The Driftwood

For my brother’s 21st, I needed a budget place after spending money on Pleasure Beach and other things. I wish we’d gone elsewhere or slept in the car. There were two couples, and neither of our double rooms locked. We took our belongings with us when we went out at night because we didn’t trust the hotel, and I put drawers behind the door for some reassurance. The bed was fairly clean and comfortable, but the drawers had cigarette ends and ash left in them, so they clearly hadn’t been cleaned. The shared toilets looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in years. The two rooms cost £54 altogether, and it was by far the worst money I’ve spent. Don’t go here.

We paid for a stay, but the rooms had no toilets and the beds took up nearly all the space. We wanted to check in at 3:00, but the room wasn’t ready until after 5:30. We spent hours waiting at the door with wet children. It was so bad that we went home without even sleeping there.

The second night was okay after we were moved to a different room, which was much better and actually warm. The first room, though, was tiny and freezing. It was relatively clean, but the facilities were awful: a very small cold shower, no floor space, and a sink that drained onto the roof below. The bed was only three-quarter size. The plugs were so low they were unusable without risking our appliances, and one set didn’t work. It was also noisy at night, which was down to inconsiderate guests rather than the hotel. After that first night, I wanted to go home early.

The location was perfect, and the staff were friendly and went out of their way to help. We also had a parking space, something most nearby hotels don’t offer. The Driftwood was decent for the price and we were happy with our stay. It could use some renovation, though at that price you shouldn’t expect four-star accommodation.