The Knoll Guesthouse

I knew a cheap room might be basic, but this was far below what I expected. The hall smelled awful, and I could smell what I think was cigarette smoke from the people next door in my room. There were several people in that room, which I’m pretty sure was meant for one, making a lot of noise in the room and corridors around 4am and waking me up. I didn’t feel safe confronting them, especially after someone tried to get into my room in the middle of the night. There was no staff around to deal with it. The toilet was disgusting, with paper still in it and yellowish water. The flush barely worked. I found yellow stains and black dust, maybe ashes, on the furniture; they wiped off easily, so why hadn’t anyone cleaned them? There was a hole in the bedsheets and no mirror anywhere. The windows gave no view, some blinds were broken and let in light at night, and the internet was useless. Communication was bizarre too. They said they’d send entry instructions when I booked, but they arrived at 2am, hours after check-in. Then the post-stay email came at 4am while I was still there. I waited ten minutes at the door, ringing, and someone picked up but said nothing, just background noise. Strange, since when I called for the code, staff said no one was there. I’m not coming back.

The beds were comfortable, and it’s about a ten-minute walk to central Newport. Cleanliness was a letdown, with crumbs and general grime on the floor. One room had a broken shower, and the electricity was unreliable. A staff member was available after check-in and sorted a couple of problems quickly. With refurbishment and a deep clean, it could make a decent guesthouse.

We ended up without anywhere to stay after our plans changed, and Barry kindly took us in at the last minute. The rooms were fine for a guest house, with everything we needed. There’s a pleasant lounge with comfy sofas and books, plus a handy breakfast ordering system that we didn’t get a chance to try. I’d stay here again if I’m back in Newport.

The only thing I liked was the water temperature in room 1. I sprayed dettol over the shower base before using it, and the water was great. The rest of the place was a miserable experience. My room stank of cigarette smoke and mold, so I bought dettol and air freshener just to make it almost bearable. I was there nearly three weeks, and the filthy, threadbare carpet was never vacuumed. The room was dirty, with mold across the “bathroom” walls, stained walls that looked like blood spatter, and beds so old I was scared to lift the sheets. The curtains were ragged, basically a rag over each window, and the ceiling light was hanging by its wires. There was even an extension cable into the “bathroom.” The sinks had no hot water, so I had to shave in the shower, and couldn’t properly wash my hands or face unless I showered. The door needed pushing or pulling to shut, and twice after towel changes I came back to find it unsecured. Don’t leave valuables there. The floorboards and several entrance steps were in such bad shape that the building seemed held together by those “carpets”; it needs condemning. There was no chance of a refund, so I had to put up with it. I found it through “Booking.com”, and they should be ashamed too. At 145 Stow Hill, this falls well below even an economy hotel. Is “Crackhouse” a standard? I took pictures to submit to Booking.com and maybe the City Council. I’ll NEVER stay there again.