Best Hotels near North Coast Emporium, John O＇Groats

The staff were very friendly. Had a great stay here

The check-in experience was odd - we were left on the street for quite a while until the man returned from checking other people in. Lots of Covid precautions are in place but we was made to feel like we were the walking infected. The man who checked us in was quite sharp in his tones and made me feel like we instantly made a mistake staying here. We were given a quick tour of room/kitchen area and left to it. The private double room with ensuite is what you expect of a hostel and having a tv was a bonus I wasn't expecting. The floorboards are quite frankly ridiculous, you can hear every movement from all over the hostel - you know exactly when someone has entered the building, when they're moving around upstairs (which they do a lot!) but the sound from the floor within our room was absurd. The thing I found really strange is that there are a lot of posters around written in capital letters with state the obvious messages on. Do not do this... Do this... Management says... You must... No this and that... etc etc etc. It certainly hasn't got that happy traveller vibe to it! We bought extra pillows with us - it is essential, you will never find thinner pillows! Little units next to the bed are useful but quickly looses their effect when you realise the doors are glued shut. The shower doesn't get hot and there is zero pressure so make sure you have some baby wipes on you. Towels are only available upon request, which was an annoying feature as the man that checks you in disappears. After check in, we couldn't find him for the rest of the evening so just went without and ended up using our old clothes for drying our hands etc. Breakfast was a very pleasant surprise. You are served by Sandra who offers tea, cereal and toast and is happy to keep on giving you as much as you would like. Sandra's husband is also around and gave lots of good tips about the local area. It's cheap and cheerful Lidl stuff, the food is fine but the tea has no taste. It's not their fault, but boy racers fly up and down the street especially at night making the loudest noises ever. The road is long, straight and has no stops so it is a boy racer paradise out there. The hostel isn't overly clean and the thing that jumps out the most is that there just feels like there's no love here. Lot's of covid precautions in place, but when there is dust and dirt in the rooms and kitchen from previous guests, the precautions are null. Sandra said that some of the building was new, you wouldn't believe it. It has been done in the absolute cheapest way possible and it just feels so run down. The decor is a range of browns, beiges and wood all over. Money isn't invested into the place and it's all just a bit sad. People rarely stay here for more than 1 night and that probably contributes to why their is very little love here. Lots of reviews on here say 'worth the money'. I have stayed in many, many places in the UK for less than £46 a night, this is not worth the money. If y