The Cornwall Historic Hotel

The location was good, and the old, basic room was about what I expected for the price. But I felt unsafe and the place felt unclean. There were dirty used mugs, no cover on the doona, crumbs everywhere, and a filthy bathroom. We were told the room would be serviced, but it never happened. The only explanation was that staff were too busy, with no apology. The hot water didn’t work properly, the room was very noisy, and there were unsavoury characters around. The staff weren’t especially helpful or friendly, and the parking spaces were too small for a normal-sized car. I won’t return and can’t recommend it.

The cafe next door was great, and the Church across the road was lovely. The hotel itself was a real disappointment. From outside it looked good, but inside there was an unpleasant smell, loud noise from some common rooms, and people lounging in reception and talking loudly on their phones. The stair carpet, hallways and rooms all looked as if they hadn’t been vacuumed for a while. The sheets looked dirty and had hairs on them, the room smelled stale, and the bathroom fan was extremely noisy.

The man who checked us in was lovely and helpful, but the rest of the stay fell short. Parking was so limited that we had to circle the streets several times looking for a space. The lobby carpet was in poor shape, and it got worse on the stairs. Our room had the basics, but didn’t look properly cleaned in a while. I changed my mind about sleeping on the top bunk after climbing up and spotting a red stain on the doona cover. There was dust and dead bugs on the windowsill, and we could hear noisy guests and people yelling in the street. I wasn’t willing to put bare feet on the bathroom floor, so I shuffled around on the bath mat. The communal kitchen smelled pungent and was left messy by other guests. One microwave looked like something had died inside; another had a loaf of bread, and the third held a plate with four soggy sweet potatoes that looked a week old. I nearly dropped my dinner when I saw them. The washing-up utensils were filthy and looked like they’d only make the cutlery dirtier.

We arrived at 6pm, decided by 6:30 that we should look for somewhere else, and were relieved to leave for a different place at 8:30. The alternative cost only $50 more per night, despite having a similar star rating, but was so much better that the two places hardly seemed comparable. I’ve never been happier to spend $150. Someone else booked this accommodation for us. After reading the other poor reviews, which match our experience completely, I can only guess she chose it to get back at us for some past slight. Touché, you got us good! It had the quality and feel of a backpacker hostel. In my twenties I might have called it a worldly experience, though a bit overpriced. I really can’t recommend it to families, couples, or travellers who are a little more discerning.