Royal Beacon Hotel

“Great staff, good breakfast and views”

Staff are super - everyone from the lovely lady on reception to the waiting/bar staff and night shift cover were helpful and friendly. Manage your expectations, this is not the Ritz, neither does it claim to be but it is your typical English seaside hotel so there will cosmetic wear and tear as it… more

Staff are super - everyone from the lovely lady on reception to the waiting/bar staff and night shift cover were helpful and friendly. Manage your expectations, this is not the Ritz, neither does it claim to be but it is your typical English seaside hotel so there will cosmetic wear and tear as it’s a 3 star hotel. However, we requested a seaview room which was dog friendly and were allocated a room with a 4 poster bed; we found the bed creaked with every movement so on request to move rooms, we switched to another sea view room with a normal bed which didn’t creak and the switch was fuss free. The breakfasts are more than adequate with buffet style consisting of cereals, juices, fruit, yoghurt, croissants plus cooked breakfast items and tea/ coffee/toast was brought to the table. The bar is a pleasant and comfortable area for a relaxing pre or post dinner drink, and the location an easy walk into town and to the beach - be advised the car park can be a be tight but we would return

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“Room with a View”

This hotel is the oldest in the town and in its day would have been elegant. It still has a certain charm about it and is positioned in a raised position overlooking the sea. It is a quiet road with plenty of parking outside if you can find a spot. I was there for three nights and did not have a… more

This hotel is the oldest in the town and in its day would have been elegant. It still has a certain charm about it and is positioned in a raised position overlooking the sea. It is a quiet road with plenty of parking outside if you can find a spot. I was there for three nights and did not have a problem. The hotel has a small car park for which it charges. It seems strange to do so, I believe it should be part of the cost of the stay on a first come first served basis. I had a deal from a company which was £80 a night BnB but I paid an extra £20 a night for a room with a sea view, well worth it. I had room 110 which is on the first floor and has a large bay window, from which the view is stunning. Part of the deal was a free afternoon tea, cakes sandwiches and scones. A nice touch, well presented and delicious. The staff must also get a special mention. All of them were warm, welcoming and very helpful. When we had a problem in the room it was dealt with speedily and efficiently. The cooked breakfast was adequate, but cheap produce. The sausages had a strange texture and the hash browns were, well, smooth and more like fishcakes in appearance. To its credit, it was not greasy and cooked well. The menu should tell you that there is a choice of egg as all it states is fried. As continental breakfasts go it was poor. Boxed cereal, some fruit and some croissants. On arrival on the first day, we were asked to choose a time for breakfast. This was to help the kitchen plan accordingly. Unfortunately, everybody else chose the same time and this was not picked up. The first morning as a consequence was chaotic and there was quite a wait to be served. Subsequently we did not bother with the time and just went down when we were ready. Turning to the room and the décor. As stated, this room has a wonderful vista but the room itself is very dated and in need of a lot of love and attention. The architrave above the window was badly damaged. Whilst sash windows have a tendency to move a little, with the wind off of the estuary, they rattled constantly. The had to be jammed with cardboard bent over. In the window there was a table and two chairs. With a view of the sea, it would certainly be worth considering removing the table and chairs and replacing with a window seat or small sofa and a coffee table. The ledges outside the windows looked like they had not been cleaned for some considerable time. The furniture in the room, could not be described as cosy and welcoming, more like utilitarian and functional. The sockets on the back of the TV I have not seen for some considerable time. They still had SCART sockets and not a USB in sight. The carpet was badly stained Turning to the en-suite. The best that can be said would be to replace it all. The toilet seat needed securing as it was at a good 15-20 degrees from what it should be. The sink had a very bad crack in it and the pedestal was badly grouted with mould forming. Even the taps on the bath were not matching. Yes, it was functional, yes there was a lot of hot water at any time of day. In conclusion, for the price I paid, was a fair price. What saves this hotel is the staff, the position to the town and the seafront and the view (if you have one).

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