Reviews of Sefton Express Hotel, Ballasalla
Review by Anonymous on 31st August, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 2009-08-31
Good Points: Close to the airport; good breakfast; good value.
Bad Points: Room smaller than many similar hotels on the mainland.
General review: Room was cleaned every day and staff were friendly and helpful.
Review by Bin on 19th September, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 2008-09-19
Bad Points: shower not warm enough
Review by J on 1st June, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 29/05/08
I stayed during TT practice week so the room price instantly jumped from £55 a night to £95 per night even though I booked two months in advance.
This hotel advertises facilities such as a bar, vending machines and a resturant, but in reality the bar is a fridge with a very small selection of bottled beer and the one vending machine they did have was 80% empty with a very poor selection of crisps and sweets. Upon arrival I ordered two cans of coke and a small orange juice and was charged £3.60. £1.20 per item???? Daylight robbery sprung to mind.
The bar and restaurant they advertise are actually situated in the reception area. There were very few guests around, but after checking in I had to drag my luggage through the tables and chairs (oops! Sorry, restaurant) to get to the corridor leading to the accommodation corridor.
Having not eaten properly after working 12hour shifts for the last three days I
Was looking forward to a cool beer and a steak cooked by a proper chef in a proper resturant. What I got was a very poor menu of what looked like microwave ready meal type food. Soup, chicken tikka with rice, homemade cottage pie (not that they appeared to have a kitchen to make it in) chicken cacciatore with rice and salad, beef chilli con carne with rice and salad, (thought I slipped through the earth to china for a moment with all that rice) Braised beef goulash, mash and veg. The vegitarian option was mushroom soup. Glad I was staying for one night and not a week and that I was not vegetarian as I may of withered away on the one measily offering of the vegetarian mushroom soup. They did do sandwiches plain or toasted and offered afternoon tea and coffee and a small packet of biscuits, very nutricious I’m sure after a hard days graft. To top this off, there was not even an offering of a cooked breakfast, it was juice, cereal and toast – YUMMY just what I need for the 6 hours of travelling I’m about to do before I see food again. Just remind me again what the £95 charge is for? I was going to order take away, but was told by reception that they have to get a taxi to deliver it as there is nothing local so I’d be charged £5 extra. What planet is the IOM on again!!!
The reception staff must be well trained as not only were they welcoming you at reception they managed the bar and also prepared and cooked the meals on offer.
Its shocking how they managed to find the time to prepare homemade cottage pie. I did complain twice, once upon arrival about the bar and restaurant and again before breakfast the next day. The manager was not available on either of these occasions and I was not offered any form of compensation or refund. I was smiled at a lot and sympathised with while they charged the £95 fee to my credit card. Ouch!!!
After spending three lovely nights in Peel at 4star ALBANY HOUSE at £50 per night (yes £50 in the middle of TT fortnight) with excellent, friendly hosts, brilliant cooked breakfasts and cosy well decorated room/ensuite I was shocked to find the Sefton Hotel is rated as a 4* establishment. I would of saved myself around £30 had I stayed in Peel and got a taxi to the airport the same day as my flight. You can stay in Central London for £81 a night in a Premier Inn and get a proper bar and restaurant and local amenities to boot. I do not understand how they can justify charging £55 on a normal night without the restaurant/bar let alone £95. I wont be using them again, I’ll stay elsewhere next time I visit the IOM and pay for a taxi to the airport
Review by terence on 8th April, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 2008-04-08
Good Points: very friendly and attentive staff and a handy part of the islands transport network
General review: The staff were very helpful and the rooms were well serviced and comfortable, the continental breakfast was comprehensive and enjoyable, we will definitely be returning!
Review by Karen on 16th July, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 2007-07-16
Good Points: Position, cleanliness, lovely staff, well the one I saw! Comfy bed, nice en suite, good size room.
Bad Points: Not many staff, felt a bit like I was in a robotic hotel. At breakfast only one person on duty covering desk and breakfast
General review: Could've been made clearer that there was no restaurant service in the evening, as a solo woman traveller I'm not thrilled at the prospect of venturing into the night to find food, nor ordering in takeaway. Could there be some basic room service? By the time I'd arrived the last thing I wanted was to start ringing around and waiting for food to be delivered.(I arrived at approx 8.30pm) However the information about where to get food and what was on offer was very good
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