Walford Hotel

We'd had this hotel booked for a while, and my partner even called three weeks ahead to confirm. Then, the night before our trip, he was told our reservation had been cancelled because they were overbooked. This was meant to be my son's first visit to the illuminations, and now we're scrambling to find somewhere to stay at the last minute. The hotel blamed Expedia, but I believe they chose to cancel our room to avoid paying a commission and take another booking instead. They did nothing to help us. Leaving a family in this situation the night before arrival is disgraceful customer service. How could they think that was acceptable?

The woman who rushed out after us with bacon sandwiches was really friendly. We had to leave early for a dance competition, so breakfast would have been too late for us. The bedding was clean, but the room itself left a lot to be desired, and we couldn't shut the window despite the street noise. I had the single bed in our triple room and could feel every mattress spring all night. The room also had a bath, which seemed an odd choice for a B&B. It wasn't expensive, but I wouldn't stay again. The owner didn't seem bothered, either.

The woman who checked us in and served breakfast was lovely and helpful. The rest of the experience was awful. Our bed was filthy, with stains and chewing gum on the pillow, and the shower barely worked. The owner was drunk during the day and became rude and intimidating. They said they wouldn't cater for me because of my gluten intolerance, even though they openly acknowledged it. There's also a no takeaway rule, which would have been fine on its own. I was hugely disappointed and wouldn't recommend it.

We had a lovely stay and are already looking forward to coming back. Our room was clean and tidy, and breakfast was lovely too. The staff were helpful and friendly, and both the gentleman and the lady were warm, polite, and kind.