Sun Hotel

The tapas restaurant downstairs is excellent, and the staff are great, especially Sasha, who was very friendly. The old building has lots of character and is very clean, with comfortable beds. It’s right by the Cathedral and an easy walk from the train station. I’d highly recommend both the restaurant and the stay.

There was a lot of street noise overnight, and the room decor and furnishings looked tatty. The TV was faulty and staff weren’t available. Breakfast had very few continental options, with nothing in the fridge. Remember to account for parking and breakfast costs.

The bed was fairly comfortable, the WiFi worked well, and having a fridge in the room was useful. Those were the few good points in a stay with serious problems. We booked two rooms. The Pilgrim Room smelled awful from the shower drain, had an uncomfortable chair and poor finishing throughout. The window was a faff and knackered. A slam from the building’s front door actually made my locked bedroom door unlock and swing open, which left me concerned about privacy. The listed items in the “courtesy fridge” mostly weren’t there, and £3.50 for 150ml of tonic water was ridiculous. The macerator toilet was deafening, and hot water lasted only four minutes. In our second room, the four-poster room, the bath was dangerously slippery and had no handrail. The stairs to the rooms were cramped and precarious, and don’t seem suitable for anyone with mobility needs. We were told breakfast was included when we asked about adding it to the booking. In practice, it was a stale, packaged croissant, a small box of cornflakes and a packet of muesli. Staff gave vague answers in the morning and couldn’t say whether hot breakfast was offered. We went elsewhere, after staff failed to provide contact details for the owners or management. The milk in the room fridge was spoiled: one bottle had curdled and split, the other looked on the turn. The UHT sachets split in the cup and left a disgusting white blob in the tea. At about 9am, we tried to leave for a cigarette and the front door wouldn’t open, even though it was unlocked. No staff were there to help, and other guests had also given up trying. We had to force it open with all our strength to dislodge whatever was blocking it. That’s a serious fire hazard and completely unacceptable. On arrival, restaurant staff seemed unprepared to deal with hotel guests or problems. There was no clear front-of-house, no way to contact management, and no sense of accountability. The place trades on historic charm and a central location, but underneath it’s deeply flawed. It needs urgent attention to staff training, safety, maintenance and communication. I can’t recommend it.

I loved the location, and the Charles Dickens room had plenty of charm. The old building meant the toilet was squeezed into a corner and the shower was in a sort of closet. Nobody came to tidy my room, but I didn’t mind, and there were lots of towels. I was an older lady travelling with suitcases, and the stairs were a bit challenging to get down on the morning I left, especially with no one around. If you’re after a cozy place with character, I recommend the Sun Hotel. I stayed there two weeks ago.