings.Please note pets are only allowed outside the bedrooms.