The Beach Hotel

The second hotel had major problems too. Neither the Beach Hotel nor The Preston Park Hotel room doors had working locks. In the second room, the bathroom was covered in black mould, the toilet had brown stains and didn't flush properly, the water pressure was very weak, and the shower was cracked. There was a dirty towel on the bed when we arrived, which the receptionist took away. The heating was on, but the room stayed freezing all night. We didn't feel safe without working door locks. Every noise made us anxious, and the door visibly shook with no way to secure it. At the first hotel, the room was filthy when my two friends and I arrived. There was rubbish and debris on the carpet, including a broken bag tag, dirt and dust, something that looked like blood splattered on the mirror, a broken lamp without a shade, and cloudy, dirty water. Then a bed bug crawled onto my friend. We stripped the beds and found dirt, tears and holes in the bedding, a pube in one bed, and mattresses with heavy deep yellow-brown stains. We complained at reception. The receptionist called the manager, who said he'd check for space at the nearby sister hotel, The Preston Park Hotel. We waited a long time without an update, then had to explain it all again to another receptionist because the first one had left. After more waiting, we were told the manager was coming to speak to us. It was nearly midnight. He said he'd drive us himself to the other hotel, but as three young women we weren't comfortable with that, especially since it wasn't a licensed taxi and his car had learner plates. He had also previously offered a room for all three of us, but at first said only two could go and one would have to stay elsewhere. We refused, and he changed his position and agreed to accommodate us all. We called our own taxi instead. The manager followed it to the second hotel and gave us cash for the return journey the next day, which we appreciated, but he also followed us into the room and that made us uncomfortable. This whole experience was shocking. The cleanliness, maintenance, and safety were unacceptable, and I'd strongly advise people to reconsider staying here.

We were in a basement room on the seafront, just a quick stroll from the beach. The fire-exit window was drafty, so we had to keep the curtains shut. Breakfast was included, and the staff put on a nice spread. They were friendly.

The location is great and the hotel itself was nice, but our basement room was right under reception. With no carpet up there, we kept hearing footsteps and what sounded like furniture scraping around. It woke us every few minutes through the night.

The staff were really kind and ready to help, and breakfast was a simple but pleasant mix of hot and cold food. The location also works well for shops, restaurants and the beach. For the price, it’s just alright. The room felt like it had been left in the 60s and not properly cleaned. The light was so dusty it looked furry, the furniture wobbled, the carpet was badly faded and there was rust in the bathroom. Worst of all, I woke up to a bed bug crawling on my arm and got some very uncomfortable bites. I’d avoid the place because of that, since bed bugs can follow you home.