The Marine

I came to the Isle of Wight to backpack 71 miles, and the pub is right in front of you when you get off the ferry. Traffic seems to quiet down around 10pm, so it’s peaceful. I’m a Veteran, and this Veterans pub come Hotel feels lively but very chilled. I counted about 30 people earlier, including mums and dads with kids and dogs, and the food was great. Landlord Dale and all the staff are lovely. Huge thanks to Dale and the team as I plan to hike around the Isle of Wight.

We stopped for a drink with our dog on a cold, windy day just before Christmas. It was quiet, though there were a few other customers. We sat in the raised area at the end and had plenty of people-watching to do. We’d definitely come back when we’re next in the area.

The kitchen turned out to be a lifesaver. We got back from wandering around at 10PM without finding anywhere acceptable to eat, bought food at the supermarket and used the big shared kitchen. It was very well equipped, had some consumables supplied, and each room had a locker with plates and glasses. There’s also a dining room. At check-in a staff member showed us around, though I’d only listened to be polite and hadn’t planned on using it. The hotel was clean and tidy, which gave us confidence staying somewhere new. This is good value for money, and the basic or small things are still functional and fit for purpose. We had a single and a double room, and the difference in price matched what each offered. Both were habitable and comfortable. I was in the smaller one and was fine there for a day. I slept okay too, as there wasn’t much noise from outside overnight. Checkout was easy, just leave the key in a lockbox. There’s no dedicated hotel reception. When Google Maps gets you there, go to the bar and ask about the rooms. They found our booking quickly and check-in was no problem. The hotel is across from transport links, including the hovercraft service. That’s handy for going places, but not so good when you’re in the room. The hovercrafts don’t run at night, so they weren’t a problem while sleeping. In the warm weather, though, it was hard to keep the window open because of road and hovercraft noise. I’d bring earplugs. The location gets five stars from me despite the noise, because the beach is right there and there are plenty of places to eat and drink. I’m torn between four and five stars overall. I’ve taken one off for the road noise and having to carry luggage up small staircases, but it’s excellent value and we liked how clean and tidy everything was. One more thing, it was a very hot weekend and I stupidly left my favourite jacket in the room at checkout. I didn’t realise until I got home that night. The hotel replied quickly to say they’d found it and posted it back to me, which was a huge relief.

Now called THE VETERAN, it’s run by ex service personnel and we felt welcome from the moment we arrived. Terry and his mate, whose name I can’t remember, are real characters and could be ambassadors for the UK. We’re already planning another trip very soon. 100% top drawer.