2 Bedroom Flat City Center - The Boat House -

We arrived before the arranged time, but the helpful staff quickly checked with the cleaning team and had no trouble getting the apartment ready. Being on the top floor was fine thanks to the lift. Inside, it was spotless, with two large bedrooms and very comfortable beds. I was impressed by the facilities: two bathrooms, one with a shower and one with a bath, plus a full-size cooker with hob and oven, fridge freezer and microwave. The sofa also pulled out into an extra bed.

We found the staff polite and helpful, and the apartments are handy for the city centre and supermarkets. Still, I wouldn't recommend a long stay at The Boat House. The fourth-floor balcony felt unsafe because of the holed metal floor, and outside there was constant beeping and the shops lowered their shutters around midnight. There was banging in the corridor day and night, squeaky doors that could wake people, and a weed smell by the fourth-floor lift. The bathroom and kitchen floors were filthy, the carpet had burnt bits, and the bed throw smelled used and unwashed, though the bedroom itself was tidy and clean. The sofa bed was broken and nearly gave way; it was also hard to pull up, especially for someone disabled. The cooker and fridge freezer were clean, and there were utensils, cutlery, plates and bowls, but not enough mugs and no teaspoons. A canvas over the bed fell off the wall and broke, and could have hit someone. The broken toilet brush handle had just been left on top, so it came apart when I lifted it. The shower rack pulled away from the wall when we put towels on it. Room 404, fourth floor.

The floors and bathroom were very clean, but the stained mattress and dirty sheet were unacceptable. The extractor fan was extremely greasy, as were the tiles behind the hob. The shower had no wall mount, and while holding it, water squirted from the tube in every direction except where it should. Radiators were hanging off the walls, and the floor edge between the living area and kitchen was very sharp. When I raised the bed issue with two staff members, neither apologized and they seemed not to care. People came and went all night, and the hallways smelled of cannabis. I wouldn't spend my money here unless I were a youngster, a drug user or a very dirty person. I booked for the weekend starting Friday 20th March.

The staff were very friendly and brought more bedsheets when we needed them. But the whole place smelled bad, and one room reeked of weed; we even found a half-smoked joint there. The cleaning was so basic that parts of the floor were still dirty. After reading other reviews, I checked for bed bugs and thankfully found none. Some wall fixtures were hanging loose and looked ready to fall. You can see why it's cheap.