The Gate Hotel

This felt like The Shining meets an I’m a Celebrity bush tucker trial. EasyJet put me here for a night after my flight was cancelled, and I’d never choose to return. The front desk woman was nice and did her best to help, but there’s no lift, which made things difficult with a big suitcase and isn’t very accessible. The room was horrific: it smelled of cigarettes, had stains on the carpet, a shockingly weak shower, no basic toiletries such as body wash or shampoo, and cockroaches everywhere. I wouldn’t let my cat sleep in there. EasyJet, do better!

The bathroom was disgustingly dirty, with someone’s pubic hair in the bath, and there were blood stains on the sheets when we arrived. The room service cleaning wasn’t good either. Sometimes after they’d been, you still wondered whether they’d actually come in. The hotel also looked like it hadn’t been redecorated in over 30 years. The Camp Commandant “Broom Helga” kept constant watch and called when we came back to the room late to check it was us. It was a dreadful, horrible stay, and I’d choose one of the many other hotels in Stevenage. It deserves zero stars, but that wasn’t an option. This place should be shut down.

I stayed for two weeks with my partner and our four-month-old baby. The website said to ask reception for a travel cot, but they didn’t have one for her. Staff were often nowhere to be seen when I came in or went out, and when there were staff, they weren’t very helpful. Our room was clean, but the sheets were ripped and stained, and the towels had holes. In two weeks, the room was cleaned just once, and they mostly only came in to change the bin. I ended up buying my own kettle because the one there was full of limescale. We were first told we couldn’t leave our buggy downstairs, even though we were on the second floor and there’s no lift. Once other people started leaving theirs there, we did too. The decor is very old, and breakfast is overpriced for what you get.

I felt more comfortable imagining a night on the street than staying here. It was cold, and neither the hotel entrance nor our room door had a lock. Thanks to easyJet for arranging this place after our cancellation.