Host Stay Beech Street

The reception staff member was warm, patient, polite and professional. She gave clear instructions, pointed out the fire assembly points, and suggested taking a photo of the WiFi codes. The room was warm, the sheets were clean and the bathroom spotless. The rest was a letdown. The sofa and footstool were filthy and stained, and had collapsed in the middle. They looked like they should have been thrown out ages ago. We couldn’t bring ourselves to sit on them. The curtains had mould and didn’t close properly, so sunlight got through. Breakfast was poor. The juice was cheap Sunpride, the turkey and ham were anaemic-looking and reformed, and there was a small bowl of cubed feta, red Leicester sliced from a block, an unidentifiable yellow cheese, sweaty salami and tinned fruit. The pastries were limp and greasy. Toast came from the cheapest yellow-label ASDA bread, with horrible sunflower spread. Jams and chocolate spreads sat in big open jars on a shelf, with a spoon stuck inside. Some coffee machine options weren’t available, including cappuccino and hot chocolate. They seemed to cut every corner they could. We’d stayed at The Beech Mount Hotel years ago, when it was a lovely little oasis on a rough street in Kensington. Now it feels as tired and dirty as its surroundings, and needs regeneration. The street outside is filthy, with people walking up and down apparently going to score. I wouldn’t park a car there without a wheel lock. You also have to show photographic ID at reception. If we’d read the email about that shortly after booking, we’d have cancelled right away. I wouldn’t come back or recommend it.

The breakfast was the highlight, a perfect start to the day. We were really impressed when we arrived at the Beech Mount Hotel for our trip to Liverpool. The staff were nice, the location was great, and the room felt luxurious. There were plenty of mirrors around the hotel to check yourself out. Would recommend!

It’s an old, quirky building, and the fixtures and fittings are old too, but everything was clean. Friendly staff, reasonable rates and a good car park made it ideal for our work trip delivering doors, especially with our large van. There are restaurants nearby, and I’d recommend Golden Empire Chinese.

The room could have been better, and the doors were a bit squeaky. I booked for a city conference, and the location worked well, about a 35-40 minute walk away. The service was great, the staff were lovely and very accommodating, and the food was great too.