The New Birchfield Hotel

Parking took some effort. We couldn't find anywhere nearby at first, but after 20 minutes we found a suitable spot that wasn't too expensive. Inside, the hotel smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, which was unpleasant. Checking in was quick, though room 402 on the third floor was a little confusing to find. The room was big enough, but the bed hadn't been made, the sheets didn't look clean and there were no towels. We ran into the man who checked us in near our room on the way back to reception and showed him what we'd found. He seemed surprised, apologised and said he'd sort it out. Hours later, there were two towels and the sheets had been put over the bed, but they looked unironed all over, so I don't believe they were clean. Maybe that was a new look? By then it was past 11pm, and there was no staff to be found, so we couldn't complain. We won't return.

We won't be coming back. The first night we were too tired from the drive to think much about the hotel, but voices outside our door at ridiculous hours kept us awake. The next day we overheard another couple arguing because they'd just arrived and been given a room with a soaking wet bed. We checked our own room after that, and the online reviews were all horrendous. There were old bloodstains on our sheet. The shower door sat on one rail and came off when used, the curtain had come down (we fixed it), and the bin lid was missing, which wasn't ideal for a woman. One bed had a very firm, springy mattress, and each person had only one flat pillow with no head support. We couldn't get our issues resolved because the only staff we saw didn't understand English, so there was a language barrier.

Our fourth-floor window wouldn't shut, which was extremely dangerous and made the room very cold at night. The door also wouldn't lock at night, as the deadlock seemed broken from inside. The lift had exposed wires that my two-year-old nearly touched, and my child also found a screw and raw plug from the mirror on the floor. After sitting on the floor, my two kids and I were covered in bits. The rooms were dirty, with broken lamps. My friend, who was in another room with a nine-year-old, also found broken items and an aunt toy under the dresser after dropping the remote. It showed the rooms hadn't been cleaned. The shower and bath were both dirty and broken. It's a shame, since the hotel is in a good location, but it really needs work.

The location is great, less than a five-minute walk from the beach. We were early and asked about checking in ahead of time. They said no, which was fair enough. The mattresses were comfortable, but the pillows were very flat, and I couldn't find anyone to ask for extras. The room itself was basic and run down, with long black hairs on the carpet and in the single bed. Only one window opened because the other was broken, and the toilet and shower needed cleaning, with mould above the shower. The next morning there was no water from the taps, which wasn't ideal with a child. We went out at 8am and got back around 3pm to find the water was back but the electricity was off. Staff couldn't say when it would be fixed. After going out again at 4pm, we returned around 6 or 6:30pm and still had no power. I couldn't find staff, so I called ZN, who run the hotel. The woman I spoke to was kind and understanding, and the electricity came back within two minutes of my call. She doesn't work at the hotel and had to contact them for me. That makes me think they may have turned off the power to save money, as I've seen other reviews complain about this too. I should have read the reviews before booking, so that's my own fault really. I wouldn't recommend staying here with children, and I wouldn't stay again.