Hellisholar Guesthouse

A friendly receptionist gave us useful local tips, and there's a grocery store about ten minutes away. We used this as a camping cabin base for exploring the South Coast. It's a warm, dry, comfortable place to return to after being outdoors, though you shouldn't expect luxury. In the studio cottage, remember to bring cutlery, since the room only has a kettle and mugs. There's also a good restaurant and tour company nearby called Midgard.

The location and grounds are excellent, but the cottages seem to have had no maintenance or repairs since they were built. The beds were okay, but the showerhead didn't work, and there was no shower gel or shampoo. For a price above 280€, that was frustrating. The reception staff were unfriendly too. We offered to leave a full gas can for other guests, and were told nobody needed it.

The cottage felt old, dirty, and unsafe, and I regret booking it. It hadn't been properly cleaned, the bedsheets were dirty, and we were given just one towel. The door lock was faulty, so the cottage couldn't be locked. The kettle was defective too: it didn't switch off when the water boiled, so it had to be unplugged. That seemed like a fire hazard.

For 300€ a night, I expected a lot more. The place felt neglected from top to bottom: dust and dirt had built up on the heaters, floors, and windows, and the blinds were filthy, scratched, or missing. There wasn't even a blind on the main door, so light flooded in all night. The switches were barely attached and had exposed wires. The toilet seat wobbled, and the showerhead kept falling off. The staff were cold and unwelcoming. Paying luxury prices for this level of upkeep felt like a bad joke.