Grainger House Hotel

The building itself is lovely and historic, with plenty of character, and the staff were friendly. But the hotel felt grim and in serious need of investment: peeling paint, shabby furniture, badly worn carpet, and untidy surroundings. It also seemed to be operating as a homeless refuge. I mean no offence to people in need, but groups of staff friends were always gathered around reception and we felt intimidated. It was such a sad place that we couldn't bring ourselves to stay. We gave up the payment and booked elsewhere, but management refused any refund at all. I'd give this place a wide berth.

This place was absolutely shocking, like Faulty Towers. There was rubbish everywhere, no bar, holes in the walls, windows that wouldn't lock, and no heating. They said the heating had been broken for three weeks, but it had to have been longer. The best part was leaving.

The staff were all friendly, and the bus stops right outside, which made getting into the city centre easy, about 10 minutes by bus. The area itself felt a bit socio-economically deprived. My small single room was okay for the fairly cheap price, and the bathroom was nice, but the TV didn't work, nor did the one in the lounge. There wasn't even a room bin, oddly. The hotel has potential, but it needs a lot of TLC. It feels soulless and depressing. Even a few colourful posters in the rooms and around the building would help lift the gloom.

If I could give it zero stars, I would. The other local hotels were full, so I booked here. I came back to room 201 at 12:45am and found bed bugs all over the bed. The room had been freezing when we arrived, and I'd hoped the heating would come on later. I went straight to reception and asked to move because I wasn't sleeping in that room, let alone that bed. We were moved to a family room. A couple of the beds looked cleaner, but the others had dirt and stuff on them. The roof window was open and wouldn't shut, so it was so cold we had to sleep in our coats. In the morning I asked for the manager, but they weren't in and I was told to call the next working day. I left this hellhole in my pyjamas and went to the Premier Inn where my family was staying, just to shower, warm up, and stop feeling so dirty and rough. I'm just glad my children didn't come and have to stay here. Avoid it at all costs.