Sporting Lodge Inn Middlesbrough

My parents stayed for a few nights while moving house. The rooms are a bit old-fashioned, but they were warm and decent for an affordable stay. Breakfast had cereal and toast, plus hot choices like scrambled or fried eggs and even black pudding. For the price, it's hard to go wrong. There are pricier places in town if you want something new and smart with the latest tech; this was fine if you want somewhere warm and decent. There's free parking outside and free Wi-Fi in the hotel, which mattered because I had no phone signal in the room. Accessible rooms are available, with some disabled parking by the main door and a ramp up to the doors.

The gym receptionist was professional and helpful, but the receptionist at the front desk was rude and didn't seem interested or helpful. I was woken by hoovering at 8am, even though checkout wasn't until 11. Guests are paying to stay until checkout, and that's when tidying should happen.

The spa was excellent, with a sauna and steam room, and there was plenty of parking. We also had a good dinner at Old Foste House in the hotel: creamy mushroom with garlic bread, steak with fries, and salty and pepper chips. The breakfast was okay, and the tall man who served us on the first two days was very friendly and checked we were happy. We didn't get to use the gym. The location was quiet with good views, and our executive double looked neat, but the bed was so uncomfortable that we woke with back and shoulder aches. There was no fridge or intercom phone to call reception, the kitchen or bar for information. We asked for the room to be cleaned and the bedding changed after the second night while we were at breakfast and using the gym. The room had been cleaned when we got back, but the bedding hadn't been changed even though it wasn't clean. You have to collect an iron from reception. The pool wasn't warm enough, so we didn't spend long in it.

We ended up leaving after a staff member came to our door at 21:55, saying there'd been a noise complaint and accusing us of having extra people in the room. That wasn't true. We'd paid for two rooms and were just sitting and talking. There was loud music coming from another room farther down the corridor, yet we were the ones confronted. The staff member was abrupt, made assumptions without checking, and even threatened to evict us. It felt intimidating and unfair. The stay had already been uncomfortable. The bedrooms were worn and tired, with a damp, musty smell, and the spa area seemed neglected. The steam room smelled strongly of mould. The poor facilities and the way staff treated us made this a very disappointing stay. I wouldn't return.