Emerald Residence

The room was a decent size with a decent bed, and it was fine for the price since places nearby cost more. It's old, with some wear and buildup, but it wasn't dirty, and there was no sign of bed bugs.

The bathroom was cracked, dirty and leaking, and mouldy sellotape was holding up the shower head. The door wouldn't shut or lock, the toilet seat was stained, and there was no shelf for toiletries. I wouldn't have wanted to put my bag on the floor. The carpet was worn, stained and badly vacuumed. It was too dirty for bare feet. After our first night, we asked for room service. They only replaced the mugs. The floor dirt, dead insects on the windowsill and wet, dirty bath mat were left as they were, and then we found more long hair on the floor, though we both have short hair. The bed wasn't made, used things weren't replaced, and nothing was vacuumed. When we went to get our car at checkout, we saw the white towels hanging on a line behind the building. The laundry didn't look professionally done, which didn't surprise me given the state and quality of the linen. I put up with it because I'd expected it to be a bit rough at £50 a night, but this was the dirtiest hotel I've ever stayed in. The building might once have been nice, but the recent renovation was badly done. Paintwork was sloppy, filling and caulking were poor, and the mismatched furniture was dirty. It looked like a DIY job. If I'd paid a tradesperson for it, I'd take them to small claims court. Check-in was a faff. We were expected to call a mobile number on arrival to get the door code, although that information could have been emailed in advance. We arrived in pouring rain beside a busy road, so we couldn't hear what was being said. They gave us only one key card. For £50 a night, I thought it might be too cheap to be nice, and I was right. The fire assembly point marked 'away from building' doesn't meet fire regulations, I doubt the place has ever had a safety inspection. Do yourself a favour and go somewhere else.

The second room, room 8, was dirty too. The carpet looked unclean, there was mould in the shower, the shower head was broken, and there were 2min noodles in the sink drain. Both the beds and pillows were hard and uncomfortable. We had booked two rooms for one night and only expected somewhere clean and fresh, not five-star accommodation. Room 4 smelled damp as soon as we entered. After dinner, the smell was stronger, and we found the carpet between the bed and bathroom soaking wet when we took our shoes off. We called to complain, and someone came by, but all they did was cover the wet patch with towels and say nothing could be done because the place was fully booked. We had to stay there, which was especially unpleasant with our asthma. They offered neither another option nor a discount. The staff weren't helpful, and I wouldn't recommend staying here. Very disappointing.

Room 7 was comfortable and lovely, and the fan was especially welcome in the hot weather. Check-in was still available after 7 pm, with someone there to guide us. The only uncomfortable part was the bathroom carpet instead of tiles, especially stepping out of the shower. It's a nice place for a short break. Everything else exceeded my expectations, and I'd visit again.