Could not fault the booking process - helpful and efficient on the phone. Ferry discount was arranged, and also asked for a sea view room, which we got. The tariff was £35 pp per night plus a discounted ferry ticket, which seemed very reasonable compared to the many other quotes I had received from local competitors. I was convinced to book after reading the several 5 star reviews on Trip Advisor. Location was great - 5 mins walk to the beach, even less to the Old Village. The front rooms and living/dining area overlook the tops of some other hotels but do have a good sea view (especially as the sun comes up!) and you can see across to Culver Cliffs.
We were disappointed with the size of our room though - SallyAnne did apologise for the small room when she showed us in, but explained it was due to the sea view request. It did make things a bit difficult when getting ready for the wedding we were attending. Really there was just enough space to walk round the double bed. There was a small TV, chest of drawers, bedside tables and wardrobe squeezed in which was good, the en-suite was really basic though - a shower only, no bath, and with a shower curtain, not a cubicle. The basin was too small to have a wash in, although my husband did manage to have a shave in it. It hadn't been thouroughly cleaned - I found a bar of used soap on top of the shower unit which stayed there for all three nights, and there was a bit of scum around the taps. Having said that I would definately not call any of the room dirty, and I didn't feel the need to complain about it, although pickier people might have done. The bed was comfy enough with LOTS of cushions. The room was a bit dated and also had a couple of spidery residents, which made me uncomfortable, but at least it was cosy to come back to at night.
Breakfast was really nicely cooked but a bit odd. You had to order the night before on a sheet in reception. Choice was a bit limited I thought - cerial OR grapefruit segments, pineapple or orange juice, then kippers or cooked brekkie. For cooked, you could have 'full english' which was sausage, bacon, half grilled tom & fried egg on fried bread, OR eggs cooked to your liking - scrambled, poached or boiled. I would like to have seen some mushrooms, hash browns, beans, black pud etc to give a bit more choice. We did get toast and tea or coffee too, and never went away hungry, which was great, but just found the choice too limited, meaning we had to chose items we didn't really want. Also, only half an hour to get down for brekkie - 0845 - 0915.
I feel bad not giving a great review as the owners were lovely, and this is clearly a business which appeals to many regular customers. However, as a young couple who have travelled a lot on a limited budget, we found it a bit disappointing. Good points were the service from all staff, the view, the location, the price compared to other local businesses. Bad points were the decor, the ensuite, the breakfast choice, the size of room, and despite being considerably cheaper than the competition, we felt still poor overall value for money compared to other places in the UK we have stayed. I guess that's what you have to expect on the IOW now!
Thanks to you all for a friendly welcome - but please take on board our constructive critcism, and if you were to consider making two small changes, please put mushrooms on the brekkie menu, and a buffet style choice for continental!
Room Tip: Ask for a sea view room and they will do their best to accomodate - you may get a smaller room to co...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
