Chatterley House

We left after one night instead of the two we had planned, but were told there could be no refund. The cottage was hard to reach the staff at, and they weren't welcoming. It smelled awful, and our room was so cramped I could barely open my luggage. It was cold too: they said the heating only came on after 5:30 pm and gave us a tiny electric heater in the meantime. Breakfast felt rather unhealthy. The setting was in the middle of a field, facing an ugly industrial view.

We gave up after one night and booked a Travelodge, which was much cleaner, warmer and a better experience. In our room at Chatterley House, the walls were so thin we heard conversations, snoring and switches being flicked in other rooms. There were dripping marks all over the walls, a stained bedsheet, and mould in the bathroom. The bathroom lights were sensor operated, so take care in the shower in case you trip when they go dark. The room and building were cold, the radiator didn't work, and the portable heater they provided was thick with dust and stank. It seems the hosts already know about the heating issue. I stayed here last week with my boyfriend; he had already posted a review, and the hosts seemed more defensive about reviews than interested in customer feedback, so I'm explaining our experience too.

It was very cold in the room, since the heating was only on at night; the little radiator left for daytime wasn't enough. We could hear all sorts of noise through the thin walls, and the bathroom sensor lights sometimes left us in the dark. When we needed to leave early, the staff were unkind and wouldn't discuss it with us. They were also unfriendly, unwelcoming, unhelpful and hard to reach. The entrance went through a gym, which felt odd and wasn't really comfortable for exercising. There was a toxic smell, and the view was industrial. The rooms were so small we couldn't unpack or get into the bathroom without moving our luggage, and there was barely room to bend without hitting something. Toiletries came in small amounts for one person, although there were two of us. Breakfast was DIY, with no fresh food except eggs and milk, and I struggled to find anything with my food restrictions. There was no cooking appliance, and the kitchen was dirty in the morning. Disappointing.

We spent four nights here with our family, including our two year old, and felt at home from the start. The family running it were so welcoming and went out of their way to meet our needs. The rooms are cosy and well looked after, with fantastic showers and beds. There’s a great gym, a lovely country setting and a free continental breakfast. Great value for the price, and I’d recommend it.