Stirling Court Hotel

The event rooms were very good for the conference, and all the staff were friendly and extremely helpful. The hotel itself was a bit of a letdown. The bed was so hard I struggled to sleep, and the toilet was almost against the wall, which made it awkward to sit on. Bathroom lights were very bright and motion-sensor operated, staying on for ages at night and disturbing sleep. Food was average, though it could be better. There were several large groups during my stay, which may have contributed.

I had a genuinely distressing stay, including a double charge for the same booking. Weeks later, I still haven't received my refund. I had to keep chasing Booking.com, Expedia, and the hotel despite explaining the issue and providing proof. The hotel acknowledged the mix-up but hasn't taken ownership of resolving it, leaving me out of pocket and under a lot of stress because of poor communication and a disorganised booking system. The trouble started at check-in, when the hotel couldn't find my confirmed reservation and left me waiting at reception while staff tried to work out what happened. Eventually they put me in a disabled room I hadn't booked. If the system fails like this, you could end up paying twice, doing all the chasing yourself, and facing real financial loss and distress without meaningful support. Please be careful if you're considering booking here. This was one of the most stressful hotel experiences I've had, and I'd strongly suggest thinking twice.

The room was basic but clean, though service was slow and there didn't seem to be many staff. During a fire drill, nobody gave us guidance for 20 minutes. Then one staff member told us to go around the front and wait in the car park. Another came out and rudely told people to move cars and use the road. When a guest asked about the long wait and whether there'd be time for a shower and breakfast before checkout, the woman was rude to him too. After he walked away, she stood within earshot of other guests slagging him off to colleagues. It was extremely unprofessional. Breakfast was slow as staff struggled to keep up. Refills took 10-15 minutes, there was no juice for long stretches, and the toast took ages. The coffee came from jugs and the salt and pepper were in McDonald's-style sachets. The Lorne sausage was burnt and gristly. There were only two staff, and they seemed to be rushing around. The swimming pool advertised is actually at the university and has limited opening hours, and the lockers need a padlock and don't take money. Our TV didn't work. The receptionist said some rooms are upgraded and some aren't, and that they have lots of problems with different TVs, remotes, and signal. We left it, as we were going to be out most of the time.

Check-in was simple and the staff were all good. The bar and restaurant were short-staffed in a busy area, and one poor guy was basically on his own. He handled it magnificently, staying charming and giving great customer care without getting flustered. He needs a raise, or better still, more help. A good stay overall, and the place was clean and comfortable.