Rutland Hotel, Dovedale

Good location but.. the shower did not work in room, we told reception who said it would be sorted while we were out for the evening, it wasn't. We mentioned it again in the morning with poor response so asked to move rooms. No apologies given. We were given another room where the shower worked but wasn't connected to the wall correctly. I'm sure this hotel was lovely in it's day but we found it tired and our experience did not match the price paid.

If you need convenient access to the hospital or a basic, no-frills place for your employees, this location will suffice. However, if you're looking for a hotel for leisure, you'll want to look elsewhere. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a young receptionist who was more interested in her phone than in helping guests. She didn’t seem to notice that I had a child with special needs and that I’m a parent accustomed to high demands. Instead of offering any real assistance, she gave me a smirk and responded with vague, inaccurate answers. For example, when I asked if I should press a reception button on the phone, she found my question amusing and said "yes" in a dismissive manner. Of course, when I did press the button, it didn't work. Other staff members were friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful, but I found this particular employee’s attitude and lack of knowledge incredibly frustrating. It turns out the correct number for the front desk is "0," a detail she failed to mention. The hotel’s shortcomings are in the details. While everything you need is technically there, it’s very basic and the décor leaves much to be desired. The wallpaper, for instance, only covers the area directly above the beds, which is odd. I can't help but wonder if this is done to cut costs but to cater to the online photographs, the edge of which end where this wallpaper ends. The building’s exterior has character, and the single-glazed windows maintain that charm (though you’ll hear the occasional 6 AM ambulance siren). However, the color schemes are unappealing, with unattractive tan and muddy off-colors, and the MDF window surrounds don’t help either. There are no herbal teas in the rooms, only four TV channels with a decent signal, and a noticeable shortage of plug sockets—especially near the beds. Conversely, there are many switches in the room that are mysterious, because they don't seem to work for anything. WiFi and data connection are hard to come by in the room. The hotel only serves pizza, and most nearby restaurants also specialize in pizza, limiting food choices. We ended up ordering takeaway, which the receptionist somewhat condescendingly suggested. We didn’t want takeaway in a hotel. The pillows are uncomfortably hard, and the mattress, made of some kind of firm foam, wasn’t to my son’s liking—he even pointed out some hairs in his bed. While I could have tolerated these issues, my son couldn’t sleep and only got three hours of rest, keeping me awake most of the night despite wearing earplugs. The door locks didn’t work, which another, more helpful staff member explained hadn’t yet been programmed. Overall, the finer details of this hotel were lacking. I wouldn’t recommend it for a recreational stay because a hotel should offer a more pleasant experience than home, and in this case, our home is much nicer. We immediately wanted to leave as soon as we entered our room. Staying here was more of a hassle than a pleasure. We were at breakfast by 7 AM, despite preferring to sleep in, simply because we were fed up, bored, and sleep-deprived. On the bright side, the noise the sink made after use had us laughing—something we desperately needed. Unfortunately, the bathroom radiator didn’t work during our stay, leaving us with soggy towels. Lastly, there’s a massive TV in the restaurant that was on during breakfast. I find large TVs in dining areas to be a bit tacky. For instance, I wouldn’t want to go to an Italian restaurant and have to watch football on a huge screen. The TV was just another irritation, especially since I was already exhausted.