Royal Hotel

The one good thing was the location, and Julie on reception was very helpful. But this was the dirtiest hotel I've ever stayed in, and it smelled like a second-hand shop. I had to change rooms twice. The first had plaster falling from the ceiling and a leaking sink; the second hadn't been cleaned after the previous guests. The third was better, though the shower head wouldn't stay up, and I couldn't face complaining again. Breakfast was cold for the first two mornings, so I skipped it on the third. I won't ever return and would never recommend this hotel.

We travelled 250 miles after booking through AGODA, only to find the place closed when we arrived today. AGODA was no help, and the phone number wasn't recognised. Eventually someone on chat apologised for the inconvenience and offered a refund. I didn't want a refund, I needed somewhere to sleep that night with three young children. No help at all!

It was a quick decision to go, and my partner and I came from west London, arriving quite late. The staff were rude. The Indian man on duty gave us our room key, then said he would lock the front door while we went to get our stuff from the car. He opened it for us, stood there with his friend watching us, then locked it again when we came back in. It felt strange; I'd never known a hotel to close its front door like that. You're not allowed out after 12am, even for a walk by the beach. We hadn't eaten dinner, and he wouldn't let us pop to the local shop for food, so we went to bed hungry. The bathroom door looked like it led to somewhere you shouldn't enter. The room was boiling hot, hard to sleep in, and the one small opening window didn't cool it down enough. There was no lock on the door or anything, so if you're worried someone might come in, you'd be better off putting something in front of it. This was the worst hotel we've stayed in. I'd never recommend it and would advise people to stay away.

The food was disappointing compared with my earlier visits, though the staff were very helpful apart from one person. My room had a new bathroom, apparently as an upgrade, and the hotel is in a great spot on the sea front. The heating seems tied to the hot water, so the radiators stay hot after the central heating is switched off. I hope these are just teething problems after reopening for the season, and that standards will be back to their previous level when I visit again.