Seashells Scarborough

The location is fantastic, with the beach across the road and lovely balcony views, including the sunset from our top-floor apartment 8. The small pool in the main building is nicely sheltered and lovely, though I imagine it gets busy on weekends. The kitchen looked spacious enough for cooking, and the beds were comfortable. But this is not a four-star hotel or apartment hotel. I'd call it a dingy two-star place, and there are better-value apartments elsewhere, or you could pay a little more for a nicer one. We booked through Luxury Escapes and were put in the apartments beside the main 'hotel'. They are showing their age. Our two-bedroom unit was very tired: the lounge furniture and bedroom chair need replacing, the PVC was peeling, and the lounge was stained. Someone had repainted the bedroom, but only partway through the second coat. The ceiling paint was peeling too. The second bedroom's fan and light didn't work. I reported that at checkout. The balcony looked as if it might fall off the building. Four teenagers, about 14 years old, came in from the street and jumped the pool fence. I'm a mum of three teens, but their swearing, screaming, and splashing people was awful. A young family and I had to leave the pool. Another guest reported it, but security took 1.5 hours to respond, and by then the teens had gone. At checkout, reception didn't seem to care. She said they couldn't put a lock or code on the gate to the road because it was too hard, even though the pool gate has a code. The teenagers disturbed everyone overlooking the pool for that whole time. Seashells knows it's an issue, as the receptionist said the police have been called numerous times.

The location is excellent, but the state of the apartment really let the stay down. The sliding door didn't work, the outdoor furniture was peeling, the couch smelled musty, and one pool looked cloudy. This was our third stay at Seashells Scarborough, but our last visit had been about five years ago and the standard has declined. The apartment was in very poor shape and clearly needed renovation. The carpet was heavily stained throughout, and the musty smell was so strong we had to leave doors and windows open. Within minutes, my daughter, who is allergic to dust and mould, started sneezing and got a runny nose. She needed antihistamines. I raised it with the manager, who said the apartment was independently owned. I understand that, but we booked under the Seashells name and expected a consistent four-star standard. We were told some renovated apartments are listed through Airbnb, which was disappointing for what we paid. This unit felt like two-star at best.

The position and view are excellent, and the rooms are spacious with good facilities. The apartment could use renovation, especially the carpets and couches. The pool was supposed to be heated, but it wasn't.

The rooms are well appointed and it's a very nice place to stay, with a good location near the beach, shops, and entertainment. I'd go again. On-site parking was hit and miss.