The Harbour Lights

The alarm noises from the property the next morning were loud and kept going, making an already miserable stay worse. There was a strong smell of paint and resin as soon as we arrived, so breathing was difficult. The dusty floors and room seemed poorly cleaned, and the smell triggered my allergy and gave my wife a skin reaction. I couldn't stop sneezing. It looked like recent renovation or maintenance had been done without leaving the place in a fit state. The shower also didn't work properly and only gave boiling hot water. After checkout, staff called and said the cold water would work if I pumped the shower several times and waited. We'd tried all the ways we could think of. Am I supposed to learn plumbing just to take a basic shower? The attractive online photos gave us the wrong impression. I regret not booking an Airbnb, which would have cost less and probably been more comfortable. This was easily the worst stay I've ever had.

Our first visit was for a night on 20/12/2024, as we wanted to see friends. Check-in was friendly, and having breakfast across the road at Britannia hotel was fine. There's no hotel car park, but Cove car park is only a 2-3 minute walk away and costs £2.50 for 24 hours. The recently decorated 2* place was clean, tidy and fairly quiet. We had a comfortable bed and extra pillows, and the harbour view while eating breakfast was nice. The high street is about five minutes away, so the location worked well. We'd had no problems and said we'd recommend it and stay again. We came back for the night of 31/12/2025, but this time was completely different. The room was very cramped, with little space either side of the bed, and had no milk. There were only three small clothes shelves, and the wardrobe was so tiny I don't know why they bothered. There was also a shelf above the TV that I couldn't work out the point of. The room felt unfinished, almost like a student had moved out. It cost £50, but the bed and pillows were so uncomfortable that we put clothes under the pillows for a bit more comfort. The pillowcase was torn. The bathroom was new, though they hadn't replaced the dirty toilet brush. I know it's a 2* hotel, but I still expect some effort and comfort for the money. We said we wouldn't book here again. That's just my personal opinion.

We stayed overnight for the weekend. The place is under new management and has been refitted. Our room was upstairs at the top, clean, and I couldn't fault it.

The price was good and the location handy, and the recent refurbishment shows someone is making an effort. A few small things let it down, though: the brand new TV in the room got no signal, the bathroom door had no lock, and although free WiFi was mentioned, there was no password anywhere.