Shortflatt Tower

Beautiful Wedding Venue, but the Accommodation Was Absolutely Shocking!

We recently attended a wedding at Shortflatt Tower, and while the wedding itself was lovely, the accommodation and overall guest experience were incredibly disappointing, especially considering the price we paid.

Arrival & First Impressions

On arrival, there were no staff members to welcome guests, offer directions or explain where anything was. There was also a complete lack of signage, meaning we were left wandering around the entire house trying to find the bar, toilets and seating areas. Not exactly the welcome you’d expect from a wedding venue.

The Wedding Venue – A Positive!

Credit where it’s due, the room used for the ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening reception was lovely. It appeared clean, well maintained and beautifully presented. The wedding itself was wonderful, and this part of the venue certainly lived up to expectations.

The Accommodation – Where Do I Even Begin?!

At £250 per night, we expected a certain standard of accommodation. Unfortunately, what we experienced was genuinely shocking.

Our First Room:

* Mould covering areas of the walls directly beside the bed and on the ceiling.
* No functioning lock on the bedroom door. The entire lock had been removed and the hole covered with masking tape!
* Cobwebs and spider webs everywhere.
* An overpowering smell of damp and mould.

Needless to say, we weren’t prepared to sleep in those conditions and requested another room.

Our Second Room:

Unfortunately, this wasn’t much better.

* The same awful smell of damp and mould.
* Visible mould on the ceiling.
* Cobwebs throughout.
* Dead flies scattered around the room.
* The general appearance of somewhere that hadn’t been properly cleaned in quite some time.

Neither of these rooms had an en-suite bathroom, so I can’t comment on the bathroom facilities in those particular rooms.

Our Friends’ Accommodation Was Just as Bad!

It wasn’t just us having a bad experience.

Friends’ Room 1:

Dead flies everywhere — across the floor, on the beds, in the bathroom and numerous dead flies underneath the bed. The bathroom clearly hadn’t been properly cleaned, and cobwebs were present throughout.

Friends’ Room 2:

This room was absolutely covered in dead flies, with what appeared to be hundreds piled up on the windowsill and several more still flying around. Spiders, webs and cobwebs covered most corners of the room, picture frames, television and other areas.

The level of cleanliness across multiple rooms was completely unacceptable.

Finally Moved to the Cottages

After all of this, we were eventually moved into one of the cottages, which initially seemed a slight improvement as they were more modern.

However, the problems didn’t stop there.

* Bathrooms absolutely stank of damp and mould.
* Dead and live spiders throughout.
* Cobwebs everywhere.
* No heating or hot water for TWO DAYS AND NIGHTS!
* What sounded like a rat or other animal scratching and digging around in the roof space directly above our bed throughout the night.

The noise from the roof was so loud and persistent that we genuinely wondered whether something was going to come through the ceiling!

The one positive? The bed was actually comfortable. Unfortunately, that’s about the only good thing I can say about the cottage.

Out-of-Date Food & Disappointing Breakfast

The cottages were supplied with bread for breakfast, but ours was eight days past the date printed on the packaging, while another guest’s bread was apparently three weeks past its date.

When we questioned this, we were told the bread was frozen and then put out when required.

While I understand that freezing bread can extend its usable life, there was absolutely nothing to indicate that this was the case. Guests were simply being provided with bread displaying dates that had long passed, with no explanation unless they specifically asked.

Breakfast itself was also very disappointing. There wasn’t even enough crockery for guests to have a cup of tea or coffee, and the breakfast offering appeared to consist of a few small boxes of cereal and very limited provisions.

Again, not what you’d expect when paying £250 per night.

Management & Organisation

We also learned from the bride and groom that they had experienced ongoing difficulties with management in the lead-up to the wedding. They told us that numerous meetings with the manager had either been ignored, cancelled or that the manager simply hadn’t turned up.

Considering how important a wedding day is, this is extremely disappointing and suggests that the lack of organisation we experienced wasn’t limited to our stay.

Overall Experience

It’s such a shame because Shortflatt Tower has the potential to be a beautiful wedding venue. The ceremony and reception room was lovely, and we had a fantastic time celebrating with the bride and groom.

However, the accommodation was quite frankly appalling.

Mould, damp, dead flies, spiders, filthy rooms, missing door locks, no heating, no hot water and suspected pests in the roof are not minor inconveniences. They are basic cleanliness, maintenance, comfort and safety issues that should be addressed before rooms are offered to paying guests.

At £250 per night, we weren’t expecting five-star luxury, but we were certainly expecting somewhere clean, safe, warm and comfortable to sleep. Unfortunately, Shortflatt Tower failed to deliver even those basics.

The fact that so many of our friends experienced similar problems across different rooms makes it very difficult to dismiss this as an isolated incident.

I would strongly advise anyone considering booking accommodation here, particularly for a wedding, to thoroughly check the rooms and facilities beforehand.

A beautiful wedding setting completely let down by extremely poor accommodation, housekeeping and management.

Very disappointing and absolutely not worth £250 per night.

The team really do go above and beyond, we had the opportunity to visit the site numerous times prior to the wedding day, Sarah was so accommodating and helped to reassure my sister following some reviews. We were able to see all the behind the scenes, we couldn't have asked for a better coordinator leading up to the day, after numerous chops and changes to the rooming lists seating arrangements nothing was too much to ask.

Glenn and Jill were so attentive on the day, it wasn't the weather we were manifesting but we still managed to get outdoor photos and kept dry through out the journey to the ceremony!

The team on the day were so friendly and made all of our family feel so at ease.

Credit to the chef too, we did not meet him however we had a four course meal and everything was perfect, the raspberry sorbet with prosecco was a crowd pleaser! This venue allows multiple choices which was perfect for our fussy family.

The grounds are amazing, you can explore for hours, so much nature and lovely plants.

From the bottom of our hearts, we are so thankful and we cannot recommend this venue enough!

Our day at Shortflatt Tower Wedding Venue was absolutely magical, and we received so many lovely compliments from our guests. One of the things we loved most was the exclusivity of the venue, which made the whole experience feel so special and unforgettable. It was perfect for our large wedding, with plenty of rooms to accommodate our family and friends, many of whom had travelled from far away.

The food was amazing, the staff were so kind and welcoming, and the service throughout the day was excellent.

It truly was the most amazing day of our lives, and our guests had the best time celebrating with us.

My wedding at ShortflattTower was truly perfect from start to finish. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure every detail was just right and that we felt completely at ease throughout the day. The food was absolutely delicious , beautifully presented and enjoyed by all of our guests.

The venue itself is stunning, with a peaceful countryside setting that created such a magical atmosphere. Everything came together so seamlessly, and it genuinely felt like a dream. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to celebrate such a special day.

Shortflatt Tower is truly one of the most magical wedding venues in Northumberland. From the moment you arrive, you’re surrounded by breathtaking countryside, peaceful woodland, and a sense of complete privacy that makes your day feel incredibly special and intimate.

The tower itself is stunning,full of character, charm, and beautifully restored spaces that perfectly blend rustic elegance with luxury. Every corner feels thoughtfully designed, creating the most romantic atmosphere for both ceremonies and celebrations.

What really sets Shortflatt Tower apart is the exclusivity and attention to detail. It feels like your own private estate for the day, allowing you and your guests to relax and fully enjoy every moment without any distractions. The grounds are simply spectacular, offering endless photo opportunities from enchanting forests to open fields that glow in the Northumberland light.

The team behind Shortflatt Tower are exceptional, professional, warm, and genuinely passionate about making your wedding unforgettable. They go above and beyond to ensure everything runs seamlessly, allowing you to focus on celebrating with your loved ones.

If you’re looking for a venue that combines natural beauty, elegance, and a truly unique atmosphere, Shortflatt Tower is without a doubt one of the best wedding venues in Northumberland. It’s not just a place,it’s an experience you and your guests will cherish forever.

Over promised, under delivered, poor customer service, unclean, not accessible. Lovely venue but the service does not match it.

Poor Guest Experience: Guests left unattended, no welcoming staff, inappropriate toilet doors, and general disorganisation throughout the venue.

Unhygienic Facilities: Toilets were in a poor state, toilets in rooms weren't clean and floor was soaked. Multiple complaints have gone unanswered.

Untrained Evening Staff & Food Service Failure: Inexperienced staff, chaotic service, and the bride and groom went unfed despite requests. Many guests were left without food, and service was disorganised throughout the evening.

Gluten-Free Catering Ignored: Clear instructions for dietary requirements were disregarded; staff were dismissive and no corrective action was taken.

Incorrect Food Labelling: Canapés were mislabelled, posing a serious allergy risk.

Cake Mismanagement: Agreed arrangements for serving and preserving cake tiers, especially gluten-free, were not followed.

Neglect of Disabled Guest.

Aisle Accessibility Overlooked: Request for a wider aisle was disregarded.

Dismissive Management Response: Concerns trivialised with an unprofessional comment about positive reviews being difficult to obtain.

No Resolution After Seven Months: Despite repeated follow-ups, no compensation or action taken.

Overall, over promised, underdelivered, shocking customer service.

Truly a hidden gem, Staff were amazing throughout the whole process and couldn’t do enough for the both of us on our wedding day.