Tulip Queen, Spalding by Marston's Inns

The TV wasn’t working, but the staff happily moved me to another room. I can’t fault the stay otherwise. The staff were fantastic throughout, and the pillows were the best ever. I stay away a lot and usually find hotel pillows disappointing. The food had a great range of choices, and breakfast was hot and delicious. I’ve booked for next week.

The location works well if you’re driving, and the staff were friendly. My room and the first floor corridor had a noticeable smell, though. The bathroom ventilation ran constantly and made a loud background noise. The air con didn’t work and gave no heat, and the room’s poor soundproofing made it hard to rest. The prices also felt misleading. Booking.com listed the room at £83 with breakfast and £67 without it, but breakfast at the hotel costs only £8.75. I can’t make sense of that difference. Edited: after the owner replied, Booking.com told me the hotel had made the pricing decision. Those explanations don’t match, so I’m not sure which account is accurate. Breakfast was disappointing too. The bacon was burnt, the coffee machine was out of service and seemed not to have been used for some time, and the only coffee available was instant.

This was my second stay. The rooms aren’t fancy, but they’re good and have everything you need. Staff are helpful and friendly, and the bar food was good. We ate dinner there on a few nights. I’d recommend it and we’ll be back.

I paid £65 for one night and barely slept. The heating wasn’t working, and when I complained, staff gave me an extra duvet. It was horrible, and a waste of money. You can’t set your own heating level, especially as an individual guest, and turning it up didn’t help. A staff member said the heating was kept low after a customer died during Covid when he set a heater to 32. I don’t understand that logic. Very bad experience. I’ll never book again, especially in winter.