We will never forget our stay at The Walpole Bay Hotel... although we will try very hard to! From the over crowded reception area to the rubbish or "living museum" pieces dumped on tables on landings,light bulbs not working, stained bathroom carpets,torn bed bases and noise ,this is a hotel to avoid at all costs!

This is the first time I have ever reviewed anything but felt compelled to after staying in this place. I second the previous reviewers opinion that the 'museum' claim is merely an attempt to shirk their decorating/renovating duties. We paid for the most expensive room they had, 4 poster bed and all. We were shown to our room to find some stilton on the dressing table. It was only when they removed the stilton we realised how heavily the room smelt of smoke and damp. I thought about asking for the stilton to be returned. It is a great shame that the building itself is stunning and the staff are very friendly but everything else was just bloody awful. Its best days were definitely behind it, a bit like Margate I suppose.

The best word I can find to describe this Hotel is Unique. As a disabled wheelchair user I had contacted the Hotel prior to booking to enquire as to access facilities etc and was told the Walpole Bay was suitable for disabled people. On arrival we had to wait while metal portable ramps were located and put in place to get into the hotel itself. Once inside we registered at reception and was then shown to the lift to enable us to get to the first floor. The lift was so small that the wheelchair hardly fitted inside and due to the size and the two heavy sliding doors, it took a great deal of manoeuvering before we could get inside the tiny area and make our way up to our room. When we reached our room we then discovered the door was so small the wheelchair would not fit through and after the wheelchair became stuck in the door frame I had to be helped out of the chair and walk inside the room (with great difficulty) and then the chair had to be partially closed before it could be taken into the room. The door was also heavily sprung operated which presented further access problems whilst trying to hold the door open when entering/leaving the room. The claim of this hotel as having original features is obviously their way of having an excuse not to redecorate the rooms. The wallpaper was so faded in parts it was a different colour to the paper on other walls. The sea view would have been lovely if the windows were'nt so filthy dirty and the extra £5.00 cost for having a so called balcony room was laughable - the door to the tiny balcony did not have a handle to open it and although there was a small round table and a chair on it there wouldnt have been barely any space to get out onto it even if the door handle had been in place. Also, the wooden balcony railings didnt look completely secure. After checking out the following day we asked for the wheelchair ramps to be put in place so we could get down the front steps and the person on duty admitted she didnt have a clue how they worked or which way they should be placed and my partner had to work out how to set them up himself before we could leave. I will however say that the bed itself was very comfortable and the staff were generally very friendly and helpful but overall I really could not recommend this Hotel to anyone and especially if there is anyone with a disability or reliant upon the use of a wheelchair I would have to say you would be far better finding an alternative Hotel for your accommodation.