County Hotel

The breakfast room staff were pleasant, and the buffet was adequate. Since everything was cooked ahead, it was a bit sad if you arrived an hour and a half after breakfast started, though the coffee was hot and fresh, which was a bonus. The £55 rate including breakfast was the other redeeming point, but the room looked nothing like the website photos, which made the advertising feel like it was for another hotel. Parking also wasn’t free: I paid £8 for the night in their car park. I understood the earplugs on the bed once the Friday night disco started, with what seemed to be a live DJ playing from about 8pm until 1.30am. The floors creaked loudly above and below me as well. My room felt tired and neglected. It had two lovely big sash windows, but neither opened at all, so I couldn’t get fresh air and the room was hot. I slept miserably. At check-in, reception staff seemed bored and uninterested. I can’t see much that would bring me back for another night.

The location was fine, and although the room was tired, it was fine too. The parking arrangement was a different story. Reception told me to use the car park behind the hotel and charged me for it. There is a car park there, visible in my photo marked with a P, with the County Hotel also in view. But after I got home, a parking ticket arrived. I was apparently meant to park directly behind the hotel, not in that car park, and nobody made the distinction clear. I ended up paying a £100 fine. The hotel hasn’t accepted responsibility or refunded the parking fee it charged me.

I called ahead about parking and was told to use Mary street car park, right behind the hotel, and pay the hotel £5 to have parking sorted for the night. Now I’ve been sent a £100 fine, and the hotel says that isn’t its car park. The fine is almost twice what the room and food cost. I won’t stay here again.

The car park is hard to find and so small that a space isn’t guaranteed. The building itself feels very dated and tired, with crazy-high ceilings and just one 60w bulb, which gave the room more of a haunted-house feel. Still, it was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the water was hot with decent pressure. Staff were friendly and helpful. It’s conveniently located and, for what you pay, I have no serious complaints. A change from the small modern rooms at the big basic UK hotel chains.