The Headland Hotel

We came as locals to use the spa and were treated horribly by the reception girls and manager. I've never known customer service like it. There was mould on the spa chairs and broken bits, and the smaller hot tub had floating muck in it. We only noticed that after using the larger tubs, which had quite a bit of hair in them. We tried to stick with the cleaner one. I went straight to reception to report it and ask for a refund. We were on a package, and my friend has a tumor in her back. We'd told the hotel beforehand because she needed a warm pool for pain relief. We stayed and used the sauna and steam room. The maintenance man came in, looked, and said people weren't showering before getting into the pools and were wearing fake tan. We hadn't used the worst pool or worn fake tan. We made the best of things and assumed they would refund us in good faith. The restaurant staff were lovely and the food was nice. But when we came out, reception said the manager was on the phone and would find us after food. When he showed up, he was extremely rude and didn't care. He was poorly dressed, as were the reception staff, and I didn't even realise he was the manager. He cut us off, didn't apologise, blamed other customers for the dirt, and didn't want to see the other issues I offered to show him. Eventually he reluctantly offered a spa refund and had the receptionist process it while he stood there. The refund wasn't done, we were charged again, and told they'd sort it out. My friend was charged further as well. There were broken bits in the changing rooms and corrosion in the toilets. We then had days of rude exchanges with the reception girls and no apologies. Caroline was the first person to apologise, and eventually she was the one who got the refund sorted. It was only resolved because of her. We all showed our bank statements and explained from the start, but they still told us we were wrong. None of us will ever return. Zero stars all round. The manager should be sacked, and reception staff should wear a proper uniform like the restaurant staff. It wasn't a good look.

A great spot for a short break, with the hotel right on the coastal path for walkers. The town centre and promenade are a 25 minute walk away. It's dog friendly, and there's a bar and cafe open to everyone serving really good bar food. We had breakfast and an excellent, good-value three-course evening meal. The staff were professional, friendly and very helpful. Definitely worth a visit.

This was my second stay at the headlands, this time for my cousin,s birthday. The staff were fantastic and courteous, always smiling or making an effort to speak. Naomi went above and beyond to help when I was struggling with my knees. James was happy to go along with my sense of humour, and the receptionist kindly helped carry my luggage to my car on our last day, as it was literally parked outside the front door. Can't wait to book again. Five stars.

Some of the staff were really nice, especially in the dining room, but reception wasn't very helpful. Despite booking ahead, we couldn't eat until 8pm, which hadn't been mentioned and was far too late for us, so we went elsewhere. I'm pretty sure they could have fitted us in sooner, but nobody seemed interested. The room was a good size, though old, with poor lighting. Since it had a sea-view window, some comfy armchairs for reading and looking out would have been better than the upright, hard ones. The main view was various coaches parked up. In the bathroom, the lights kept going on and off, and the switch sparked at times. The hotel was generally well presented, but didn't quite have the wow factor I expected for the price. We stayed in September and were somewhat disappointed. The hotel was like a sauna, with the heating pumping out, especially in the dining room. They should at least open some windows.