Clifton House

The location was ideal, just across St Paul's Road from Racks, where my daughter in law and her partner were going to a wedding party. I was there to look after the baby. They had booked well ahead, but when we arrived with the baby just after 3, the cleaner hadn't been told number 22 needed cleaning. It was a mess: clothes on the sofa bed, sunglasses, half-empty bottles, dishes piled in the sink, and a condom and tissue under the sofa bed. I stripped the beds, washed up and cleaned the surfaces; the cleaner made the beds and vacuumed. The place is tired and dirty, needs updating, and the wardrobe's fragile back was broken. The rug was filthy, so I kept my shoes on. It cost £250 for one night, and I don't know why cheaper prices are showing. It's not worth that amount, even with the good location. I hope I left it tidy, with beds stripped, dishes done and the tied bin bag ready. I expected a partial refund, but it's November now and the proprietor has said nothing. Look after your cleaning staff, they have a lot to do between guests. I'd advise people to stay elsewhere; Bristol has plenty of cleaner places with better value for money.

The bed was broken for our two-night stay, and customer service's response was basically, “live with it.” They offered a goodwill refund of 15%, but never actually paid it. They went around in circles saying it had been sent, while my bank couldn't trace it. They also did nothing to sort out the room. There's a lot less hassle in other places nearby, so avoid this one.

I picked this place because it was close to my partner's house, but I'd tell people to book elsewhere. We made a last-minute booking at 2pm for two nights because my partner's dad had died and the funeral was set for the next day. There's no reception team, and they don't mention that you need to fill in an online form to get the keypad code. The form also takes an extra £100 security deposit from your card; without it, they won't give you the code. We arrived at 11pm just to sleep before the funeral. The advertised “Basic Apartment” turned out to be a tiny basement room that smelled of mould, with only a mini kitchenette. It had no table like the pictures suggested, though I hoped to work online a bit on the second day. I called and got an instant response from Aneta, the agent managing the rooms by phone. After we explained the musty smell, she arranged a second-floor room with a window and a table. Four days after checkout, my £100 deposit still hadn't come back. I don't see how I could have damaged anything: I arrived late on day one to sleep, spent day two at the funeral and at my partner's from 11am to 11pm, then came back just to sleep. I also lost a ring accessory. Aneta said she'd ask the cleaners, but never called or updated me, and now deliberately doesn't answer when I message about the deposit. The room was expensive, and I'm worried the deposit will be lost too. There are plenty of places around here, so I'd choose a more reliable hotel.

The parking was a big reason I booked Your Apartment, but despite reserving a space through their website and being told one would be available, there wasn't one when we arrived. The listing said parking was first come, first served, and also warned that only guests who booked and registered their vehicle with Your Apartment could park on site or risk a fine and tow. Either they accepted too many reservations or guests without reservations parked there; they need a system that actually protects booked spaces. We parked on the street and had to pay extra, which left me very let down. The room was quite nice and the bed extremely comfortable, though the bathroom smelled damp and the Wi-Fi details in the booking email didn't seem to work. We needed a last-minute one-night stay in Bristol in mid-July, and it was much cheaper than the other Clifton options available.