Newquay Beach Hotel by Sunday

The member of staff who welcomed us was lovely, but there were problems throughout the stay. The bed was lumpy and uncomfortable, and I slept badly and ended up with a bad back. The room was only clean-ish: there was a lollipop stick or something behind the shower-room door, and a sanitary towel wrapper in a vanity drawer. The corridor carpets were worn and dirty, and all the corridors looked very silver. There was a smashed window at the front of the building. The first sliding glass entrance door wouldn't open fully, just enough to squeeze through. The bathroom extractor fan didn't work even though its switch was on. There were no handles on the wardrobe doors or the cupboard under the bathroom sink. There was also no plug socket on the side of the room with the vanity table, so I couldn't use a hairdryer at the mirror. The bedroom had no net curtains, so I kept the curtains shut and felt like I was in a goldfish bowl. The large bathroom window had privacy stickers, but you could still see out, so people in the flats opposite could surely see someone using the toilet or shower with the light on. Nobody showed us where the bar was, apparently open 5pm to 10pm, or asked if we wanted breakfast. We ended up walking five minutes up the road to Weatherspoons. Parking is available, but you have to phone after booking to reserve a space and pay when you arrive. They didn't have our parking reservation on the booking, so that system clearly isn't working well. There isn't much other parking nearby.

This doesn't come close to feeling like a four-star hotel. When I arrived, reception was unmanned, and I had to call a mobile number to get someone to come out of the office. The stair carpets were filthy, and the small room smelled of stale cigarettes. The restaurant and bar were shut, and there was no breakfast service even though breakfast was on the booking. Check out some recent local news stories about the place before booking, and think carefully if you're expecting somewhere nice.

On-site parking is a big plus at £10 a day, and the staff were generally very pleasant. This is a nice place and a great base for getting around central Newquay and the surrounding area. Our room was clean and tidy, with a balcony and lovely views, though we found it small and a little claustrophobic. Breakfast itself was lovely, but a choice of juices and being asked if we wanted anything else after choosing would have been nice. The bar wasn't open while we were there, which was disappointing, though not a major issue.

I would give this hotel zero if I could. The “sea view room” looked onto someone's back garden, with another window opposite, and the room itself was atrocious, just a bed in a plain white room. There was a smashed window when we arrived. This was a Christmas present for my parents, but I eventually told them to leave and said I'd pay for somewhere else, which I did. The phone service was disgusting too. One employee said breakfast wasn't being served, then said it was. The staff couldn't get their story straight. I'm still waiting for a full refund. If you're looking for somewhere nice, don't pick this hotel.