INNit Bliss

The hotel charged an extra £150, and we're disputing it. We stayed from Friday to Sunday. On checking in, we saw a sock covering the smoke alarm. We thought it was disgusting and really weird, but went out to enjoy the city and forgot about it. After we left on Sunday, the hotel emailed without any prior notice to say they were taking £150 from my credit card because the alarm had been covered. I replied that we hadn't put it there and that it could have been the previous guest. If cleaning hadn't noticed the sock, the room hadn't been cleaned properly, and I wasn't responsible for that. They said they had pictures from before and after, but didn't show them to me. I think it's impossible those pictures could prove what they claim, unless they've been manipulated on purpose, which would be a scam. I told them we hadn't done it and don't even smoke. They said the cleaning staff assured them the sock wasn't there before. It was. We saw it as soon as we lay on the bed and looked up. It feels like they're taking advantage of us because we're from outside the UK, assuming £150 is small enough that we'll give up. Or maybe the cleaning staff are protecting themselves and lying, and the hotel is charging us based on their version. Either way, it's completely unacceptable to charge us for something someone else did. We've reported it to our bank and will dispute the payment. We'll also make a formal complaint that the room wasn't properly cleaned. If they can do this, what stops them doing it again over something else, like something broken or stained on purpose? If they refuse to refund us, we'll contact consumer organisations and do whatever we can, because this has to stop.

The room was comfortable, nicely furnished, and had what we needed for our On The Beach trip. We chose to stay in Brighton so we could shower properly after the festival and get a good night's sleep without travelling back to London. That plan fell apart: the water pressure and temperature were all over the place, sometimes the shower stopped completely, and the water swung between freezing and scalding.

Getting inside was a hassle, with about 20 minutes spent trying to sort it out with a robot. There’s no reception, staff on site, or other facilities to help, and the Wi-Fi didn’t work either. The rooms were small, cold, and grim, and the shower only runs while you hold down a button, like some kind of prison setup. For what it costs, this “hotel” felt like a scam. We had a terrible stay and wish we’d picked a proper, locally run hotel instead.

There was no receptionist or staff around when we had questions or needed help sorting out parking. The lack of insulation in the windows left the room draughty, and traffic noise carried on for much of the night. Other guests' doors slammed too, and the sound travelled so much that it didn’t feel private. I’d save your money, especially with no hot water in the shower.