The Villare Hotel

The staff were friendly, but I’d pay another £10-20 for a better stay. My room hadn’t been cleaned at all: there was used chewing gum and mouth tape on the nightstand, banana peels in the bin, and very dirty walls. It smelled as if someone had been smoking there for years. Reception is on the third floor, so anyone can come and go, and there’s no security.

The stay was really uncomfortable, and the service was far below what I expected. We booked on 20 January, but no staff were there when we arrived, so we waited nearly an hour before anyone helped us. The room wasn’t in good shape either. The bathroom taps were broken and didn’t work properly, and the room got very cold overnight. There weren’t proper blankets available.

The location is decent, near the shopping centre, but this was easily the worst place I’ve stayed. Our room reeked of smoke, and there were stains on the sheets and other furniture. The staff weren’t rude, but they weren’t particularly polite either, with no smiles or warmth. I can’t really blame them, as I wouldn’t want to smile working in that godforsaken place. The hotel seriously needs to improve.

The receptionist was lovely and really helpful. The bedding and bathroom were clean, the towels were soft and fluffy, and they’d supplied a hairdryer. There were useful sockets in the table, an iron and board, a mini fridge I didn’t use, and tea and coffee. Still, the room and hotel smelled of smoke. The windows had been left open when I arrived, probably to mask the smell, and the room was freezing. The heater didn’t warm it up easily. The windows were also hard for a 5ft 4 woman to close, as they’re meant for someone 6ft 2. The curtains were dirty, hard to close and let in a lot of light. A saucer was missing for my cup, and the desk looked like it had paint on it. It was very loud, with lots of police outside, and it’s next to a spoons, so you can imagine. Not awful, but there are better hotels nearby for the same price or maybe £20 more.