Red Squirrel, Stevenston by Marston's Inns

I got the occupancy numbers wrong, but the staff were very accommodating about it. Then my elderly dad left his medication behind on checkout day, and they sorted that out for me as well. Everyone was friendly and helpful, from housekeeping and the breakfast team to the managers. Superb work from the whole team.

The location works well for us, the place was very clean, and breakfast was fabulous, especially the Scottish breakfast. Claire the cleaner does a very good job, and the staff were friendly and efficient. The room had a few minor issues: the cups were too small, the mattress was hard, and there wasn’t a comfy chair. In the accessible room, the bathroom light switch was on the wrong side of the door, so you had to close it in the dark to turn the light on, which isn’t good if you’re 88. There was also nowhere in the accessible bathroom to put wash bags.

The location, between two little villages, was handy for work. Staff were extremely helpful, sorry I didn’t catch a name. There’s no reception, but that wasn’t a problem. I can’t comment on the food, though the accommodation was clean and palatable.

The artwork on the bedroom wall was nice, and having the accommodation away from the pub was a good idea. But it needs maintenance. The bathroom was blocked with thick dust, and the fan ran noisily 24-7 because the sensor to turn the ventilation off wasn’t working. You could hear it even with the bathroom door shut, and it made an annoying noise all night. Vegan food options were limited, and the pudding choices seemed to treat vegan as just removing items.