San Diego Guest House

There were bed bugs, and the rooms were filthy with dirty towels. I stayed on the May bank holiday Monday and am still waiting to hear back about getting my money returned, along with what I spent on new clothes and shoes for myself and my family so the bugs wouldn’t spread. They told me they’d never seen bed bugs there before, and I hadn’t either, but it was a lie: one of the lads who stays there said he’d been bitten a few days earlier. The manager is supposed to be a millionaire, yet can’t keep the hotel clean, get rid of the bugs or pay me back. An absolute joke.

The beds were uncomfortable and dirty, and there were no curtains or blinds for privacy or sleep. The rooms were antique, with wallpaper hanging off the walls, a random sink in one corner and a toilet on the side with no toilet. The whole hotel was a shambles. £65 wasted. Avoid it.

I’m leaving after two days. The owner couldn’t have done more to help and assured me I’d be safe, with help whenever I needed it. The rooms weren’t very clean, though. When I arrived, the first room hadn’t been cleaned. He quickly offered another, but there was chocolate on the bedding and the lock didn’t feel safe; the door opened after a firm push without a key. I told him I wanted to feel secure as it was just me and my daughter, and the third room was okay. I thought breakfast was included, but it wasn’t. There was bread for toast, though it was two weeks out of date. He really did try his best. There were no ensuite rooms, so in the middle of the night I had to leave my daughter in the room to use the toilet. Cheap and cheerful, but I probably wouldn’t return.

The Pleasure Beach is right across the street, and the prices were good too. The host was warm and welcoming, and my partner, children and I had a great holiday. We’ll come back.