Magnuson Hotel Sandy Lodge Newquay

Good value, and our room was surprisingly large. The only problem was that there was no hot water for the over bath shower. Since we were only there for one night, there wasn't time to get it sorted before we left in the morning. I expect we were just unlucky.

The bathroom looked as if it hadn't been refurbished in decades. The towels were stained and crusty, hanging on a dusty, rusty rail. In the room, the old carpet was stained, the paintwork scuffed and marked, and the tea cups and cutlery were dirty. TV reception was very poor and there was no telephone, so relaxing wasn't easy. Our already uncomfortable night's sleep was broken by someone trying to get into the room in the early hours. Then housekeeping let themselves in more than an hour before checkout. I was even more taken aback that they actually cleaned. At checkout, the front desk staff seemed more interested in chatting to each other than helping customers. On arrival, the staff member who greeted us was friendly but scruffily dressed, and it was already clear while looking for our room that the place was dated and worn out. I'd rather have stayed literally anywhere else. Avoid this hotel.

There's hardly any parking, though the hotel is very near the beach. My room was small, dated and by the fire escape, so it was noisy. You could hear people in the corridor and above, and with paper thin walls even a cough, a neighbour's TV or conversation came through. The shower was barely a trickle, and the towels were hard and overused. The cup was dirty and the shower gel was tiny. The fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. There was no explanation or apology, just a message that it was a false alarm and that we could go back after everyone had started evacuating. I wasn't pleased at all. Worse, someone used a key to get into my family member's locked room. Luckily nobody was undressed, but it really shook them up. I can only guess that one key opened several doors, which is quite scary. I wouldn't return.

Breakfast was amazing, and it was only a short walk to the beach and town. The rooms were clean and tidy, and all the staff were very friendly and helpful, going above and beyond. Very good prices too.