The Old Registry Haworth

The mattress was comfortable, and the owners have a great location in a quaint town. With a little effort, they could make the place adorable, but there are so many missed opportunities. There was no breakfast, wine or “nibbles” as described, and nobody seemed to be on duty. The room information said to call the listed numbers for help, but nobody answered. We saw one person briefly at checkout, then she disappeared while we loaded the car, so we left the key on the chair where she’d been sitting. A closet door in the lobby was left open the whole time, showing clutter and what looked like hoarder stuff. The room was cramped and worn. The drapes touched the hot wall heater, and there was barely space to walk around the bed. The bathroom was roomy but in poor condition, with a tiny shower and only a freestanding sink. The wood around the tub was peeling. A set of towels had been left on the bed, and they were the thinnest, smallest towels I’ve seen. With no staff around, I don’t know how we could have got more. We arrived and rang the bell. A voice told us how to get inside, where our room key had been left in the entryway. I don’t know who the reviewers are who got five-star service and large, wonderful rooms. Real people? Just lucky? There was zero service here.

The location is hard to beat. The Bronte Parsonage is just up the street, and the walk to Top Withens starts there. The frequent Bronte bus is easy to catch and goes to the train station and other towns, including Hebden Bridge, which I recommend. I stayed four nights in early November and wished I lived in England so I could come back soon. Every room in the guest house is unique and comfortable, and the view onto the centuries-old street is lovely. Breakfast tasted great, and it was easy to get talking with the other guests. I had several conversations and look forward to returning.

The location was good, and it was an okay stay in the end. I might come back, but they could improve the place by investing in it a bit more. It didn't quite match what I'd hoped for in a romantic Brontë getaway. The arrival setup made me anxious. Nobody was around, so we had to use the intercom to find out how to get in. They said there should be a black business card for the dashboard so we could park at the neighbouring hotel, but there wasn't one. The website also said we'd have to pay to use that hotel's lot, even though the neighbouring hotel that owns it doesn't charge anyone. That felt cheeky. The entrance and the bar and dining area looked nice, though the stairs need new carpet. In three days I don't recall seeing a bartender, which seemed superfluous. The room was fine and Gothic enough, but shabby rather than luxurious. The mattress was very good, although the bed itself was quite small. At one point it seemed the hot water had run out. We didn't need it then, but if someone had needed to wash, there might have been nobody around to help. I didn't feel like calling the numbers on the wall in case I got a grumpy or tired person who had to explain how to fix something. That's poor service. The room felt a little grubby, and I wasn't comfortable using the blankets, pillows or cupboard. The toilet basket was very dusty, so I didn't want to put our toilet paper in it. That's an easy thing for the Registry to fix. The towels were too thin, and the stiff plughole kept popping out, wasting hot water when we tried to fill the bath. We both liked the bath, though. We heard some noise from neighbours upstairs and across the way, but it wasn't a real problem. There were also two rather large spiders of the same kind. One had been stepped on without anyone noticing, and we flung the other out the window. A bit creepy, and I'm good with spiders! They didn't serve porridge, which seemed an obvious choice and was a letdown. As vegans, we both felt a bit uncomfortable, as if accommodating us was annoying or we couldn't trust them to do it. We specifically ordered the vegan alternative Full-English breakfast, but the waiter brought out two large fried eggs on the plate. It felt like a farce, and we wondered if it was deliberate. They fixed it, but the awkwardness confirmed our initial worries. Breakfast was otherwise fine, I suppose, and they had green tea. It did seem like the Northerners at other tables got better treatment, which felt odd.

We loved it here and would stay again. The women were pleasant, and the rooms had character. There are plenty of places nearby for food and drink, including a decent chippy. The Fleece pub and diner is very good too.