Newark Hotel

It’s a reasonable place to stay if you need somewhere handy for the nearby shops and business areas. The hotel sits among homes in a residential part of Peterborough, and check-in was straightforward with really friendly desk staff. My room was basic but did the job: comfy bed, clean bathroom, bar fridge, coffee maker and flatscreen TV. There’s a shower rather than a bath, and no air-conditioning. Parking is behind the hotel and locked, which felt very secure.

The room was warm, and the bathroom was clean enough, with decent water pressure and temperature. That was about where the positives ended for me. The place smelled of stale food, and the old fixtures, furnishings, wallpaper and facilities were dirty. My room’s yellow wallpaper was torn, the walls were so thin I could hear next door snoring and playing the TV loudly, and there were spiders and insects in my room. The bathroom door had kick marks, as though someone had tried to break into the en suite before. Over several work nights, housekeeping only remade the bed and gave my cutlery a haphazard wipe. There was nobody at reception when I arrived and the car park was shut, though they gave me the entry number when I called. I also felt uneasy in the surrounding area even in the middle of the day, and wouldn’t have wanted to walk around after dark. I’m not a snob, but I don’t think many of the reviews below show what this hotel is really like.

I needed a stopover for another doctor's appointment on Harley Street, and figured I wouldn't sleep at a budget place near Victoria. This turned out to be a memorable and pretty unusual experience. If Ben from Bald and Bankrupt ever switched from his travels in the (formerly) former Soviet Union, before finally being banned in Russia, to making documentaries around Britain, I could imagine this hotel featuring in one. It’s within a reasonable walk of town, at least in August, and there’s no noisy drunken nightlife nearby. If you want a budget stay that’s a little out of the ordinary, I’d recommend it.

I’ve stayed here a couple of times, and it hasn’t disappointed me.