The Regency, Clifton Bristol by Belvilla

I had a standard single room and slept well in a comfortable, clean bed. There was at least a fan in the bedroom. But the room needs a proper clean and an update: the ceiling was damp and peeling, there was thick dust on the furniture, and the carpet was stained, including an iron-shaped mark. Someone’s toenails were on the bathroom windowsill, which was gross. I stayed two nights, and the tea and coffee weren’t replenished. There was no staff around. The TV was mounted where I could only watch it by standing in front of it, not comfortably from the bed.

The location is good, and the bed itself wasn’t bad. The linen seemed clean, and you can park right outside, though it costs a ridiculous tenner when you’re already paying over £100 for a substandard room. The hotel was grubby and dirty, with stained carpets, mould in the shower and hand towels left on the toilet seat. Check-in was awful: nobody was at the front desk, and the WhatsApp check-in didn’t work properly, leaving us outside in the cold and rain for 10 minutes. Facilities were poor, with just one thin pillow each, which was very uncomfortable and made for a bad night’s sleep. Not worth it.

Madam Komal at the front desk was fantastic, very professional and a real credit to the OYO company. She was always there to help guests with check-in, which was useful because the self check-in is a bit of a pain. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and I had a five-star experience at regency hotel.

We were fortunate to find somewhere else before this went any further. The staff were rude and seemed uninterested from the start. We rang the bell in the cold rain and they watched us from the desk, leaving the door locked for several minutes. They said our booking had been cancelled because the payment hadn't gone through, and that they'd sent a payment link. We missed it while driving. We'd given them a contact number, but they never tried calling us. The Oyo support number in the confirmation email couldn't help and gave us the hotel's number, which wouldn't connect. By the time we arrived, the staff member was so unpleasant and disengaged that, while they called the manager and treated us like a huge inconvenience, we booked a room at another large chain hotel down the road. The only time they seemed engaged was when we objected to their attitude, and then they had the nerve to lecture us. The owner replies to reviews but doesn't seem to do anything about the hotel's condition or the staff. OYO, please sort out your staff and franchisees. Don't bother with this place. Burn it down and start again.