Hotel Vile Park

I’d been unsure about booking because the Google reviews weren’t great, but I was honestly pleased with the hotel. The rooms felt new and clean, the staff were friendly, and the location and view were beautiful. Breakfast was superb, and free parking was a real plus. The one drawback is that the swimming pool is in another building, about a two-minute walk away. If the weather’s cold, you might not feel like going outside to swim there.

The room felt cheap and dingy, and there was another odd smell when we got there. Even the lobby smelled strange, like an abandoned retirement home. Instead of a normal check-in, we found a sign sending us to a different hotel. The service through our stay was unhelpful, and the parking gate didn’t work. Late at night we tried to order water since the minibar was empty. Room service said to go to the bar, but when we got there it was closed and couldn’t help. That was incredibly frustrating and disorganized. Breakfast was fine, nothing special, but it was hard to enjoy with kids running around, scooters and balls flying, and noise everywhere. From the online photos, I’d expected a charming, well-kept place. It has potential, but the actual stay fell well short. It needs serious improvement.

We enjoyed the pool, which was a real highlight of our short stay. The heating took some figuring out: in March, with cool weather outside, the thermostat only offered 22, 23, or 24C and the heaters were on. Reception switched them off when we asked. We opened the window, then realized the AC could be turned on, which helped a lot. The bathroom fan ran automatically. We found that removing the key card from its slot turned off the lights, and after a while the fan stopped too. Then we put the card back in.

The room itself was nice, but the bathroom fan was very loud. A bright light outside the “balcony” door couldn’t be switched off, and it kept the room from getting dark even with the curtains closed. Breakfast was a letdown. I’d checked with staff beforehand that there would be vegan or plant-based options, but there was very little. The next day they promised something plant-based and brought a small serving of hummus with mushy tomatoes. Staff weren’t helpful at all.