Clifton Park

I wouldn't recommend this hotel. I stayed one night in room 515 and had requested a bath when I booked, but was told at check-in there wasn't one available. The room was a small double at the back of the hotel, up a staircase partly taken up by a stair lift. Its curtains weren't blackout, so light-sensitive guests may want an eye mask. The TV was mounted high on the wall and left me with a sore neck. There were stains and several holes in the sheets, and the divan base was worn and stained too. Dust was everywhere, including in thick layers on the lamps. The shower drain looked filthy and didn't drain well. The electric shower had weak pressure and seemed to have only two settings, freezing or boiling. I had to keep switching between them and put my head under the water for the few seconds it felt comfortable. There was no window or fan in the shower room, and black mould around the tray. The only towel rail wasn't heated, was out of reach of the shower, and wasn't fixed securely to the wall. One end came away and showed even more grime. The bathroom light pull had broken plastic on its end, and the cord was brown with dirt. The furniture looked like dated 1990s melamine and had stains and what seemed to be heat damage from appliances. The wallpaper was old, with holes and marks on the walls. The kettle was a tiny travel type that took ages to boil, there were no decaf choices such as decaf Nescafé, and the TV remote was grimy. Breakfast didn't start until 8am on Wednesday. I had to meet a colleague at 8:45, so I only had muesli from the limited buffet. Porridge and kippers were available to order, but I didn't have time. The hairdryer did work well.

The staff were very helpful and accommodating throughout our five-day break. John, the general manager, deserves a mention along with the whole team for making it such an enjoyable stay. We had a spacious, comfortable room, and there was lots of seating in the relaxing lounge areas. The private pool and jacuzzi were a real bonus. Dinner was tasty, with plenty of choice, and breakfast was a buffet where you could put together anything from juice and cereal to a full English.

The room we had wasn't the biggest, but it was really clean, and the cleaning lady was so lovely. We also had a shared balcony with the two rooms beside ours, which was great. I came for five nights with my gran and a big group of older ladies and gents. We all had a wonderful time exploring the town and nearby places. The staff were friendly and very helpful, and welcomed all of us despite the size of the group. Most of the evening meals were nice and breakfast was delicious. The spa and pool were lovely for relaxing, and there was piano music playing in the lobby. Thanks to the staff for putting up with all of us :D

The buffet dinner was a lovely surprise, with a good spread of baked quiche, cooked meats, prawns, salads and other nibbles. They brought us fresh bread and delicious soup to start, then there was a great choice of desserts. We went for the lemon meringue, which was delicious. Breakfast was a full English buffet with some fruit and cereal, and the coffee was very nice. We also got an unexpected evening singer who was good and took requests. Someone had given us a night here with dinner, bed and breakfast, and we hadn't expected much, so we were pleasantly surprised. The hotel is close to the main high street and pier. The manager was very friendly when we arrived and let us check in early since our room was ready. The lobby has a nice mock cruise theme, and the main areas looked recently refurbished and immaculate. Our room was more dated, but clean and had nice bed linen. I believe they're updating the rooms, and if they reach the same standard as the main areas, they'll be great. Everyone we met, from reception and the cleaner to the bar staff and food servers, was lovely and went out of their way to help. We really enjoyed our stay and will definitely come back.