Nottingham Gateway Hotel, Nottingham

...a Romanian hostel not a Nottingham hotel. I know I've just mentioned it but the carpet was disgustingly dirty.
As I went though my 4th set of fire doors into a stale smoke filled corridor where my room was I was a little confused as I was supposed to be in a non smokers room.

Nothing prepared me for the room, here is a list of the things i can recall:
A powerful smell of very stale smoke
A carpet that you wouldn't ...
...was appalling.
While I don't like Premier Lodges very much at least they are clean (and cheaper) and there is one just a few hundred yards down the road, so if your ever in need of a bed in Nottingham go there, never ever choose the Gateway!  ... more

What a horrible hotel this is!

I really don't know where to start; from the 70s looking frontage (that's 70's in a cheap poorly designed way, not cool 70's way), to the lobby that looks like an entrance to a run down council sports center, or the truly revolting rooms, poor breakfast, surly staff (although who could blame them for being glum in such grim place), I really am finding it hard to think of anything positive to say.

I have the pleasure of staying over in this area one or two nights every 8 weeks or so due to my work and so far stayed in 5 different hotels. This one ranks bottom so easily it's scary that they can stay in business.

Because it's business and during the week they obviously overcharge for the room rate, my double room was £100 despite the sign in the lobby saying a double was £90. This was pretty strange as a work mate was being charged £66 for the same type of double room.

When I was walking down the corridor towards my room my heart sank. The dark and dirty walls, ceiling and stained carpet looked like something you would find in a Romanian hostel not a Nottingham hotel. I know I've just mentioned it but the carpet was disgustingly dirty.
As I went though my 4th set of fire doors into a stale smoke filled corridor where my room was I was a little confused as I was supposed to be in a non smokers room.

Nothing prepared me for the room, here is a list of the things i can recall:
A powerful smell of very stale smoke
A carpet that you wouldn't want to walk on in socks let alone bare foot
Cheap, cheap, cheap furniture
Cheap, cheap, cheap bedding
Dirty, thin, itchy looking blankets on the bed (no duvet)
A bathroom that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in 20 years
Mold around the bath and bathroom floor
A broken TV
Stained walls
Stained chairs

Once I had taken in the horror of a £100 a night Gateway hotel room I picked up the room phone to call reception. Silly of me to expect the phone to work. So I found the telephone number and called reception from my mobile, and asked nicely to be put in another room that didn't stink of fags. After my second call they promised to call me back.

I waited and watched sky sports on the tiny TV with the broken remote. Every 60 seconds or so the screen would go blank and then pop back to the correct channel. I gave up waiting and walked to reception, where they said that they did call me back but I didn't answer (the phone didn't work remember)

Then came the 1st of the only two positive things in the whole experience, they moved me to an executive room (usually £130) without being charged the difference. To be honest I was not expecting much better despite the promise the room had never been smoked in.

Then came the 2nd positive part....
...The room was much better.
Don't get me wrong if it had been the room I was first given I would have not been happy, but in comparison to the original it was a palace. I even didn't feel I had to levitate above the bed to be sure not to catch some kind of lice, as I did in the other room.

I don't have the heart to carry on apart from saving the breakfast was appalling.
While I don't like Premier Lodges very much at least they are clean (and cheaper) and there is one just a few hundred yards down the road, so if your ever in need of a bed in Nottingham go there, never ever choose the Gateway! 

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