Carlton Hotel

We had a lovely stay, and breakfast was very good with plenty of choice. Salma and her staff looked after us well, and Trevor gave us useful information when we checked in. The hotel is in a good location. Room 6 has a fantastic sea view and a nice balcony, though there weren’t enough drawers for clothes, just hanging space. That was the only downside for us. Shanklin is probably the best place to stay if you don’t want it busy. Parking was a bit tight but manageable. I’d recommend the hotel to friends or family thinking about the Isle of Wight. Don’t forget, the hotel can book your ferry at a greatly reduced rate.

Our family had a great time in isle of wight. We stayed at Carlton and loved the stunning views from our room balcony. There are good places to eat nearby in town, and breakfast next door was good too. The staff were amazing and always ready to help whenever we asked. We had a lovely time at Shanklin.

There’s plenty of room for improvement here, including in areas that have just been renovated. We were told our check-in time was 3 pm and arrived around 1515, but the door was locked. I rang several times with no answer, then went around to the deck and entered through an open door. When I called out, I was told to speak to “the boss.” It wasn’t clear why only one person could help, or why no one had told us to check in next door at Villa Mentone. Our *deluxe* double was tiny and hot. The bathroom seemed bigger than the bedroom. We were very kindly upgraded to a family room, which was essentially the same room, just larger. There’s no air con, so we opened the windows. The room overlooked the car park, and between the sun coming in, birds getting up with the sun, and guests at Villa Mentone, we didn’t sleep much. There were no blackout curtains, and the bed felt fragile: when one of us turned over, it woke the other. The pillows were lumpy too. The shower was tiny despite the large bathroom, with almost no water pressure. If you have any hair, good luck rinsing the soap out. Breakfast was ok. I feel a bit bad leaving a negative review after the room upgrade, but future travelers should know about these problems and decide for themselves. If I’d known this beforehand, I highly doubt I would have stayed.

My stay here was disappointing. There was very poor water pressure in the bathroom, and ongoing building work brought constant noise and dust. There’s no proper reception on site. I had to go next door to another hotel for help, and often waited 10-15 minutes to speak to someone. That setup felt more like a B&B than the proper hotel I expected and paid for. When I raised the problems with the manager, SALMA, she was unhelpful and rude. She made me uncomfortable by warning me not to share my honest feedback, which I found highly unprofessional and unacceptable. If you’re assigned Room 5, be aware that its bathroom window is fully see-through at night unless you cover it yourself. That seriously affects privacy. I strongly recommend documenting any issues with photos or videos when you arrive, as complaints may later be denied by management. I can’t recommend the place and won’t be returning.