The guest, who asked not to be named, said they booked to stay at Littlecote House Hotel near Hungerford, just over the border from Wiltshire over the last week of August.

Littlecote House is Grade I-listed Tudor manor set in 113 acres of land, and according to the hotel’s website, has been the site of several historically significant events including Henry VIII’s meeting with Jane Seymour, planning the D-Day landings, and in previous guises hosted Romans and a Civil War army.

According to the hotel’s website on September 4, a four-night stay for two people over Christmas this year starts from £1,323.

However, before they even left to make the visit, the Warner hotel sent an email to the guest to tell them that due to an outbreak of gastroenteritis and a “thorough cleaning”, they were being asked not to arrive until after 5pm.

According to NHS Inform, gastroenteritis is a “very common condition that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. It’s usually caused by a bacterial or viral tummy bug.”

Remarking of the virus, the guest said: “It’s a horrible illness…you’re ill at both ends.”

After receiving this information, the guest weighed the decision, deciding to proceed with their stay as they did not want to lose out on the money they spent on their holiday.

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But from the moment they arrived, the guest was aware of the spectre of the virus hanging over the hotel.

Speaking to this paper this week, they said: “We followed a coach into the facility then found out half the people on the coach didn’t want to get off because of the infection.”

What followed, the guest said, was an experience that “ruined a treat” for them, with some guests isolating themselves, reports of people vomiting in the dining room and an ambulance spotted at reception.

The guest said they “couldn’t believe” Warner would allow elderly people to stay at the hotel despite the outbreak.

The hotel itself has said that it experienced an “elevated number of cases of gastroenteritis” at the end of August, but that it acted in line with public health guidance.

However, the guest has said they were alarmed at the way the outbreak was handled. They said: “I think it’s terribly shocking knowing the main people going there are elderly and might have background stuff going on.”

Eventually, they decided to cut their stay short and leave the hotel before they had to.

The hotel’s TripAdvisor page now features several recent one-star reviews from guests who have also shared details about stays that involved restrictions, sickness, and truncated trips.

The guest continued: “When we sat in our room in the afternoon, got a phone call from the manager to say that he wanted us to check out on Friday morning, as everyone was leaving.

“It turned out that a lot of people were forced to stay in their rooms and had their food delivered.”

In a statement shared with this paper, a spokesperson for the hotel chain said: “Last week, Littlecote House experienced an elevated number of cases of gastroenteritis.

“In line with public health guidance, we implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitisation measures and, as a precaution, delayed some guest check-ins.

“We are grateful for the patience and understanding shown by guests while we prioritised safety and are pleased to confirm that the hotel has now returned to normal operations.”

It is understood that there is no evidence that the outbreak is linked to hygiene standards across the hotel.