East Lodge Bolney

The room was cold when we arrived at 3:30 pm, with the heating off, and it was still so cold later that we needed our coats in both the bar and restaurant. The restaurant had several radiators switched off and just four or five small portable heaters for a large space. We ended up taking a taxi to eat somewhere else. Two other guests were wearing coats in the bar too, and we didn’t see anyone eating at the hotel. We were told the heating would come on, but four hours later it still wasn’t warm. There were other serious problems. The corridors smelled of sewage, and the toilet bubbled and let sewer gas into our room whenever toilets in rooms above or beside ours were flushed. The walls and ceilings were paper thin. We could hear people farting, shifting in bed, TVs and upstairs footsteps for hours. Maybe it was a herd of zebras up there. We asked reception for help, such as moving rooms, in a nearly empty hotel, but were told there was nothing they could do. After an awful night, we left early the next morning. We’d paid for two nights, but weren’t staying for the second. We told reception what we thought. This isn’t the staff’s fault, but the owners or managers should spend a night in these caravan-like rooms with no heat and see what guests are dealing with. The hotel used to be five stars; now it feels like three, and I think two of those stars were stolen. Environmental health should inspect the rooms and toilet systems. I’m glad we didn’t eat there, because who knows what other shortcuts they’re taking. Please don’t just reply with “dear guest, we are sorry to hear that...” Fix it for other guests. We were in room 112. You could refund us for the night we didn’t stay.

I felt pretty disgusted after spending a night here. The place needs either to close or have money spent on bringing it up to an acceptable standard. The fire alarm went off several times overnight, and we had to evacuate at 2 am. Staff confirmed there was no trace of smoke in the room that triggered it. There was no hot water anywhere in the hotel, so we had a freezing shower in the morning, and it still hadn’t been fixed by checkout. The toiletries advertised weren’t available at reception, and the hotel couldn’t provide any essentials for our unplanned stay. The receptionist said he didn’t know whether there were any in the room because he’d never been in one. There weren’t any. Our room had a glugging sink, a nearly detached shower fitting, mould and stains, and a rotten bathroom door. The mattress was uncomfortable and very low quality, and the pillows felt like budget ones. There was no soundproofing, and the doors had no working soft closers. The hotel itself is very tired, sits in a car park, and had a strange smell. I’d be embarrassed to have guests in my own home if it looked like this. The compensation offer was a discount on a future stay. They seem to expect us to come back and pay for the privilege. We’d need to be paid a lot to stay again.

We stayed for 10 days, and the food was great. Plenty of secure parking too. Everyone we dealt with, from the manager and receptionists to housekeeping and restaurant staff, was fantastic: polite, helpful and wonderful. 10/10, and I’d definitely recommend it.

We were meant to stay three nights, but ended up leaving early because the sewage smell made the place unpleasant and unsuitable to stay in. It was strong from the entrance through the corridors and rooms, and even lingered in the dining area while we were eating. The beds were extremely uncomfortable too, and both my partner and I woke up sore and stiff after the first night. We booked alternative accommodation at the Premier Inn Burgess Hill. When we asked for a refund for the two unused nights, the hotel refused and offered promotional rates for a future stay instead. That wasn’t a reasonable answer in the circumstances. The managers communicated poorly and showed little willingness to address a legitimate concern. I wouldn’t return or recommend this hotel.