Hastings, High Beech Hotel

It is a good comfortable hotel as expected by a three star hotel standard. The staffs are friendly and very helpful. They were always delighted to help me. The room charges are extremely reasonable, better than the other hotels in Hastings. The party nights are a great time to enjoy yourself.

When I booked with the High Beech hotel I specifically said that my lady had mobility problems and asked about access. I was informed there was a flight of stairs to negotiate but after that access was easy. I said this would be manageable so long as there was not a long trek to get to the stairs followed by another to the room. I was assured there was not.

The reality was vastly different. The stairs front stairs were manageable but there followed a journey (with steps) around a maze such as lab rats are subjected to. When this was pointed out to the staff an alternative was found which meant a traipse to the function room followed by climbing over what was, I think, a spotlight stand before the stairs could be attempted.

On booking we were told there might be some noise from a presentation in the building but that this would be over by midnight. When the building was still shaking from the thumping from a discotheque at twenty-seven minutes past midnight I went to reception to complain. I was told the noise would end at 1am. No attempt would be made to honour the terms I had been offered when I booked. When I pointed out that I would not have booked had I been told this, I was told this must be taken up with the manager next day.

The thumping did end at 1am but the shouting, swearing and chanting continued long after. Noise from adjacent rooms kept me awake for a considerable time. At 2.19 am the chanting of '(name too slurred to be distinguishable) is a ******' for some time woke from the sleep I had just attained. I rang reception to complain but there was no reply despite me leaving the telephone ringing for some time.

I had meant to go over all this with the manager next morning but after finding the reception desk un-manned for 10 minutes or more I gave up. My later complaints by e-mail were not addressed

To all of the above must be added:

light bulb over dressing table needing replacing,

radiator in bathroom not working,

door would not lock properly as lock had been badly fitted,

zigzag lines on some TV channels,

extractor in bathroom inoperative or ineffective,

the bar could not be used because of the noise,

window catch missing.

shower head in need of de-scaling or replacing,

main radiator control apparently binary and

no information as to the cost of telephone calls in the room (nor any other information such as check-out times).

I wish I had read other reviews before going there as others seem to have suffered similar problems.