The Bell Hotel

My husband arrived at 11pm and found the hotel closed. A notice on the door said check-in ended at 9pm, but there was nothing about that on the website or in the guest policies. I kept screenshots in case anyone tried to change that. He was stranded in the middle of nowhere. We called and tried WhatsApp, but got no answer. Luckily, a Premier Inn receptionist went out of her way to help me find somewhere, since the one we contacted was fully booked. After several calls with OYO and emails, OYO decided not to reimburse us for its own mistake because the owner refused to pay us back. When we first spoke to him the day after my husband was meant to stay, he said he didn’t have our booking. Now he won’t refund us. Stay away from OYO Hotels!

I had to pay for last minute accommodation elsewhere and have disputed the OYO charge with my credit card company. If you search for this place or use its website, you may end up booking through OYO. Apparently the hotel isn’t using that company, so the booking might not reach them. Even if you book directly, it apparently closes for check-in at 5pm. Avoid the hassle and choose somewhere else.

Bell Hotel has separate rooms available for private hire, and there’s plenty of space between tables compared with other places. The helpful staff gave great service, with lots of nice little touches. I had birthday Prosecco served in a teapot cooler, a fun idea that I really appreciated. The hotel now has a lovely 1940s style tea room as well as rooms upstairs. It’s central Hoddesdon, near the clock tower, and worth visiting for themed afternoon tea or lunch. It’s already proving popular.

We travelled from Kent and, when we got there, they had no record of us or our booking. No real apology either. Nobody seemed to know what was going on or care. What a joke of a so called hotel. I’d called several times before finally getting through to book. They don’t take deposits, so I called again to check and was told we were booked. Still unsure, I asked my nephew’s wife, who lives in Hoddesdon, to pop in and confirm. She said yes, we were definitely booked.