Boyce Hotel

We paid £230 for a stay that was a disappointment all round. Even the hallways had food debris lying around, and I’ve stayed in much cheaper, cleaner hostels and stag do hotels. The Google room pictures bear no resemblance to the horrific conditions we found. We’d booked three rooms for one night with family, one triple and two doubles. The outside and lounge seemed satisfactory on arrival, but once we opened the upstairs room doors, we knew we’d made a mistake. In our room, the divan was badly stained, looking as if someone had urinated down its side years ago. One bed had soiled sheets; under the other mattress was a piece of old plyboard. The drawers were filthy and full of crumbs, and the bedding and towels had a horrible damp, stale, musty smell. The rooms absolutely reeked. We slept on top of the bedding because we were too nervous to get under the grim duvets. The other two rooms had the same rancid smell, filthy drawers, stained carpets and heavily scuffed walls. One bathroom had a badly cracked sink. We’d initially planned to book breakfast, but changed our minds after seeing the rooms. One person in our group asked to change rooms because the double bed was far too small. Staff were dismissive and said there were no rooms left, as the place had been fully booked for months. We would have left to look elsewhere, but it was the August holidays, we had elderly parents with us, and it was only a one-night stay, so finding another place seemed unlikely.

The location is close to town, but there’s no parking. Booking was straightforward and the rate seemed a bit high, perhaps because it was the weekend. Apart from the signboard, the place was a mess. When I told the manager the bedsheets were dirty, he was rude and reacted as if it was a surprise. We pay for a room that should be clean and tidy. Don’t book here.

Bedroom 1 was dirty and the beds were so uncomfortable that I had trouble sleeping. Room 2 was better, though. The staff were brilliant, breakfast was OK, and reception and the downstairs areas were clean and tidy. Good location, but the bedrooms badly need investment in the decor, new beds and carpets. Such a shame. I was glad it was only one night, although I could have stayed longer.

Being able to walk to the amenities was handy, and the hotel is very close to the city centre. We arrived over the May Bank holiday and found the room clean and tidy. Staff were helpful, too. 10/10.