Contractors Guest House

A handy little hotel at a very good rate for the single room I had. It was small and quite minimalist, but had the things I needed, including a clean bathroom with a little shower cubicle and toiletries laid out. They'd fitted a fridge, microwave and sink into the room, along with a kettle and complimentary tea and coffee. I'd recommend it if you're on the go and just need a night's sleep, without expecting the Burj Al Arab.

The staff at reception were very friendly, and the cleaning team did such a nice job in my room. They washed my dishes every time without me asking and kept everything very clean. My single room was a good deal, with a comfortable bed, fridge, microwave, dish sink and TV. The bathroom was nice, and both it and the room were very, very clean. I really enjoyed staying here and would recommend it to workers or anyone looking for good value.

This was the worst experience of my life, even compared with hotels I've stayed in in third world countries. I was directed by hotel staff to a house down the road from the Buckingham Hotel, where the contractors' guest house was. The car park was full of fly tipping, and the entrance hallway had no lights. The whole house, including the room, smelled of stale cigarettes. The furniture was old and broken. There was a desk but no chair, and coffee making facilities but no mugs. The kettle cable was too short to reach a plug, so I had to boil it on the floor. The curtains were ripped, and the bed bases were tatty with old black mould. There was nowhere to hang clothes. The toilet didn't flush properly, the cistern took ages to refill, and the noise kept going for ages. The room heating didn't work, so it was cold. Bathroom lights were motion sensing and switched off while I was in the shower because the screen stopped the sensor detecting me. I called reception to ask about the kitchen. The chap said he'd call back, but never did. I was too tired to drive back to the hotel and complain in person. I'm reporting this to the Council’s environmental health team.

It is what it is, somewhere to sleep, shower and watch TV. The place is cleaned daily and fresh towels are put out. The rates are good for working men or women. Parking can be the downside.