Old Police House

It may be that a laissez fait approach to hotel management is preferred by some, but in a similar way to other reviewers, we were very disappointed and found the Police House not as advertised or as generally acceptable, even for a short stay. Booked several weeks in advance, on arrival our concerns were initially raised on seeing a SOLD sign outside the property. During a heavy rainstorm we walked around the building, knocked on the locked back door, and then discovered the front door was unlocked and accessible. Reluctant to enter, it was clear that no-one was there, so a telephone call was made to the `owner' (?), and a voice mail left asking for a return call and instructions. After waiting in the hallway for some time, having not received a reply and checking this was the right property (!), we decided to find our room. We eventually discovered a room apparently meant for our stay, but contact at this point from the owner would have been a basic courtesy. In fact, a return call was never received, or indeed, there was no appearance from the owner throughout our stay. Consequently, no explanations were offered about use of the facilities, or notably, the means to report broken equipment or the absence of advertised services. In short, there was no communication offered or feed back possible. No drinking water was provided within the bedroom, there was no personal washing facilities of any sort within the room other than a shared bathroom, and without any frills, the furnishings could be described as basic. Although a large shared lounge area was available for use, there was no instructions about use of equipment, and the room itself generally seemed as if it was rarely used. The TV within our bedroom (as that is all it was) had poor or no signal, making it inoperable. The shower in the shared bathroom, our only washing facility, did not appear to be functioning, therefore only the very large corner bath was available for use. Fortunately, we are fairly agile people, but this could have been most inconvenient for someone with mobility problems. By far the most important issue, however, was that there appeared to be no system to explain fire safety, with no fire doors and several locked exit doors. The only people encountered in the Police House during our entire stay also commented on the absence and lack of communication with the owner/host (?), and the mystifying style of management. As noted in the more positive reviews, the description of an owner, `so friendly and helpful', would have been advantageous for everyone in any mood or level of helpfulness! Unfortunately, despite their displayed certificates, our impression of their hospitality and management skills leaves a lot to be desired. Although the potential of the building itself is considerable, and it is located in a village, `Spittal', which refers to the Medieval link with pilgrimage to St David's, the owner seems to have taken on an organisational style to that of a hostel. Maybe