Not friendly, not peaceful, pokey room

We chose the Old Forge in Totnes because it looked like a quaint old building that had been developed into a comfortable BnB. The man who greeted us when we arrived was civil but was not a friendly character (which you would expect in a quaint BnB). As 3 single adults we booked the family suite with 3 separate beds. It was pokey and the ensuite door was more like a cupboard door so the other 2 could hear everything going on in the bathroom! Quite embarrassing really. The decor throughout was old and worn out. We were looking forward to a relaxing sleep in the next day but discovered at 7am that we were right above the kitchen with the sound of dishes crashing onto the benchtop, water running through pipes in the hollow walls in our room, and the strong smell of food cooking. So much for our sleep in! We decided that we could not put up with this for another 2 mornings (we had booked a 3 night stay over the August bank holiday weekend) so I approached the man after breakfast and told him about the noise, lack of ability to relax and sleep in, and that the room was not worth £119 that he was charging. His reply was that there is no such place where total silence exists, that we knew what we were getting when we booked (all we knew was that we would have an ensuite and 3 beds), and that he could not do anything about it. I said we would like to leave but would stay for the 2nd night (to give adequate notice) and have our 3rd night elsewhere. He said that the terms are 48hours notice so we would be liable for the 3rd night regardless, and he was not willing to compromise on this, even though I had made a valid complaint. It became an awful exchange where I felt bad for making the complaint, and was being stung financially for not wanting to put up with poor quality and poor hospitality. So we felt compelled to write this review and warn you all not to go! The Old Forge needs an overhaul in decor and front of house, and if that happens they should replace the unfriendly, 'not interested in good service' man too!

Meredith Owen - 18/09/2009 | report this review