The Warren Guest House

My car broke down two days before my stay, about five hours after the cancellation window through booking.com had passed, and I was told to contact the hotel. The owner was so rude and disrespectful that I couldn’t believe it. I stayed calm and explained what had happened, but she was rude, hung up on me three times, then took the phone off the hook. I’ve always believed you should treat people as you’d want to be treated, but she clearly doesn’t. There are plenty of hotels and B&Bs in Carlisle, and I’ll never try to stay here again. I hope others steer clear too. The customer service was just so bad.

At £100 a night, I expected a clean room. There was a woodlouse in the bed, toothpaste in the sink, and dirt coming from the shower door. It was the worst room I slept in on my last holiday in England. Old-fashioned decor is fine, but the room needs to be clean. The host was definitely friendly.

The decor is dated, but the rooms and showers are spacious. We paid £45 each for two rooms for two nights with breakfast, and were happy enough with what we got. The hosts were welcoming and helpful, and the Full English was good. My friend got a sausage instead of an egg. I’m a very big man, but the shower in room #4 was roomy enough. It’s on the outskirts of Carlisle, though there’s a Brewers Fayre less than five minutes down Warwick Road and a brilliant pub called the Magpie along a side road. A new Lidl is being built opposite. Warwick Road is a bit noisy, but if you want a cheap B&B, this is ideal.

The hosts gave me a very warm welcome, and the traditional breakfast was good. I travel a lot for work and stayed for two nights. The decor is a little old school, but the room was clean and comfortable, with a TV, tea and coffee, and an en suite bathroom with a shower. It’s about a 25-minute walk from town and half a mile from the M6. I’d stay here again.