Cotswold Hotel

For the price, this is a decent basic budget hotel for travellers with realistic expectations. Room 28 was a very small, basic box room, and I stayed there for five nights in early November. It was clean, including the en-suite shower room, which had a wash basin, body wash and shampoo, plus hand and bath towels. The room was very warm, with a small single bed, smart TV, kettle, tea and coffee, tissues, a tiny chest of drawers and a wall rack for clothes, but no hangers. Reception staff were pleasant and efficient. There’s a bus stop just outside with lots of services straight into the centre, and a large Lidl directly opposite. The one real problem was the Wi-Fi: it didn’t work, and nothing was done despite repeated requests. A few tips: assume the Wi-Fi won’t work and spare yourself repeated frustration; bring a universal travel sink plug; the shower can get very hot at first; and the shower floor can be slippery.

The reception staff were nice, which was the only real positive. We arrived at 3pm, as agreed with the hotel, but our room wasn’t ready, so we were put in room 18. It shouldn’t be offered at all. It was old, poorly maintained and not updated. I later found the same issues reported on TripAdvisor in 2024, and wish I’d checked those reviews beforehand. There was a broken window and toilet, mould, unidentified stains, a TV from the early 2000s, inadequate heating, apparently because of the window, and a bedside table that looked held together by duct tape and hope. We only noticed everything after midnight, exhausted from travelling. Earlier, we’d spent about 15 minutes in the room while rushing to get ready for a dinner reservation, so we hadn’t spotted the problems when dropping off our luggage. We looked online for nearby hotels, but there was no availability. When we left at 7am, we raised the issues with the man at reception, who told us to email the hotel. The owner called while we were driving home and, after a long conversation, said she’d inspect the room, which she hadn’t seen, and email us that afternoon. No email came, though we waited a few days. We then escalated our complaint to Booking.com, who told us today, 17/02, that the hotel had refused to answer their emails, so they couldn’t proceed. We’d also reserved a parking space for £10, but it wasn’t available when we got back that night. We had to squeeze our large MPV in front of what we later learned was the owner’s car; she lives two doors down. Avoid it so you don’t waste your money. I can only upload four images or videos, though I have many more.

It was a small room, but tidy and warm, and the staff were nice and helpful. The bed was fine, though the mattress wasn’t luxurious. The floor in the room and the bathroom tiles weren’t great, but it wasn’t a big deal. The price and location were good, and the room stayed warm. I can’t really complain and would recommend it. You can find my video on YouTube by searching for "The Cotswold, 330 332 Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG5 2EF 06 11 2025".

The room was freezing even with the heater in there, so I slept in my jacket. It was dirty, the TV didn’t work, and the Wi-Fi kept dropping out. I had the worst, most uncomfortable night’s sleep. The bed was very worn and old, with lots of small marks, so I was worried there might be bed bugs. The sign on the door says checkout is at 10:30am, but checkout is 10am. You’d be better off paying £10 to £20 more for a better hotel.