Carlton Park

I went here 20 years ago and it was beautiful. Now the whole place feels run down, and honestly it needs knocking down. There was mould all over the shower curtain, and the room light switches didn’t work. The lift was broken, and staff were rude and didn’t seem to care. No one told us we had to enter our car registration at reception, and nobody offered to help carry our bags up the stairs.

We only stayed one night, and I wouldn’t come back. The reception staff were helpful, though I wondered if they already knew what state the rooms were in when they assigned them. The bathroom was dirty across the floor, walls, door, bath and shower head. There were holes in the ceiling and wallpaper coming loose. The room was dusty too, with damaged, mismatched furniture that looked like it had been gathered from a charity shop. I know hotels need revenue to improve, but letting out rooms in this condition is wrong. This place needs a major cash injection to reach a decent standard again. It needs so much work to be usable as a hotel.

The lift wasn’t working, so I’m not sure how they accommodate guests with accessibility needs. Half the hotel is shut for “renovation,” though I’d rather see them knock it down and start over. Our room was disgusting and smelled so bad we had to air it out for hours. Everything was dusty. The beds were small and uncomfortable, and there were only two plug sockets. One didn’t work, and the TV was broken. Shockingly bad.

The room was quiet, and the bedding and towels were clean. For the price, it was okay, but it’s really just a place to sleep and nothing special. The toilet had a strong smell, maybe because it hadn’t been used for a while, and wallpaper beside the double bed was peeling away. The whole hotel needs some care. It didn’t feel welcoming. I only saw staff when I checked in, but both were friendly. It’s open 24 hours, and you can walk in and out because the door is open. I stayed after a work party. It used to host weddings and functions years ago, but now it’s a shadow of what it was. I wouldn’t recommend it for couples or families. Hopefully they can turn it around.