Holland Arms Hotel

The noise beside room 5 was a constant loud hum, and I only noticed it once I was in bed. I barely slept, which defeated my plan to avoid the 4.5-hour drive from Lincolnshire before catching the morning ferry to Dublin. I was glad I’d brought my own pillow, too, since the ones on the bed felt like bricks. The towels were poor quality and didn’t match, and the bath and shower rooms were filthy. They weren’t right next to my room, so I put off washing until later. The room itself didn’t have an en-suite, which wasn’t clear on Booking.com. There was a hand basin in the corner, but the hot tap took nine minutes to turn warm and another minute to get hot enough to wash and shave. The barman also handled reception and gave me pretty unprofessional instructions about the keys and the morning. No one even asked if I wanted breakfast. I booked for convenience and because it was rated four stars, which was a big mistake. I’ve stayed in more comfortable, reasonably priced two and three star hotels during years of work travel and holidays in the UK and Europe. I honestly don’t see how this place could be rated four stars. If the owner awarded that rating themselves, they’ve got it wrong. They should stay in other hotels to see what four star hospitality looks like, then demolish this place and rebuild it to match.

We arrived after a 4.5-hour drive to find that the owners said our paid Booking.com booking for the caravan in the car park had been cancelled. We’d paid in full in February and neither the owner nor Booking.com had told us before we got there. The owner told us to cancel it ourselves on the spot, then we had to pay again for hotel rooms. We still haven’t had a refund or any help from either Booking.com or the hotel. The hotel itself was filthy, with showers that had barely a trickle of hot water. Our room had flashing Christmas lights hanging across the window in mid-May, and the heating was on despite the summer temperatures outside. Strong cannabis smell came from the many locked rooms, as well as the ceilings and walls. It was everywhere upstairs and even noticeable out in the car park. We were told the hotel was busy, but didn’t see another guest in our three days there. They only serve food on weekends, and the carvery wasn’t very good, with odd chunks of meat floating in vats of water. The bar shuts early, so there’s no drink late at night. It’s a very odd setup and felt like a con. The worst accommodation I’ve ever stayed in, and it deserves zero stars.

Stopped in for a meal and it was epic. Everything was homemade. I can’t recommend the food enough!

After travelling 4.5 hours, we found the room had a musty smell. The bedding and towels looked old and worn, and the sheets were stained and smelled as though they hadn’t been washed in a while. We didn’t stay long enough to see the bathroom or try the food. Avoid at all costs!