Mellory hotel

We arrived to a smell that hit you as soon as you walked in. The woman who said she worked there couldn't be bothered to say hello, just told us the dog would cost £10. In the room, there was one old towel for two people, a mouldy, dirty fridge, a cracked sink, an extension lead stretched across the floor and no hot water. This was our first and last time anywhere near this hell hole. Take our advice and stay clear.

The management were sympathetic about our mobility issues and gave us a big discount, plus the offer of another discount at a nearby related hotel if we returned. The bed was clean and comfortable, and the small view of the Tower from our window looked beautiful at night. They tried their best despite a language barrier. Still, the stay was awful. Our tiny room had a hole in the ceiling and a single bed for my youngest squeezed right against a radiator. The shared toilets were cramped and disgraceful, with empty beer cans covered in cigarette ash and no toilet paper. The shower lights didn't work, and being put on the top floor made the stairs a nightmare for me. Two 'guests' slept on the stairwell during the night, blocking our way to the facilities. Management dealt with it reasonably quickly after we told them, but it wasn't something we wanted to see. The room's sink unit was badly cracked and worn, and its cupboard couldn't be used because it both blocked and was blocked by the small fridge door. I had medication that needed to stay cold, so that was another problem. It wasn't a good hotel, though good people were trying to run it. I won't stay there again, but might consider the related hotel sometime.

You get a bed for the price, but my room was freezing and had no heating, so I had to stay under the covers to keep warm. I have trouble walking, yet they put me three flights up. There were dodgy wires nailed to the wall. Not the best.

The bed was extremely comfortable, probably a fairly new memory foam mattress, and we got a great night's sleep. The room was clean and tidy, the staff were very friendly, and it was cheap compared with other places nearby. There were three shared toilets for six rooms, which seemed reasonable; they were clean, though that depends on the other guests too. The room itself was basic and needed serious TLC, with plaster peeling from the ceiling. The mirror was too low to be useful, and the front door was hard to find. After seeing mixed reviews, we booked because of the low price. I'd rate it 3 out of 5. The owners seem to be trying, but the place needs significant investment and tidying up. We wouldn't return, simply because there are so many other hotels nearby and we could find one better suited to our needs.