The little emily - Room only

It’s a self-service hotel and good value, though the room needed a little more attention. There was food and drink left in the fridge, and lipstick on the headboard. Nothing major, both easy to sort out. Music from next door’s front garden started at 8am and only stopped after the hotel opposite told them firmly to cut it out. We were already up and heading to the beach, so it didn’t cause us trouble.

We’d happily stay again. The staff were lovely, very friendly and accommodating, and the room and beds were clean and comfortable. Our room and bathroom were both small, but there was enough space for my daughter and me. It’s close to the seafront and other attractions. We could hear some outside noise and inconsiderate neighbours, though after a full day out it didn’t matter too much.

The seafront is close by, which is the main plus. Our family room was so tiny it was hard to shower or do much else, and the rooms weren’t cleaned regularly unless we asked. The cleaning standards were poor. On our first day, the bedsheets were stained, there was hair in the sink and the towel was wet. I had to argue with the owner about it. It left me feeling they cared more about getting paid than about their guests.

We travel between guesthouses quite a bit, and we used to run one ourselves for over ten years. We don’t often post public reviews on Tripadvisor or Google, but sometimes a place merits a constructive write-up. We try to keep an open mind about negative reviews. Some point to small issues owners may have missed or standards slipping; others may come from someone seeking a partial refund, though legitimate complaints should still be taken seriously. We’ve seen how disputes can end with a bank taking the full charge under card rules. There’s a more detailed review on another travel site. We booked directly by phone. The quoted price was £5 more than on booking dot com. In our opinion and experience that site is best avoided, but that’s another story. We got no email or text confirmation with check-in and check-out times or other details, though it wasn’t a big issue. We arrived about 2:30pm. The owner wasn’t very chatty, which made things a bit awkward, but perhaps he was shy or new to dealing with the public. We had to ask for information instead of being given it. Owners get asked the same questions repeatedly, so a good confirmation message can help. The room and ensuite both looked and smelled very clean. We use a few simple checks when we arrive: notice any strong cleaning or linen smells, see if air freshener seems to be covering something, look for dust or stains, check the bedside lamp and under the bed. Nothing concerning showed up here. We don’t judge décor too harshly if the place is clean and nothing major is broken. Owners work long hours, and maintenance or tradespeople can be hard to fit in around guests, especially in peak season. With one guest leaving at 10am and the next arriving at 3pm, there’s little time to clean, change linen and fix small things across all the rooms. Many owners do bigger maintenance and decorating in the quiet months from November to March. If you want to see somewhere at its best or worst, visit in March before the season starts. The mattress and bedding were clean, another point in its favour. Mattresses have legal replacement requirements, and they can pick up body fluids, smoke, e-cigarette residue and bugs, so cleanliness matters. There wasn’t anything fundamentally negative in what we saw. The place is one street off the main pedestrian route through town but was noticeably quiet. The bed was extremely firm, though not lumpy or worn. It felt more like a European bed, while us softy Brits often prefer something softer. There’s nothing wrong with it if you like a very firm mattress. The Wi-Fi was terrible, but we manage Wi-Fi ourselves and those problems are easy to fix.