Blencathra Guesthouse

The room was in an unacceptable state when I arrived around 9 PM, despite check-in being from 3 PM and my having collected the key. I had booked Blencathra Guest House for two nights, 29th to 31st July. The bed had clearly been used, and the sheets, blankets and towels were dirty, unwashed and thrown on it. The room hadn't been cleaned at all. I uploaded photos and video as evidence. I told the staff member Acquila, but she was rude and said, “That’s the room. If you don’t like it, find another one.” There was no apology or help, even though I'd paid in full and had a confirmed booking. Another guest told me the same thing had happened to them the night before, and staff had told them to buy their own bedsheet and sleep. When I called again, I was told, “Cancel if you want.” This was around midnight, and the guest house offered no support or alternative. I asked again for a solution and even offered to take another room if one was available. Instead, after midnight, they cancelled my booking without my permission, told me to find a room myself and hung up on me. I had to look for another hotel late at night and pay again out of my own pocket. I ended up paying double just to find somewhere clean and safe to sleep, which I believe was the guest house's or Booking.com's responsibility. This was shockingly bad. They took my money but didn't provide basic standards. The place was unclean and irresponsible, and the customer service was the worst I've experienced. Don't book or stay here. Stay away from Blencathra Guest House.

On our July 29-31 booking at Blencathra Guest House, we got there around 9 PM, but the room still wasn't ready even though check-in started at 3. When we called, they suggested cancelling instead of offering a way to sort it out.

The company did give us our money back, including the £3 they had tried to take from the deposit, but we still had to scramble for another place to stay. We had booked three nights in Whitby, and only ten minutes before check-in they messaged to say the room hadn't been cleaned and told us to come back the next day. Neither number listed on booking.com worked, so we cancelled through the site. From the outside the place looked like a hole, and recent reviews made it seem we'd avoided a bad stay. Book at your own peril.

We had a lovely weekend in Whitby, and the basic room was clean and tidy, with a beautiful Abbey view and a short walk to the harbour and town centre. I wouldn't book this place again, though. We spoke with two other guests who'd run into the same problems, and we were told the hotel had changed management in the previous two weeks and was having teething issues. Getting the key was stressful after our 4.5-hour drive. There was no staff on site, the booking phone number wasn't recognised, and I had to use online chat while waiting outside. The email instructions also conflicted with what booking.com said. A cleaner and handyman were very helpful when we arrived, which made a big difference. Parking was on the street, closely monitored by wardens, and required a permit from the hotel. The directions for getting it weren't clear. Our bathroom was for our use alone, but it opened onto a shared hallway, so going there at night meant getting dressed. Toilet roll wasn't replenished, and we had to make an emergency dash to a shop. The bin wasn't emptied, and the cups and tea and coffee supplies weren't refreshed. It was frustrating, but the room did what we needed, and Whitby itself is beautiful. I'd happily return to Whitby.