Sorry to hear you had such a terrible time; the Crown Inn hotel was in fact removed from the Smith hotel collection in January following some negative feedback from our members. We set the bar high, and all our hotels are constantly monitored to ensure they meet our exacting standards (our spies are everywhere!).

However, we really liked the property when we first visited (thus the original post), and have been keeping up with the hotel’s progress: the Crown now has a new manager, who tells us they are doing all they can to address recent complaints. We plan to revisit later in the year to check up on things, and make sure the hotel once again meets all our criteria for inclusion in the Mr & Mrs Smith hotel collection, and offers value for money, before sending another anonymous reviewer couple.

If you’re concerned that the Crown may not be for you, you might like to have a look at some other excellently pubby Brit stays:

The Olde Bell (The Crown’s sister property) on the Thames riverbank in Henley: http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/united-kingdom/berkshire/the-olde-bell-inn/

The Beckford Arms in Wiltshire: http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/united-kingdom/wiltshire/the-beckford-arms/

Or perhaps Hotel Endsleigh in Devon – they don’t come more classically British than this:

http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/united-kingdom/devon/hotel-endsleigh/

Feel free to get in touch if you need any more suggestions…

Oh no! So sorry to hear about that – we had the opposite experience entirely. Found the staff to be charming, the bar cosy and rustic, and the food excellent. Perhaps Rosie was out of the kitchen that day… I have to say though, I always find the presence of shot in a game bird reassuring – it tells me that it’s authentic country fare, not assembly-line meat. Ta for the tip about Seasons, though – will be sure to visit next time I descend on Amersham.