The Caledonian Island Hotel

The dinner ordering system worked really well: you chose your meal at breakfast. The building is very old but has been upgraded nicely, and the staff were friendly. I enjoyed the entertainment, including the option of bingo, and appreciated getting four drinks each per day.

Keep an eye out for the red squirrels in the lovely gardens. It's about a 15-minute walk into Sandown, or a £4.50 taxi ride. Our room was spacious and clean, with modern furniture. The ensuite shower was a bit tight to move around in, but adequate. Food was spot on with plenty of choice, and the staff were polite and helpful. The lifts are a bit hilarious: the one to the first floor fits two people and maybe two cases at a push, while the second-floor lift takes one person and one case if you're lucky. Entertainment could do with an update to something more modern.

The whole weekend break was brilliant, and the hotel was clean and lovely. Reception staff were accommodating. Food and drinks had limited choices, though hot drinks were available with meals and from the kettle in the bedroom, which mattered in the weather. One staff member's behaviour, from the dining room to the bar, as shown in one of the pictures, was a problem. She imposed where I should sit and how many shots I could have. I found it gross and racially insensitive, and felt she lacked common sense. I'm not 16. I asked her to put down three shots, but she refused and talked about the laws in a way that made no sense to me. That affected my rating. Thank you ❤️

The food was better than at any of the other Caledonian hotels I've visited, with good meals and the choices people want. The bangers and mash were especially good. Staff were polite, attentive and helpful. We arrived within a week of the hotel reopening after Caledonian Travel bought it, and I hope they keep up this level of service. Our room, 121, was clean and comfortable. The bathroom looked recently refurbished and the shower had a strong flow, no dribble. Bedside sockets and cabinets would have been useful for charging phones. Evening entertainment was fine, with cash bingo and singers, though it still leaned heavily on the 1950s. There was some 60s and 70s music, but only a brief dip into the 80s. The snooker table and dartboard mentioned in older reviews seem to have gone, and the outdoor pool is long gone too. The location is hilly, so anyone with limited mobility may be better off hiring a scooter from a local firm.