Marian Lodge

The woman running the place was really pleasant, helpful, and chatty, a bit like an Irish Mrs Doubtfire. There’s parking, though I can imagine the lot filling up some days. The rooms are on the small side and the hallways are really tight, but that wasn’t a major problem. The place is reasonable enough, though it has several little annoyances. We had to unplug the TV just to get enough outlets for charging, and it seems like the furniture may have been custom-built to hide them. The bathroom smelled, the toilet flush only worked halfway, and the shower didn’t have both hot and cold water. The sink had separate hot and cold taps that didn’t reach over the basin, which I found annoying and impractical. The light has no switch, it turns on when you walk near or through the door and goes out after ten seconds. That meant showering or using the toilet in the dark unless you had another light, and the sudden bright light woke the person sleeping by the bathroom. Very strange. It’s a reasonable place, but picky people will find things to dislike.

The house is beautifully decorated with lovely antique furniture, and our room was immaculate. The hosts were wonderful, and breakfast was filling, a great start to the day. The location worked well for town and getting around. I can’t recommend it enough.

Celine’s home is beautiful and comfortable, and she’s a delight. She looks after what you need and can help with some bookings. We enjoyed our stay, and it was good value when paying in cash.

This was our second visit to the Marian Lodge this year, and we got the same lovely welcome, with tea and biscuits. Breakfast is substantial enough to keep you going for most of the day. I’d highly recommend it.