Holm Lea Hotel

I keep coming back almost every year because the price is hard to beat. Bobbie and Alec make you feel genuinely welcome, and they even post me a Christmas card each year. The rooms are cleaned and kept tidy daily, breakfast is great, and there's a good choice at the bar. First class all round, in my opinion.

We stayed for a couple of nights with my four kids. Rabia greeted us and showed us to a clean, nicely sized room with a double bed, bunk beds, and an en-suite shower. Both hosts were friendly and ready to help, and breakfast was tasty with generous portions. Thanks for the hospitality. We'd happily stay again and recommend it.

I booked two nights but left after just one because the place felt so depressing. The bed was uncomfortable, the TV didn't work, and there was no WiFi or 4G signal. I didn't risk trying breakfast. I also found bed bugs, and was refused a refund. The owner was extremely rude. Furniture held together with sellotape did make me laugh, but it wasn't much of a bargain after paying for antibiotics and anti-itch cream. I hope Environmental Health have shut it down.

The hotel is very central for the seafront and there's good on-street parking, which helped. The owners were away for a private matter, so a friend was looking after the place. He was welcoming and did his best to check us in and get us to the right room, eventually. There was no breakfast option while they were away, so we had to go out for it. The place looks dated and needs fresh paint and new fixtures. A corner of our wallpaper had come off, and the beds were very hard, which was rough on my bad back. Now I see why my wife said we'd got a cheap few nights.