Central Hotel Gloucester by Roomsbooked

Absolutely appalled by this place. I paid £70 for a room for my birthday, then was told when I arrived that I had to pay a £100 deposit. I still haven't got it back. The room was awful and dirty, the carpet was coming up, and the bathroom was very unclean. Worst hotel I've ever stayed in. Do not go here!

We desperately needed a proper night's rest at Central Hotel Gloucester, but the fire alarm kept waking us through the night and morning. It went off around 12:30am, 3am, 6am, 8am and 8:15am. The constant disruption left us exhausted and made the whole stay stressful and uncomfortable. The first time we went downstairs, we expected an explanation or an apology, but the receptionist said nothing. We only learned that the alarms were faulty after overhearing another guest talking with the staff. When we complained to the hotel, the offer went from a £15 credit to £40, but it was only for a future stay, with no refund option. After the way this was handled, we don't plan to return. A faulty alarm all night was bad enough; the lack of care, communication and accountability from roomsbooked customer service made it worse. If a peaceful stay and getting proper rest matter to you, I'd strongly advise looking elsewhere.

The rooms were fine and the staff friendly, but the location felt very dodgy. I didn't feel safe parking my car there. The fire alarm kept going off, so we basically got no sleep for a week. Someone repeatedly came bursting into our room in the middle of the night to try to fix the alarms, but they never managed to.

We'd read some reviews that made us unsure about staying, though of course I can't speak for anyone else's experience. For us, check-in was easy and the staff were excellent. They tagged our bags and brought them up to our rooms later. The rooms were spacious and very clean, with a nice bathroom and a great shower. There was also a microwave, fridge, plates and cutlery, handy if you want to bring your own food. The hotel has no restaurant or bar, which helps explain why the usual room rate is very competitive. Our price was higher during Cheltenham week. The cafe across the road was excellent and reasonably priced. The location was good, and we could leave the car overnight in Kings Walk car park. It reopened at 7.00am the next day, and we paid £9 for 24 hours. I'd recommend the hotel and will return.