The Studio

The owner promised to sort something out, then left us waiting for a reply that never came. They repeatedly dodged our calls and gave us no support. The owner of the bar downstairs was the one who helped, offering shelter from the rain and trying to reach the accommodation owner. We were stuck in the Swansea rain for more than an hour and a half after check-in time, waiting for the entry code. Once the owner finally replied and we got into the room, there was already a stranger in it. We'd paid for six beds in a shared room, but the room had been double booked and only one bed was reserved for us. One single bed for six angry friends. A waking nightmare. It was meant to be a reunion and a birthday celebration for our friend, but the terrible, rude service ruined the weekend. We went home bitterly disappointed. I couldn't recommend booking here less. If I could give minus stars, I would. Weekend from hell.

Getting the door open was a nightmare, and the owner changed the access code during our stay without telling us, so we got locked out. The rooms and facilities were clean enough, but the whole building smelled gross because there's no ventilation. The rooms were hot and the walls thin, so we could hear our neighbours all night. Good luck if you stay here. I can't recommend avoiding this place enough.

The location worked well, but I'm not sure I'd choose this place again. I only stayed one night, and it was a bit of an odd experience. I booked through hostelworld, though it didn't feel like a hostel, with no shared space apart from the public bar downstairs. Getting in took a while because I didn't know the handle had to be lifted and then pushed down after entering the code. I may have been meant to get a more detailed email, but all I received was a short message with the code. There was supposed to be Wi-Fi, yet I couldn't find a password, and there was no phone signal in the rooms. It was quiet until around 12:30, then the bar started blasting techno music until about 2am. The bed shook and the locks rattled loudly. I don't usually mind noise if it's mentioned beforehand, but this was a bit much.

Our birthday night out ended up being a mess, and I was left wanting a refund. There were six of us, and we'd booked all six beds in a six-bedroom room, but when we eventually got inside, there were bags everywhere and another man already in the room. Before that, we'd arrived with no email giving us a door code or instructions. I messaged and called without getting a reply, so we couldn't enter. We waited at Wetherspoons, thinking perhaps check-in at 4 was the reason, but nothing came through then either. By that point we were wondering if it was a scam. I finally got a code at 5:30, which was a relief, though I was still annoyed. We went to the neighbouring place that serves as reception and spoke to the owner. He said, “Let me sort this out and I’ll ring you back”. He never did. If I could rate this lower than one, I would. An absolute farce, all down to their incompetence.