Masonic Hotel

The location was reasonable, with takeaways and a supermarket easy to reach. The shower was excellent after a long day out, with great pressure and temperature. Staff were friendly and tried to help, but our stay still had several problems. We were first given a double room instead of the twin we’d booked, though they moved us quickly. It was very hot on the first night, and the air conditioning didn’t cool the room even on its lowest setting. They offered a room move or a fan, which was helpful, but disappointing that the issue hadn’t been checked beforehand. We also had face cloths but no towels. The supposed car park was more like a junkyard, so street parking was available but felt less secure. At night there was loud, persistent banging on doors, and the owners seemed to do nothing about it. It may have been people from the attached bar. We didn’t use the bar or restaurant, so can’t comment on those. Mediocre stay.

We’ve booked here regularly over the last two years. The rooms are tidy, the beds are great, and the amenities are good. It’s very good value in a great location, and the people are friendly and genuine.

They seemed offended when I told them we’d paid for one room and been given a cheaper one. They blamed Expedia, then said the more expensive room we’d booked had a broken air conditioning unit, so the cheaper room was a better fit for us. There was no offer of a refund or compensation. The service felt unprofessional and unsettling. They also seemed offended that we left early and tried to blame everyone else.

The room smelled horribly musty and hadn’t been aired out, and the bath wasn’t clean. There was no milk for coffee on arrival, and no cutlery, crockery, or microwave. No cooking facilities either, just a toaster, without a knife to butter the toast or a plate to put it on.