Hotel Athol

The tea and coffee supplies were unusable because the milk portions had gone like yoghurt, and the TV didn't work. My husband got trapped when the toilet door jammed, so we had to leave it open. The place was dark, dirty and smelled bad, with no sign of a paintbrush or duster since the 70s. We couldn't find anyone there to complain to, so we called. The person who answered agreed with everything we said but still refused a refund. We've had to contact trading standards. Worst value for money and the worst hotel we've ever stayed in. Avoid.

We only came here because the hotel we'd booked was awful, and we turned up without a reservation at the end of August. A lovely gentleman showed us the room and helped with our bags. It was clean and comfortable, and we liked the bar too. Good value, with a home from home feel. We'll definitely come back.

The breakfast was bad, and the beans tasted old. One morning a worker came downstairs drinking wine, then helped himself in the kitchen where our breakfast was being made while he was drunk. Nobody came to service the room during my two nights there, and the desks were dirty. The dining room forks were dirty too, and the whole hotel stank. Terrible service. It doesn't deserve even one star, and I wouldn't recommend it or return.

The breakfast was nice, but on Sunday morning I had a cold shower because there was no hot water. The rooms were filthy, and I took photos to prove it. Worst of all, while my husband was asleep I found a sewing needle in the duvet. I told the owners. The woman seemed to think the launderette had made a mistake, while the man said that couldn't have happened because they'd be charged extra. I still want to know where the needle came from, since if it had stabbed us we would have needed tests. They took my name and offered a discount on our next booking, but I wouldn't come back even for a free weekend.