Nyton Hotel

The place has lovely old-world charm, with great rooms and a great location. Breakfast was the one small letdown, as the bacon had been microwaved, but that's only a minor gripe. I'll be back.

Robert was so helpful when we arrived, and there was plenty of parking. The Nyton is a quirky hotel in a nice way, and pets are welcome. We had room 1, which was spacious, with loads of cupboard space and more than enough towels. It looked out over a large, welcoming garden with beautiful trees, and rooms are serviced daily. Breakfast had lots of choice and came quickly, served with a smile. It's a relaxed, eccentric place about a 10-minute walk from the cathedral. We'd certainly stay again.

We had a large booking over two nights, with five rooms on the first night and three on the second, and the hotel made a complete mess of it. While we were trying to get ready for a family wedding, my sister, her husband and their three-year-old had to pack up and move rooms. Staff walked in and out while my sister was dressing, with no apology or consideration. It was a complete shambles. At check-in there was nobody around, and all the room keys were left on the front desk with names on cards, so anyone could have taken a key and gone into a room. That also seemed like a data protection breach. I found our room, which had only had the beds made. There were razor heads in the shower, toothpaste or something similar all over the sink, stained bedding, dirt and dust on the surfaces, empty coffee packets and dirt on the floor. I even stood on a piece of glass and got it stuck in my foot. The whole hotel smelled of smoke and weed, definitely from the kitchen area. In the morning I was told I could have a full English because they had gluten-free ingredients, but then they offered me vegetarian sausages that were frozen in a packet clearly marked with wheat in bold. They did have gluten-free bread, so I could have breakfast without the sausages. When I told the owner at checkout about the state of the room, he apologized and offered a small discount. Then he charged extra because my daughter and I had been put in a larger room than we'd booked by mistake, saying I still had to pay the upcharge because I'd stayed in it. How was I supposed to know we'd been given a bigger room and would be charged more? The restaurant waiting staff were pleasant both mornings. Some of my family ate there on Friday night and said the food was nice, though I didn't eat, so I can't comment. Their food came nearly an hour late because the chef, who is the owner, messed it up and said their fish was “black”. I wouldn't recommend it. There are much cheaper, nicer-looking places available. The hotel is very dated, unclean, and the experience was not good at all.

The bed was very comfortable, and the hotel is in a peaceful spot with easy access to Ely town centre. Staff were polite, friendly and helpful. It's an old building, so the rooms are a bit dated, and we had to run the taps longer to get hot water. I'd been a little worried after reading the reviews, but honestly, I'm not sure where the negative ones came from. It was exactly what I needed. Thanks for a comfortable stay.