Britannia Bournemouth

The parking was too small for a hotel this size, so there weren’t enough spaces and I had to park on the street at my own risk. We were given a filthy, tiny room, with signs of a leak on the ceiling and yellow stains on the walls. The old carpet and cramped space made it hard to breathe. The lift is a joke, it only fits two people, and I couldn’t use it with my single pushchair. It wasn’t worth what we paid.

It’s a quiet, relaxed hotel and easy to book into, with good value for money. The rooms are clean, the showers are good, and I’ve always slept well here. They’re really spacious for the price, though that can make them a bit chilly. Whenever I’ve asked, staff have brought me an extra heater.

The one bright spot, apart from the location, was the Spanish staff member on reception, who was polite and professional on both morning and evening shifts. The breakfast team were amazing too. The rest of our five-day stay was disappointing. The fire alarm went off four times, once at 7am and once at 11pm the night before I left. Everyone had gone to sleep around 1am that night, and with departures at 10am, I couldn’t sleep properly and had to pay for a late checkout. Dirty towels sat in the corridors for two days until we asked someone to take them away. Both lifts were tiny and stopped working after two days. The receptionist on Sunday night was very rude. We’d gone outside and didn’t know there was a door next to the main one. When we came back, he shouted at us, demanding our room number without even saying hello or please. I also left my straightener behind. I’ve called three times, and they still don’t know where it is. They asked for my card details for postage without even confirming they’d found it. I’m still waiting for an answer, a week later.

The bedroom and bathroom were a good size, parking was available, and the location was great. The room was £60 for the night, which isn’t expensive. Even so, hygiene shouldn’t be neglected. The carpet needed hoovering, there was dirt on the sockets, and the hotel needs updating. The decor is tired and the stair carpets are threadbare.