The Shores Hotel, Central Blackpool

I ended up booking somewhere else after waiting outside for about 20 minutes with my two kids, one an eight-month-old who was teething badly and the other 13 and disabled. I'd arrived around 3:20pm to check in, but nobody was there to let us in. A man came by after five minutes, said the manager had just gone to his car, called for him down the street, then checked the basement and couldn't find him. He'd apparently just been there. My family, who were travelling with us, had rooms a few doors down, so I told the man I was going to book there instead. Once we'd settled in and I'd sorted the kids, I called Booking.com to request a full refund. The manager later rang to say he'd tried to call and ask when I was checking in, but by then we'd moved to another hotel. I wasn't going to keep waiting with the children. The outside gave me a dodgy, shady impression, so I'm glad we didn't stay there. I paid £110 for two nights and have to wait for the money back, on top of paying for another hotel. Avoid.

We felt really let down, and the stress was through the roof. Our room was for four, booked in January and paid for in March, with arrival due on 3 May. Then on 1 May, Booking.com emailed to say the hotel was overbooked and had to cancel. I had to find the money for another hotel while waiting 7-12 working days for the refund. I wouldn't book here again. Absolutely disgusted with the owners.

We had our grandchildren with us, aged three and four, and were put on the top floor. The room was freezing, with no heating on, windows that wouldn't shut properly and wind coming in. I told the young lad, who offered the room next door, but that was just as cold. He offered electric heaters, so we ended up staying in the first room with those. There was paint peeling from the ceiling too. Absolute joke, and I'm not happy at all. The stairs carpet was coming away from the wood. All we could smell on arrival was cannabis. When I asked if the bar was open, the young lad said he'd open it. There were empty bottles and cans on the bar and Christmas decorations all over the floor. I was charged £10 for four cans of lager. I also asked for a large coffee for my wife, and it was brought up to our room. I won't book this hotel again.

Parking was the one awkward part. There was free street parking outside, but very few spaces shared with the neighbouring hotels, so I left my car a little further away in a safe car park. Even so, I'd recommend staying here. It's in a quiet spot away from the main road, which made for a peaceful night. The owner was welcoming and provided excellent service. Our room smelled lovely, and the white bedding was clean. The beds were comfortable, and we slept well. The toilet and washroom were clean too, with natural light. The hotel was well maintained, from the stairs carpet to our room, and there were useful cabinets for storage.