Tequila and Dunlin Rooms Southport Central

Good location and free parking, and the rooms are spacious, but the cleaning wasn't done properly. There was mould in the shower and bathroom, and the windows and mirror looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a long time. For a cheap night's stay, it is what it is.

We'd use this again. The host at Tequila, where we picked up the key before staying at Dunlin, was very friendly and accommodating. The room was clean and basic, with everything we needed for one night: a warm room, lovely white towels, plenty of hot water, toiletries if needed (we didn't), tea and coffee facilities, and lots of hanging space for coats. The main problem was the noise. Our floorboards creaked badly, so we couldn't move quietly, and the flooring above us was extremely creaky whenever the people there moved about. The place doesn't have much kerb appeal, and parking out front is limited to four cars, two behind two, which could be a problem.

For the price, the location is decent, the staff are friendly and the mattress is firm. But the room was very basic and smelled strongly of smoke and bleach. There were stains on everything, including the towels and bedding, and the neighbours were noisy. It gave me the impression that cleaning meant bleaching surfaces and spraying over smells instead of doing a proper clean.

The staff who worked at the house were nice, and the price is low compared with other places nearby, but in my view the risk of bed bugs isn't worth it. When I stayed in September, I was bitten several times overnight and found a live bedbug in the sheets when I woke up. That wasn't a guess. Given the number of bites, it was likely a fairly large infestation. I know bed bugs can affect any kind of lodging and can be dealt with if the problem is addressed. Rather than review it then, I emailed the escalations address they'd shared in replies to other negative reviews. I never got a response, so I assume the problem probably wasn't dealt with. I'm posting now because an infestation could mean people bring bedbugs home in their luggage, and some people can react badly to the bites. Other guests' comments about dirty rooms are true. It doesn't seem like much cleaning happens between guests, which makes me think it's highly unlikely they regularly inspect for or treat bedbugs.