Castle Hotel

The room was nicely decorated and clean, but the TV was a major frustration. It was advertised as digital TV, yet of 300 channels only about 10 worked, and the picture was a mess of bright colours, unwatchable. In my photo, that's the actual TV image, not a sunset. The room was advertised as soundproof, but it wasn't. I was in the more expensive sea view room directly above the hotel pub, and the noise was ridiculous. Expedia spoke to the hotel, who said the noise would ease in 30 minutes. It didn't. They also said someone would fix the TV, but by 10.18pm nobody had. False advertising really grates on me. Please book elsewhere, trust me.

The bar staff were brilliant. I'd definitely recommend watching the rugby here with friends!

I didn't expect luxury, but this was a very disappointing stay and honestly made me sad. It was the most expensive hotel we've stayed in, after booking a last-minute two-night visit to see family nearby. Booking direct would have cost £20 more per night than booking.com. I understand the idea of making rooms above the pub, and appreciate the work that went into it, which is why I've given it the stars, but for the price it was a basic stay. Based on my past hotel and Airbnb stays, I'd expect this room to be about £80 a night, and even then some guests might complain. We won't stay again. There was no reception or clear signposting for check-in, and the entrance to the rooms is beside the ladies' toilet. When we arrived, the staff member stopped getting our key to serve a regular a pint in the pub. For the price, I expected a little better treatment. We had Room 4 and I hardly slept because a fan unit of some sort outside kept switching on and off. It was 20+ degrees, so we had to keep a window open. Any breeze made the wooden venetian blinds rattle, and they had to be shut to block some of the daylight. The “city view” was just walls and the back of the pub building. Doors needed a hard pull to close, so you heard everyone coming and going. The bed creaked and was uncomfortable. The “dimmer” lights often made a strobe effect when I tried to adjust them. There was a dirty shoeprint in the shower, and water from the top shower control leaked down onto the controls. The TV was small and mounted so high that it was uncomfortable to watch.

We stayed one night while dropping our son off at university. You enter through the beautiful pub downstairs, then can use the side door once you have a key. From there, the grand staircase is beautiful too, and they showed us up to our room. The room was spotless and laid out perfectly, and the bathroom was perfect in every way. The staff were lovely. I can't stress enough how great a place this is, please consider staying here. I'd give it 10 stars if I could, but can only give 5.