The Colonial Hotel

Like some others, we did not know this hotel. It’s rural, with few options around.
We attended a large family wedding. We had to cancel a room on a Thursday before a Friday wedding. The wedding planner and the front desk person said it was OK but the general manager would call me back to confirm. The wedding planner, who was very professional and helpful, even called me back to confirm she had spoken to the GM about our situation. I heard nothing, then called at least 4 more times, asking to speak to the GM. Once onsite, I went to the the front desk at least 3 times, but the GM was ‘not available’ and she never called.
Our family paid a lot for this event, and all we wanted was a refund for 1 room we could not use — giving about 30 hours advance notice, with multiple follow ups. The policy fine print says 24 hours notice, with 48 hours notice for a weekend. But it does not specifically say «weekend» is Friday — which means you’d have to call by Wednesday. They could improve that for sure.
Anyway, we are terribly disappointed and we will never recommend this place for a room, an event, or even a drink.
Overall, things were mediocre — we were kind of surprised to see gambling machines in the bar — and the service and professionalism was just not there.
Note: First floor is kind of gloomy, and noisy. Try for upper floor — although others have said second floor can be very noisy

I found the Colonial to be just eh. I booked an overnight stay for a wedding I was attending, also at the hotel. I reserved a dog room, which was great and only $ 25 extra. The room was clean but smelled strongly of dog before I even brought my dog in. I guess I should have expected that. The room/​bathroom was recently updated, but you could tell they didn’t do the best job n the bathroom (hole around shower head, grout looked dirty, etc). Also, the shower drain was clogged and kept filling up the tub when we showered. It’s worth noting that there is no fridge in the room. It seems to be a hotel focused on rules: no outside booze (not even for a bridal party getting ready at the hotel or a couple in the bridal suite), you can only walk your dog on a small patch of grass (not even in the parking lot or at the edge of the hotel property on the main road), etc. Oh, and they charged me on a Thursday for a Saturday stay; the charge included a fee for incidentals — I’ve never stayed at a hotel that charges the full price plus a $ 50 incidental fee two days before a stay). For the amount they charge, it would’ve been nice to have a nicer room with more amenities. And don’t get me started on the weddings here… it was so unorganized!

We are staying for 2 nights and it was overall one of the nicer places we have stayed. Courtyard is my preferred place to go, but I will be back here again for sure. I would recommend The Colonial Inn to my friends and family.

This hotel I think is the best bet in the Gardner/​Phillipston area.
The place is impeccably clean. The staff are extremely accommodating and nice. Most importantly I sleep better in this hotel than on any of the chain hotels. The rooms are hypoallergenic which is totally appreciated.
I stay in a lot of chain hotels and no amount of points make up for a great stay in an excellent real locally owned hotel.

I had an awful experience at this place. Needed a room and prepaid, was told that check in was at 3pm. Came back at 3pm and a huge wedding was checking in. No problem, I got in line to wait my turn. Got up to the front of the line after twenty minutes. The lady behind the desk said there was a problem with the room, told me the toilet was broken. I asked for another room, she told me that they didn’t have any more rooms. I asked if I could cancel, and she told me no as I needed to cancel by noon. I waited for a few minutes for them to say something, to which the lady responded, «I can’t do anything until the room is fixed». I asked her if she was telling me I needed to step out of line, to which she responded «yes». I asked if I would have to wait in line again as there were at least twenty people behind me, she said «unfortunately, yes».
This is customer service at its absolute worst. My daughter is getting married in October, and this place was on our short list. Being treated like that has bumped them off the list.

WORST HOTEL EVER! I stayed at the Colonial Hotel in July 2015 while visiting family nearby. There were 2 wedding parties staying at the hotel. During a Saturday night around 10 PM, I was accosted by several drunk people (from the wedding party). One individual was half-​clad and drunk and attempted to approach me while I was with my 4-​year old son. The hallway was filled with marijuana smoke which is not only in violation of the hotel’s «no-​smoking» policy, but also an illegal substance. As if this was not enough, a glass was flung at our hotel door. Despite multiple complaints to the front desk staff who assured us they would be «patrolling» the halls, the excessive noise (from the drunken fools) lasted until after 3:00 AM. Having a young child with asthma, not only did this pose a health risk, but also create a hostile and unsafe environment. I followed up with the front desk for the next 2 days, requesting to speak with the manager, but the manager (Nicole) was conveniently «away» each day. I was assured that she would be contacting me, but by the 3^rd day, I hadn’t received a call. It was only after my husband and I left several messages (never returned) and then sent 2 emails later in the week did I finally hear back from her, but again, conveniently via email. Her email indicated that her staff «did everything that they could under the circumstances» and then basically wiped her hands clean of everything.
This hotel has the worst customer service ever through and through. The front desk staff are incompetent and Nicole, the manager, hides behind them and needs customer service training. There was NO ACCOUNTABILITY of the situation. Also, don’t try to get a receipt of your charges if you book online. You will be told that they can’t provide it because they don’t know what the rates were (but I went directly through its website so why is this!!!). Oh yeah, and beware of the gross moldy shower curtains.

I stayed here for a wedding on the 4^th of July this year. When I called to book the room I was told (on two separate phone calls) that the rate would be $ 139, because I was a part of the wedding.
Upon arriving to the hotel to check in, I was told my rate was $ 196. I argued for a few minutes until the woman who booked me over the phone came over. Since she was the one who took my reservation, I was sure that she would fix this problem.
I was wrong. She explained that there was a deadline on booking the room for the $ 139 rate and I did not make that cut. This could make sense except none one this was told to me when I booked the room, so I demanded the rate that I was given the day that I made the reservation. Make sense, right?
Well, not in their eyes. I gave them my credit card anyways, as I had 15 minutes to get dressed and drive to the wedding and attempt to now, not be late.
They gave me the manager’s business card and told me to take it up with her.
Customer service fail.
Then when I got to my room, there was only one bed, when I specifically asked for two.
I called the manager on my way back from the ceremony and got no response.
A few days later I emailed her and we went back and forth on the story but it got me nowhere. She eventually just stopped responding.
I have worked in hospitality for 10+ years now and this was, by far, one of the worst customer services experiences I have ever seen.

We stayed at this hotel on December 27, 2014 it is out in the country off the beaten path, when we arrived at the front lobby we were told immediately that no outside alcohol was allowed on the premises or in our room no exceptions we found this to be extremely strange but they said it was the state law that required it. The maids will go through your belongings in search of alcohol and you will be asked to either leave the hotel or to remove the alcohol from the promises. The rooms have been newly renovated and were very comfortable the hotel is in good condition the restaurant and a bar it was also fine.

Had an awesome experience at this hotel.
Checked in right before having to run back out for a wedding rehearsal. The girl at the front desk was very efficient and very friendly. Probably took less than 3 minutes to get us checked in, keys in hand. They also let us check in an hour and a half early, which was very nice of them.
The room was very nice. We had two queen beds, overlooking the front parking lot. Beds were comfy. Lots of pillows. Bathroom was very clean. Water pressure great in the shower. Cable tv.
Came back to our room after the wedding rehearsal, and I decided I wanted dessert. I ventured down to the restaurant, and was greeted by some very friendly staff members. They were all oogling over my baby! Ordered the waffle ice cream dessert. It was so good! Ice cream on top of a warm waffle, with syrup and whipped cream. Yum! After I sat and enjoyed that, went back up to our room for the night.
Next day went back to the restaurant for breakfasts. Saturday’s they have a breakfast buffet setup. Eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, waffles, French toast with strawberry syrup, oatmeal, cereal, fruit, etc. Lots to choose from. Would be nice if they offered a free version of their breakfast, but oh well.
Discovered on my way to the wedding due to a frantic call from my husband that the best man left the wedding rings in the groom’s hotel room. The groom called the front desk, and they had no problem letting me in the room to grab the rings. Crisis averted!
Did the whole wedding thing, then headed down to the restaurant once again with my hubby, the groomsmen, and the bride and groom. Ordered various things, and the same super friendly staff remembered me from the night before. I ordered their sweet potato maple layered cheesecake. Omg so good! Hubby had nachos which looked pretty good. There was another wedding going on at the actual hotel, so the restaurant bar was pretty packed, but we still got our stuff super fast.
Next day check out was a breeze. It was a great hotel, and if we are in the area, we will definitely stay again. I didn’t have a single complaint.

My now husband and I got married here in June in the tent and we had the absolute time of our lives. We were a bit worried before the wedding because the hotel seemed a bit disorganized and we would get many different answers about pricing, etc. However, everything pulled together so nicely and we were shocked at how beautiful everything looked under the tent and how organized the service was. We did open bar for the entirety of the event and the bartenders were AMAZING. The service was all around so awesome. When the wedding was over, my guests had a blast in the bar and the hotel was so accommodating and let my guests continue to hang out on the patio area. The only real problem we experienced, was a big mix up with room bookings. After a whole lot of going back and forth and he said she said, they finally refunded our money for 2 rooms that we didn’t book. This whole ordeal was so stressful and is the only reason I am giving the hotel a 4 and not a 5. Overall, I definitely recommend the venue. It looked absolutely stunning and everyone had so much fun and we received many compliments. We also used the hotel for our rehearsal dinner and it was totally sub-​par. The food was blah and they even spelled our last name wrong on everyone’s menus, but I definitely recommend it for a wedding reception! Oh and the suite we stayed in was awesome.

Our daughter and son in law held their reception in the tent this past weekend. We had 150 guests. Forty rooms were reserved by our guests for the big weekend.
Everyone had a blast!
The rooms were recently updated and included breakfast.
We had the rehearsal dinner party in the lounge. DJ both Friday and Saturday night kept the party going. Drinks were large and reasonable. The staff was very accommodating. Mary, the wedding planner and Nikki, the owner were so easy to work with every step of the way.
We went to check out the Colonial Inn 14 months ago as a «fall back» venue for the reception. The meeting went so well that we picked it in the end. All of our gusts had nothing but positive things to say about the property and the people who work there. Thanks for the positive experience! We will continue to recommend the Colonial!

My husband & I popped in for dinner & drinks, so this review is for the restaurant as I cannot comment on anything else.
Beautiful from the parking lot to the lobby to the bar. Everything was pristine & sparkling. The staff was fantastic. Megan & Jason were tending the bar. They were friendly, attentive, and spoke highly of the menu.
The menu had a lot to offer. There were plenty of options to cater to all diets and tastes. I had a delicious greek salad with blackened salmon that was cooked to perfection. The dressing looked homemade and I enjoyed the variety of olives. Warm bread was a perfect compliment to it. My husband had surf & turf — ribs & baked haddock. I ate half of his fish! It was melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious, light & flavorful.
They had a bunch of my favorite wines! The bar was stocked to the brim & they had a wide variety of Rye that pleased my husband. I think we found our new favorite spot! Oh… and there is a prime rib buffet of friday nights. Also, you can get a lobster dinner for $ 13.99! The cheesecake factory irish cream cheesecake helped an already fabulous date end on a high note.
Can’t wait to go back & try the butternut ravioli! Or… maybe the lobster… or the salmon on coconut rice… one of everything, please! Pinch me, I must be dreaming! This place is really in Gardner!

Worst hotel you could ever go to. Please reconsider your stay with them if you’ve already booked… Recently my wife and I stayed there the day before, and the day of, our wedding. We booked 36 rooms total (over $ 6,000) for our guests and were appalled at their lack of attentiveness, hospitality, customer service and cleanliness! We had TWO ROOMS with BLOOD STAINED SHEETS and when we called the front desk to have the sheets changed they never showed up to change them! The next day when we brought it to their attention again they simply shrugged their shoulders and said sorry. The children at the front desk have no personality or customer service skills at all, we asked if there was a way to have them comp 1 more nights stay for the ‘newly weds’ and they said absolutely not…$ 99 are you kidding me!!! We would rather have stayed at the Super 8 motel and would have gotten a better deal. These people need to go back to college (I dont think there is a school for miles around them anyways) and learn how to take care of their guests. They nickel and dime you for everything and we wish we could get our money back! Find me on facebook, Ill give you more reasons not to go to this hotel.

Prime rib Friday nights !!!

I attended a wedding here this past weekend. The bad — beds were the most uncomfortable ones I ever slept in. Everyone was complaining at breakfast. On the sign showing where to go for the reception and ceremony — they spelt ceremony «CEREMONIE»! How could not someone from the hotel get this changed! It was there at 2:30pm and the wedding was at 4:00. The tent was so cold. They brag about heat but it was not adequate. Several guests had to leave it was so cold. Plus they have no contingency plan If it rains. Yes, they do have umbrellas for you to use on your way to the restrooms but for all us women with open toed shoes walking thru the monsoon and puddles was not fun! Check-​in at the hotel — rude, rude, rude.
The food was great. The wait staff was remarkable bringing all the food out to the tent in the pooring rain!

Come here for lunch once a week. Great service. Good food. Hidden gem in north Worcester County.

I attended a wedding here this past weekend. At first we were in awe over the distinguished brick exterior. The lobby was also had a very dramatic, New England feel. We entered the room… well that was another story. It was a very dated hotel room with creaky floors… BUT the room was clean. It takes care of your basic needs.sleeping.and working on the go as the room had a desk. The bathrooms were semi updated with granite counter tops. The pool area is 2 years old and is clean with a Jacuzzi tub. The service was great. The hotel staff was extremely accommodating. We had access to a wedding suite where all the girls got ready. VERY roomy. A large dining room table sits in the room along with a leather couch, microwave and wet bar. A Jacuzzi tub is also in the room and a separate bathroom with double sinks and a shower. If you end up in any suite within the hotel, there is champagne on ice every night when you come back to your room. You also get meal tickets for the breakfast buffet and for dinner down at the Colonial Grille which is attached & has a full bar. Great value!
If you are looking for a clean stay to fulfill your basic needs that boosts value, I recommend staying here.
Not five stars because of the extra small towels for pool and the dated rooms. otherwise I was happy! :)

Hello
Stayed at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner Massachusetts on ¹¹¹⁷⁄₁₂.
We checked in around 3pm and the girl at the desk was nice and courteous. We had our room key, dinner/​breakfast coupons and paid in about 3 minutes which is lightning fast in my opinion.
Everything looked very clean and kept up on the way to our room. The bed was very comfortable and the shower/​bathroom was spacious. The room was extremely clean.
We then went to the pool/​hot tub which has been totally redone and looks/​is amazing. There is also a gym with exercise equipment and flat screen TVs.
We headed to dinner at the restaurant. The restaurant has recently been over hauled and is a great place for dinner/​drinks. I had steak and wife had surf and turf. The steaks were cooked absolutely perfect, and I am very picky. The wait staff was very friendly and everyone was extremely busy. The owners of the hotel stopped by our table to make sure everything was ok. I thought that was a nice touch.
After dinner we sat at the bar and played keno and watched some college football. the bartenders were very friendly.
After a great night sleep we headed to the breakfast buffet which was excellent. The coffee was hot and delicious. The omelet station is a nice touch.
Dropped the key off and checked out…
What a great night
Can not wait to go back to the Colonial Hotel…

Very pleasant stay. Nothing fancy. But I needed a place to stay in the area and was glad to find this as an alternative to the cheap motels in the vicinity. The Colonial is very reasonably priced and comfortable. The room was immaculate, smelled nice, and fairly large. Bed was comfortable. The restaurant left a little something to be desired. My dinner was not great, but the breakfast buffet the next morning was just fine. I would absolutely stay here again.

I grew up about a mile away from this hotel. I haven’t lived in the area for decades but I come back to visit relatives, family reunions etc. The wife and I always stay here. Here’s why.
The Colonial Hotel is a basic mid-​level hotel. Not mid-​level in quality but in type. Not the Four seasons but not a Super 8 either. It has all the basics. Nice rooms of the usual types. An indoor pool and Jacuzzi. A bar that often has bands on the weekend. A decent restaurant. By the way, this is also a pet friendly hotel.
This may be the cleanest hotel I have ever experienced. Everything is spotless from the rooms to the rugs in the hallways. The bathrooms are amazingly clean.
The Colonial is not a chain but is privately owned. As a result the staff has a different, and exceptional outlook on customer service. You really feel appreciated.
It you are traveling to central Massachusetts this is a great place to spend a night or two!