OYO Shanklin Beach Hotel

The staff were great, and the bar team were friendly with a good choice of drinks. I paid extra for a balcony and a view, and it was worth it. The view was lovely, and sitting outside at night was peaceful. When it was warm, leaving the doors open for a breeze was great. The hotel was clean, though a few spots could use dusting and some areas a bit of touching up. Food was okay, but breakfast could have had more choices. I thought the staff had to put up with some ridiculous complaints from people over little things.

The view from our window was wonderful, and the restaurant staff were friendly and worked hard. The beds were comfortable, the linen was good, and there were plenty of soft towels. The room itself was shabby, though, with cracked wallpaper and peeling paint. At first we found that, although the lift went to the first floor, there were still stairs to reach our room. The key cards failed, so we waited while reception changed the batteries in the door. The room was freezing because the only radiator was stone cold. A staff member tried the controls, then brought an ineffective heater; we ended up buying one in town. The TV remote was faulty too, and the water was only lukewarm. The food was mediocre, and Christmas lunch was worse: rock-hard sprouts, raw pigs in blankets, and hardly any gravy. A kind restaurant staff member got us more gravy from the kitchen. The entertainment lounge was so cold that guests wore coats, and it smelled damp and musty. Drinks on the same order were charged at different prices depending on who served us. Not the best way to spend Christmas.

The shower room felt cramped around the toilet, with hardly any room to move, and the sink was by the bed. The mattress on its metal frame was uncomfortable. The hotel could do with an update, especially the old, torn and dirty carpets. The food was just okay. I wouldn't have picked this place myself; the holiday company chose it. 😒

The room had a great position, a balcony and a fantastic view. The staff were great, and the food was average. The shower was the problem: it was too small and the fitting wouldn't stay in place. We reported that it needed replacing, but they only wedged it with paper, which didn't fix it, so we tied it up with electricians tape!!