Lynton Hotel

My friends were really happy with their rooms when they came to visit me and stayed here. I had a chat with the owner, who was lovely. I'll recommend it to any visitors I have in future.

We chose the Lynton for a bed after a gala dinner at the Winter Gardens, and it did the job. The off-street garage parking was a big plus. The room was clean and comfortable, if a bit dated, and the dining room was inviting. Breakfast was adequate. The hosts were really lovely, helpful and friendly. The hotel wasn't spotlessly clean, though the decor was very dated.

The staff were polite and really helpful, and the place was OK apart from looking like it needed an update. The wallpaper looked as if it hadn't been changed this century, and it was a shame that no money seemed to have been spent on the hotel in years. It was very clean, at least.

I wouldn't give this place any stars if I could. Our room was dirty, with thick dust around things, and the hotel felt damp and cold. There was no heating system, and the windows didn't close properly. When we complained, the owner brought an electric heater and extension lead. The fire on it kept sparking while it was on, and I honestly thought it might catch fire. The owner kept insisting all electricity be switched off whenever we left the room to save money, so we couldn't keep it at a steady temperature. There were no headboards, so our pillows were against damp walls. Even the bathroom light only had one bulb instead of the three it should have, leaving it gloomy. You have to switch the shower on at the wall in the bedroom, and that switch gets very hot while you're using it. There was no toilet roll when we arrived, so we had to ask the owner for some. The owner was friendly to talk to, but dismissed all our complaints and made it clear he didn't want to run a hotel. We skipped breakfast because the place was so dirty. If you do have it, service is only from 8am to 9am and there's no choice. Another couple came knocking at midnight because they had no heating or fire despite complaining, and couldn't find the owner. They wanted to know if we had his contact details. This hotel needs to close for a complete renovation and to be brought up to modern standards.