The Bell Motel

The carvery was excellent value. I arrived for lunch with nine members of my extended family and no reservation. The restaurant was full, but they made space for us in the bar by joining tables together. The staff were friendly too.

We stayed here a year ago, and it was the worst place we've ever stayed. The first room was appalling; we asked to move, but the second was just as bad. The curtains were shredded, the floor uneven and spongy, and the bathroom door wouldn't shut because the floor was rotting. The bathroom was dirty and mouldy, and there were no mattress covers or headboard. The restaurant menu consisted of greasy fish and chips. The website described the rooms as “modern and recently refurbished,” which was clearly untrue. We asked about staying elsewhere, but it was dark and late, and we'd already travelled 150 miles. When we spoke to the manager the next morning, he said there'd be no refund since we'd stayed the night.

The pub itself seemed decent enough. The JDs and G&Ts were good, and they had their own chippy, which was busy, though I didn't try it. As for the B&B, this is a reluctant 2☆ to 3☆. We had an end motel room near the back of the complex. It was clean apart from months' worth of dust in the curtain pleats, but smelled damp as soon as we walked in. The toilet tank took a while to refill, and the pillows were a bit flat. I wasn't expecting much, so it wasn't too bad. Breakfast was mediocre. We'd been told the time, but stood outside waiting while staff arrived for their shift and got breakfast ready. Once they'd finished setting up, no one explained what was available or that it was self-serve, so we just helped ourselves. Then a staff member asked if we wanted an English breakfast, and when a lot of other people came in, she called out to everyone, asking them to raise their hands if they wanted one. That isn't how guests at a B&B should be treated.

For the price, this chalet-style motel is excellent value and does what I needed. The rooms are clean, with excellent bathroom facilities. The bed wasn't very comfortable. I can't comment on the wireless because I wasn't given the code, and I wasn't too bothered anyway.