"The staff were friendly, polite and welcoming, and the rooms themselves were smart, quiet and comfortable. Based on these positives, the experience should have been excellent. Unfortunately, this is where the positives largely ended.
The biggest issue appears to be a lack of staff training, service standards and management oversight. At times, the hotel felt more like an episode of *Fawlty Towers* than a professionally run establishment.
Housekeeping was particularly inconsistent throughout our stay. While the room was attended each day, the standard of cleaning varied significantly. The shower leaked, ripped towels were provided, coffee pods were not replenished after use, cleaning products were left behind in the room, sinks and floors were not properly cleaned, beds were poorly made and used cups were sometimes left unwashed. The hotel is clearly investing in housekeeping staff, but the quality of work is not being adequately monitored.
Breakfast was even more disappointing. It often appeared that only one member of staff was trying to manage the entire service, and basic items regularly ran out without being noticed. Coffee took over 40 minutes to arrive, and asking for it seemed to bring all other service to a halt. We repeatedly had to request items such as bread and plates, and even simple egg orders required several attempts and long waiting times. After two mornings, the experience became something of a joke among guests, and we chose to have breakfast at a nearby café instead, despite breakfast being included in our stay.
Another concern was luggage storage. On the day before departure, we were reassured that our bags could be stored securely after check-out. However, the storage cupboard was first emptied of cleaning equipment before our luggage was placed inside. When we returned later, our bags had been moved and left unattended near the main entrance, with direct access from the pavement outside. This demonstrated a disappointing lack of security and care for guests' belongings.
The room balconies looked attractive, but the outdoor furniture appeared not to have been cleaned for weeks, possibly months, so we chose not to use the space.
The hotel restaurant is vegetarian, and possibly fully vegan. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but it would have been helpful if this had been communicated more clearly before arrival.
What makes this particularly disappointing is that the hotel has the potential to be a genuinely excellent place to stay. The location is good, the rooms are comfortable and the staff are pleasant. However, unless management addresses the obvious shortcomings in training, service delivery and quality control, reviews such as this are likely to continue.
My advice would be to focus on staff training, improve housekeeping standards, strengthen operational oversight and address some basic maintenance issues. If these areas are improved, the hotel could offer a very good guest experience.
As things currently stand, however, the hotel fell well below our expectations. We would not return and, based on our experience, could not recommend it."
