The Sandgate Hotel (Folkestone, United Kingdom)

Guests loved the Sandgate’s location.They enjoyed the sweeping views of the English Channel from their private wrought iron balconies and some felt that this feature alone made the entire stay worthwhile.

Many guests found the Sandgate convenient for an overnight stay on the way to the Dover ferry or the Eurostar to Calais. While they described the rooms as basic and perhaps in need of a touch-up, they thought the accommodations were clean and comfortable and offered good value for the money. The complimentary breakfast, which they described as well prepared and more than adequate, was an additional bonus.

Guests gave the Sandgate’s staff top marks for friendly and helpful service. They appreciated the efforts the staff made to ensure an enjoyable stay and the attitude that nothing was too much trouble. Guests who had stayed at the Sandgate before said the staff feel like extended family.

Some guests thought that the Sandgate was overdue for an update. They complained about tired decor in the rooms, wind whistling through window frames, windows that wouldn’t open, cracked and missing bathroom tiles and broken toilet seats. Guests who parked in the back of the hotel, noted that the exterior had boarded up windows and did not create a favourable first impression. Guests with rooms at the top of the hotel expressed concerns about safety issues and said that the closest fire rexit was two floors down.

DIrty and dusty windows, particularly in rooms at the top of the hotel, prevented guests from enjoying the sea views. Others reported stains on cushions, mattresses, curtains and towels.

Warm and stuffy rooms and windows that wouldn’t open were problems for some guests at the hotel. Even with the windows closed, others were still disturbed by traffic noise from the busy street below.