Channel View Hotel

The bathroom looked decades out of date, the carpet smelled awful, and the chairs were so worn and dirty I worried about sitting on them. We were put in a tiny room beside a squeaky stair door, so people passing from the other ten rooms meant constant creaking and noise. Outside the filthy windows, with old drapes and no proper curtains, we could see other guests' windows, the roof, and bins. They charged £30 for my small dog for one night, which felt completely unreasonable. The hotel also took all my card details, including the three digit security code, supposedly in case something was damaged. That felt very insecure, and the room already looked as though it had been ruined twenty years ago. They refused to refund me. I wouldn't stay there for a second, and wouldn't recommend anyone book it. Miserable experience, worst hotel I've ever booked.

We were so uncomfortable with Room 4 that we decided not to stay. The windows were so dirty you could barely see through them, there were long grey hairs blocking the bath plug, and something had splattered the wall above the bedside table. The carpet had marks we thought were chewing gum, and the chair fabric was faded and filthy. One of the two single beds had no pillows, so we asked at the desk and got some. We had booked a double room for two nights in October and asked for a sea view when we arrived. If this was a better room, I can't imagine the others. My friend, a pensioner, had saved for this holiday to mark the scattering of her son's ashes. We'd stayed here ten years earlier when we scattered them. She's been visiting the Island every year for over 30 years and staying in different hotels and B&Bs, but this time she was distraught and disappointed. We asked for some money back and were refused. Another room was offered, but after seeing the one they gave us, we wondered why they'd put us in the dirty room if they had better ones. Seeing her cry is a memory I won't forget. Thanks, channel view, for nothing.

We'd driven down from London, and before we had even checked in, Tina was shouting at us from her car. The ‘manager’ was volatile and exceptionally rude. Things got worse inside when we asked for a refund, and she threatened to lock us in. She kept saying ‘so what so what’ in her native language, apparently thinking I wouldn't understand. We reported the place to booking.com, and the woman there was really helpful. Still can't believe what happened. Absolute lunacy.

Really clean, and the heating was good. The room had a private bathroom and towels. Lovely woman at reception. Perfect, best value on the isle.