Richmond Guest House Bed & Breakfast

We didn’t feel safe staying here and left without even checking the room properly. We put our bags inside, locked the door, then came back about 15 minutes later to collect them and book somewhere else. The room was left untouched, so I can’t comment on cleanliness or its condition. The parking John arranged for the accommodation seemed like a scam to me, and he was aggressive and impolite. He asked guests to write down their details and car registrations, saying he would email the rego to the council. I called Wellington council afterwards to check, and was told guests couldn’t park on Brougham Street without paying and displaying $18.50-a-day coupons in the car. A resident permit wasn’t an option because those are only for residents. When I questioned the arrangement because I know how Wellington parking rules work, he got angrier and yelled at me and my parents in front of other guests in the kitchen. John, who runs Richmond guesthouse, was rude to us from the start. At first we thought he was joking, as some other reviews had mentioned, but soon realised he wasn’t. I think he may be taking advantage of overseas guests who face a language barrier and don’t know the parking rules. Other reviews also describe his behaviour toward certain guests, including reports that he can be more aggressive and rude to women. My mum and I found his manner toward us especially nasty. He doesn’t do text or read his emails through booking.com, and was extremely rude when we said we couldn’t reach him before arriving to let him know what time we’d be there. We were trying to be polite by communicating our arrival, and he responded shockingly. His replies to other people’s reviews online show the same way of speaking to guests that we experienced in person. I wish we’d filmed the interaction so other people could see how awful it was.