Trouville Hotel

The room was filthy. There were marks on the walls, other people’s hair in the pillowcases, blood on the mattress, and a set of fake nails underneath it. A thick cobweb sat behind the TV. The bathroom floor, bath and sink were dirty, and the towels hadn’t been folded properly. After a three-and-a-half-hour drive there, we had to make the same drive back that day. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

For an affordable night right by the beach and town centre, this place works well. The staff are friendly and professional, the location is great, and the sheets were clean. Some rooms in the older part feel a bit tired while refurbishment is underway, but it’s a three-star hotel, not a five-star one. If you want luxury at that level, book somewhere much more expensive. For a budget stay, it’s spot on.

We’ve stayed here before, but this weekend was a shocker. We paid to add breakfast for both mornings, then were told at check-in that because our hotel wasn’t busy enough, we’d have to walk five minutes downhill to its sister hotel for breakfast. Not a great start. Our room was clean and welcoming, though, so after arriving late we went along with it. The next morning, renovation work directly above us started at 7am. We were out by 8. A couple of hours later, after calming down, we spoke with a helpful man at the desk. He listened and offered us a choice of room for the second night, which seemed promising. That night turned out worse. The neighbours started singing, shouting and arguing at 4 in the morning. The night staff member tried to deal with it, but only got us an hour of quiet. Breakfast on the second morning was back at our hotel, with no choice and lukewarm, foul-tasting sausages. It wasn’t the relaxing post-Christmas break we’d planned.

The staff were friendly, and the location worked well for our daughter’s graduation at the BIC. For £130 for five of us, it was very basic, which is about what you’d expect for the price. The double room was nice, with a clean, modern ensuite, but the family room with three beds and its bathroom looked untouched since the 1970s. The bedding appeared clean but didn’t smell fresh. Book directly with the hotel if you want free parking. We booked through Booking.com and paid £12 for the night. I’d stay again for a night or two, but no longer.