The Victoria Guest House

The room next door was cleaner and had plenty of hangers, though we only found that out as we were leaving. Neither room had towels. In my room there was no wardrobe, and the clothes rail had no hangers. The wallpaper was peeling at the joins, the walls had dirty marks like shoe prints, and someone had left a message on the large mirror, probably a previous guest. Noise from outside carried in. It wasn’t caused by the guest house, but the residential area was louder than expected, and the road gets used as a cut-through despite not being a main road.

The place felt more like a hostel or halfway house than a hotel. There’s a shared kitchen, but no tea or coffee, milk, or food. The rooms are very bare, basically just a bed and toilet. I was given a clean towel at arrival, but when I opened it there was a yellow stain; the gentleman changed it quickly, though the replacement was just as bad. Staff were friendly, and if all you need is a bed and a toilet, you might be fine here. For me, paying four-star prices means I expect a four-star room and service. There isn’t a reception desk either, I was greeted by a gentleman waiting in the car park on an old-fashioned chair.

I was uneasy about leaving my car on the street without CCTV. The guest house location worked well for me, though, since Eleven was only a 15-minute walk away. The family room was clean but very basic, with a double bed and bunk beds. That layout made it awkward to get to the bathroom.

Breakfast was fresh and well cooked, and the WiFi was better than at most chain hotels. The bedroom had character and was clean, with a really comfortable bed and an en suite. The owners were caring and couldn’t have been friendlier. It had everything I want from a British B&B, and I’m looking forward to coming back.