Rainford Gardens by UStay Aparthotels

There were six of us ladies staying on Saturday night. The apartment was large, spread over two floors, with a good communal area, and it served its purpose for a group. It wasn't luxurious, showed some wear, and though relatively clean, had stray hairs and a bathroom door with large holes stuffed with paper, as if someone had tried to kick it in. WiFi was terrible. The top floor location is mentioned, but it's no good for anyone with mobility issues. The bathroom is upstairs, and the stairs are very hard to climb and felt like a death trap. I don't drink, but they'd be dangerous if you had a few. I couldn't find a fire escape or fire instructions either. The main clubbing street is noisy, as you'd expect. Security was poor. The front door lock was broken, so anyone could enter the building, and there were a few homeless people in the area. We walked into a rubbish smell and at least ten full bin bags piled up by the entrance. More bags and a broken TV were on the third floor, and the narrow stairway made the rubbish a hazard. The apartment came with just one set of keys, which was difficult for our group when people wanted to come and go at different times. With the smell and the rubbish, I thought it was overpriced. We made all the beds, washed the dishes and bagged up the rubbish before leaving. I don't drink, and there hadn't been any wild party. So I was shocked to get an email from U Stay Apartments saying they'd keep 25gbp of my deposit because three double-bed duvets supposedly had vomit on them and two double sheets were soiled. They included a photo of bedding in a bin bag, and had already taken the money from my bank. I told them that couldn't be right and asked for pictures of the bedding as it was supposedly found on the bed. They then said it was a mistake and housekeeping had found it outside the apartment room. I honestly don't know how that happened, but it smelled like a scam to me. Taking a small amount from lots of guests could add up. I did get my money back in the end. Anyone staying here, take care.

The room was clean and the sheets were fresh. A few basics would have helped, like coat hangers, a dishcloth and a tea towel. It was handy for The Cavern, with plenty of pubs nearby, and a good price if you want to keep accommodation costs down. You get what you pay for, I suppose. I'd go back now that I know what to bring x