The Carlton Hotel

Beautiful views from the room, with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. The bed was comfortable and the staff really friendly. There was noise from outside the front and passers-by, including drunk people on Saturday night. If you want a reasonably priced location, this is perfect.

This hotel doesn’t deserve even one star. It was the worst place I’ve ever booked, and I’d never stay there again or recommend it to anyone. The room was disgusting: it smelled strongly of damp, the carpets were dirty, the furniture was old and broken, and the mattress was so uncomfortable. The shower was broken, so we couldn’t have a proper shower in the morning. My friend and I couldn’t sleep all night on the awful bed, and we both woke with back pain. To make matters worse, they asked for a £10 deposit just to use a hair dryer. When we chose to leave early because of all the problems, they wouldn’t return the deposit until 9 a.m., which was very inconvenient. The whole place felt dirty, uncomfortable and badly maintained.

The room had a foul, manky smell in the hallway, and the bed made it hard to sleep. Its thin mattress sagged toward the sides, so my wife and I kept rolling off; I weigh only 160 lbs and could feel the wooden frame against my back and bottom. We’d paid extra for the advertised “extra large double bed” and both sea and river views, but got a small double and no river view. When I raised it, a staff member said, “sorry it must be a spelling mistake.” Nothing was done to make up for the misleading listing. I wouldn’t stay here again or recommend it.

The location on top of Lee's cliffs was excellent, with Mc Donald's, Turkish, Indian and Chineze restaurants, Papas for what I thought was the best fish and chips in Kent, coffee shops and a new Gregg's all within a five-minute walk. The hotel was quiet, and my room was spotless, fully equipped and had a very comfortable bed. It’s a lovely renovated Victorian building, with stained glass in the hallway. All three reception staff were friendly and helpful. I accidentally booked three extra nights when I only needed two, and the owner kindly refunded me in cash. The night porter was helpful too, and the last receptionist I saw carried my very heavy, 35-kilo suitcase up two flights of stairs. I enjoyed my stay. Good value for a budget hotel, thank you everyone.