The Devil s Punchbowl Hotel

The two staff members were delightful and did everything they could to help. Even after the kitchen had closed, they arranged for me to have dinner. The room itself is dated and needs redoing, and the pillows were so thin they barely felt there. Folding both in half made them bearable. I was glad I was travelling alone. I might have let that slide, but I had no hot water for my morning shower and shave. Apparently you need to run it for about 10 minutes, which wasn’t a matter of simply letting it run longer. It would’ve helped to know that at check-in.

That delicious breakfast in the lovely dining room was a highlight, especially with all the fun framed pictures on the walls. Shayan checked us in, served breakfast, and checked us out, and was friendly, hardworking, and incredibly helpful throughout. He really added to our stay. We’ve visited the area a few times and walked the punchbowl, admiring the hotel’s quirky facade each time, so we finally decided to stay. Some parts of the hotel have been refurbished, though a few still look tired. Our room had everything we needed, but felt dated, with marks on the carpet and cracked bathroom tiles. We’d stay again if we’re nearby, thanks to the welcoming staff, decent prices, and fabulous breakfast.

The staff are always happy to help and look well presented, and the drinks are fairly priced. The bed was comfortable, though the pillows could use more filling. The decor feels dated, as if the rooms need bringing forward from the 80s to the noughties. Cleaning was a letdown: exposed surfaces hadn’t been dusted and the floors hadn’t been vacuumed, and it looked like this had been missed for a while. The bathrooms need fresh silicone or mould treatment, and the fixtures look like they came from an early 90s plumbing merchants. A shower hose burst and couldn’t be fixed. For workers starting early, say at 0800, it’d be useful to have some food available since breakfast doesn’t start until 1000hrs. The owner should keep a closer eye on the cleaners, perhaps with spot checks. My business pays for my hotels, but I wouldn’t choose to pay for this one myself.

The staff were polite and friendly, and I thought the price was reasonable enough. Still, the hotel feels tired and dated. The bedding was clean, but both pillows were very thin. The carpet was stained and needed vacuuming, the shower didn’t work, and there were cracked bathroom tiles. The towel rail came off in my hands. The windows were painted shut and had lots of cobwebs.