Fino Rooms

The food was out of this world, and we had a wonderful evening out for a very reasonable price. Staff welcomed us warmly and service was quick. I’d highly recommend giving it a try. 🤩

We left Fino dissatisfied, after arriving with smiles and looking forward to a nice meal. The member of staff looking after our table was unfriendly and grumpy, and her abrupt replies to a couple of questions made us feel unwelcome and unable to relax. The food let us down too. The arancini starter was only two mouthfuls, and the lasagne had very little meat and hardly any taste. I left most of it because it wasn’t pleasant to eat. Disappointing visit, and we won’t be back.

The biggest problem for me was how the owner responded after I raised the issues. I politely explained what had happened, but after calling, messaging, and emailing without a reply, I left at 8.30am to find somewhere else to stay. There was nobody on site I could speak to. The email I eventually received felt cold, dismissive, and accusatory. It tried to justify the disruption instead of recognising its effect on my stay or showing concern that I had to leave a night early. Since then, three polite requests for a refund for that unused night have gone unanswered. That felt very disappointing and showed little care for guests’ wellbeing. I’d asked for a quiet room before booking because I was attending an intense conference and struggle with sleep. Nobody warned me that quiet rooms weren’t available or suggested booking elsewhere. Instead, my room was right above the kitchen with very little sound insulation. Doors banged, machinery ran, staff talked and laughed, and a very loud extractor fan was directly above the room, with another nearby. The invasive noise continued until around 11pm and started again at 6.55am. Early in the morning it was so bad that the room was actually vibrating. The room was also extremely cold. There’s no central heating, just a noisy, inadequate wall heater that was off when I arrived and clicked on and off all night. With no hotel reception, I had to call the restaurant to ask for it to be switched on. When I asked to move rooms, I was told all the rooms are noisy. I wish I’d been told that when I requested a quiet one. Even with the heater on, I slept fully clothed. The room felt like an afterthought, reached through a separate back entrance, with no front desk or welcome file, just a few laminated warning notices. It faced a car park, several noisy extractors, a busy roundabout, and a brightly lit Tesco Extra opposite. There was no sound insulation. The grey-white decor wasn’t cosy, there was no desk for work, and although the bathroom had a bath, it had no shower attachment for washing my hair. The bathroom was cold and cramped. I could have accepted all of that if my discomfort had been met with a kind response. By contrast, at the Beachcroft Hotel & Restaurant, the hospitality was remarkable. They were also hosting Christmas parties, but warned me in advance and found me their quietest room, away from the restaurant. I didn’t hear a thing. They matched the room price so I could stay within budget, which felt thoughtful. The room had a sea view, a super-king bed, a large comfortable bathroom with a shower over the bath, luxury products, a proper desk with mirror, a substantial welcome file and brochure, and thoughtful touches throughout. They even put the TV on a classical music channel after noticing I’m a classical singer. They provided luxury teas and hot chocolate. The whole stay felt calm and genuinely focused on guests. I lived in Italy for many years, and Italian hospitality has always felt warm, generous, and attentive to guests’ comfort to me. Sadly, I didn’t find that at Fino Rooms. I rarely write negative reviews, but I think this experience matters for others making an informed choice. I’d strongly suggest reading other recent negative reviews before booking. I wouldn’t stay at Fino Rooms again.

The lasagne was a disgrace, with hardly any meat, and we left most of it because it was so poor. The starters were tiny and low quality, and the mains were even smaller and worse. When one of us asked for Parmesan, the waitress dropped some on the meal, spilled some on their lap, and walked away without apologising. Even the toilet directions were abrupt when we asked, despite this being our first visit. We’d booked lunch for three and had been looking forward to it. We left a small tip, though a full refund seemed more appropriate. We won’t be back.