Yarrow Hotel

Breakfast was fresh and very good, the one part of my stay I enjoyed. Everything else left me disappointed, starting with a strong chemical smell when I arrived at about 2:00 pm. It felt more like a hospital than a 4-star spa hotel. The “spa” turned out to be one room with a jacuzzi and a steam/sauna area, and not all of it was working. I'd called the night before to check it was open, but only the sauna and jacuzzi were available. Access cost extra, which seemed unreasonable for such basic facilities, so I also had to book and pay for a massage to make up for what was missing. Check-in was frustrating, too. I was told to wait because the hotel was “fully booked,” though the car park was nearly empty. When I came back at 2:50 pm, my room still wasn't ready and I was told to wait until 3:00 pm, exactly when my massage was scheduled. I had to take all my luggage to the appointment. I also noticed guests who arrived after me getting their keys earlier. I came to The Yarrow Hotel on Thursday, 16 April, hoping for a relaxing spa visit. The limited spa offering, poor organisation and bad first impression meant I didn't enjoy my stay.

The beach and town are both about a 10-minute walk away, all downhill, which means the walk back is uphill after a day out. From arrival to departure the staff were excellent. Breakfast was very good quality, with a wide choice to suit most people. Our room was clean and tidy, and the tea, coffee and soap were replenished daily. There's a lift only to the first floor. I'd be more than happy to stay again.

Joe, the bartender, was a lovely man and definitely the highlight of the place. He made me a lovely coffee, and the cocktails looked good too. The solarium was nice as well. Good word, solarium.

This was our second visit, but this time we had a terrible experience with the Spa staff. A fake emergency was called in to the duty manager, Ben, and he shoved the Spa door open while I was inside in my bikini getting changed. I had to jump up and cover my half-naked body. It was a complete invasion of personal space and privacy in a spa we had paid extra to use privately. The blonde girl at the Spa was incredibly jealous, prejudiced and talked down to paying customers. She made up her own rules and said the hotel was her "own property and she has access rights to the entire hotel", including our privacy in a Spa that's supposed to be exclusive to paying customers. This kind of behaviour is very typical of the area, but we didn't expect it inside the hotel too. We complained to the manager, Levi, who was understanding and kind. He tried, but couldn't get an apology from his staff member. Levi asked the young woman to apologise, but she refused. Maybe she has no basic customer service training or has never been taught common decency. As paying guests with a room booked, we had paid extra to use the spa facilities in private. This is a violation of hotel policies across England, let alone of a paying customer's private time and space. We'll report it to all the right organisations.