Cathedral Quarter Hotel

On Saturday night, my partner and I got stuck in our room when it was time to leave. The door opened from outside with a key, but from inside it had a latch and we couldn't get out. We called the hotel 17 times and banged on the door, with no response. We were terrified thinking about what would happen in a fire. I had a panic attack and had to call an ambulance. The paramedics also struggled with the lock from outside. They couldn't find any staff in the hotel either. Once we could leave the room and I had calmed down, we left with them. We then met a man who said he was the owner but couldn't speak English. We tried to explain what had happened to someone he brought over, and that person called the police on us, saying we were lying. We got no apology and no refund. It was traumatic, and I've reported it for health and safety reasons. The rudeness and customer service were appalling. Stay well clear.

We'd stayed here before and had a lovely time, which is why we booked again. Maybe the owners are new, but the hotel needs investment and some attention to detail. It's an old building, but that doesn't mean it should be allowed to look like it's slowly falling apart. The ground floor room was spacious, and staff were friendly and helpful. There are only 5 free spaces outside the hotel, but guests can get a discount at the secure car park across the road. At check-in, they struggled to find my booking.com reservation, though the check-in itself was polite enough. In Room 2, the bathroom sink leaked badly and had made the floor swell, so the door was hard to open and close without force. The wardrobe was worn and wouldn't stay open. The bedroom fire door's automatic closing bracket wasn't attached to the frame, so it didn't seem fire compliant. The bar closed at 9pm on a Friday. Breakfast was okay, nothing special, and they could have been more attentive. The juices were in plastic tubs with foil lids and the coffee was at a station.

The bed was comfortable and clean, and breakfast in the lounge was good. The room itself was the letdown, with worn furniture, a broken air conditioner that meant I had to leave the window open, and traffic noise all night. The bath was nice, but getting the plug to stay in was a pain. There was also a fist-sized cracked dent in the bathroom door, like someone had punched it. I stayed one night for work. Two very friendly men greeted me at the desk and gave me my key, so I felt welcome right away. The lobby was impressive, with its marble staircase and pillars and almost all the original decor, like stepping back to when it was a prestigious hotel. The lounge was beautifully decorated, the food was good, and service at breakfast was fantastic. The staff make the hotel worth staying at, but the rooms have seen better days.

The bed was big and comfortable, but the dim room and decor made it feel like staying with the Addams Family. There were only 5 parking spaces, which you wouldn't know from the website, since it only shows the top of the building. There was a stain on the wall, and a half-eaten takeaway in the cupboard with cheese wrappers on the floor when I arrived. No kettle in the room either. I went to the bar, but nobody served me within 20 minutes. Around midnight the fire alarm went off. At the fire exit I was told not to go outside, that there was just some smoke upstairs. Breakfast was a deep-fried "Full English" that seemed to have sat under a heat lamp for hours.