Hollybush Guest House

The building had a musty smell as soon as I went in. My single room was quite noisy because it faced the main road. There were bits of food in the room sink, which hadn't been cleaned, and splatter on the wall. The skirting boards looked as if they hadn't been cleaned in years. The shared shower was dirty, so I didn't bother showering, and the bed was just about okay. The building as a whole was in worse shape than my student accommodation. Pay extra and stay at the Travelodge or Holiday Inn less than a mile away.

It was a decent price for a bed for the night, but don't expect much. The room seemed okay at first, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a kettle, mini fridge, microwave, crockery, and cutlery. There was only one set, though, despite our booking for two, and we were also given only one towel. The bath mat was soaking wet. The front desk wasn't always manned, but contact numbers were available, so we called about the missing items and wet mat. They tried to sort it out within an hour, but the second towel they brought was damp too. The owner said the recent rain made it hard to dry linen. I feel a business like this should have enough dryers, since rain is quite common in the UK. Check-in was very casual, though the staff were fairly friendly. It isn't too far from town, and having a car made it easy to get there.

The room was clean and fresh, and it had a fridge and microwave, though I didn't need them. I assume all rooms have them, but I'd just put them in selected rooms. Nice to see, though. A single room with a shared bathroom felt overpriced at £48 per person, and it was the cheapest I could find. At £40 per person and with a softer bed, I'd have given it five stars. The B&B is three miles out of town.

I booked three rooms at the guest house. My room's heating didn't work, and the cold made my partner sick. What should have been a relaxing night turned into a disaster. I called the service number three times to report the problem. They said it would be fixed, but it never was. One of the rooms, room 7, was a kitchen with a bed placed in it for guests. I'll upload a picture of that room. The worst night and most unpleasant experience I've ever had among the guest houses I've stayed in.