Albion House at Ramsgate

Visited on a Sunday afternoon. We were the only two in the bar on arrival. Took a look round for somewhere nice to sit and was met by a very unfriendly receptionist looking down her nose. Who on earth interviews these people to fill these positions? Smile please and be welcoming. The lady who served us at the bar was lovely I have to say.

I have been to Albion House in Ramsgate many times in the past and have always had a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, on this occasion, I was saddened to see that the hotel is way below the standards I've been used to. We arrived early and asked if we could store our luggage there until check-in, but felt that even that was an imposition. We then returned just after normal check-in time and were told that our rooms were not ready, but would be in two minutes. Over 45 minutes later, we were then told we could go to our rooms. I have to say some of the common areas now are really in need of some TLC. The rooms also need updating. The television barely worked in our room and there had been some repairs done to the wall which had not been painted over fully and the window frames are peeling away. There should be a small fridge in the room, as well as a decent fan or an air conditioning unit, as the room was very hot. As soon as you open the windows, you hear the loud traffic noise outside and this goes on during the night, so hardly conducive to a good night's sleep. Usually, the rooms here are immaculate and spotless, but when I went into the bathroom, I noticed two cigarette papers on the floor by the radiator and also a big clump of hair! Clearly this room had not been given the finishing touches we had been told were taking so much time to have the room ready! There was also a distinct lack of affability from most of the staff. This is something that really saddened me, as I have always felt welcome and at home when I have stayed there, but this time I felt like an imposing guest. There is mostly nobody manning the front desk. When we checked out, I was asked if my stay was ok, but this was mainly as an afterthought. The only saving grace really was the breakfast, the service here was far better and the food was as lovely as always. I was surprised during our stay that there were barely any other people in the restaurant or bar and usually this would be packed in peak season. This is very telling of somewhere that has lost its way and even the locals seem to now be shunning it. I understand that the hotel has recently changed hands and all I will say is that you can really tell. Albion House would usually have been my choice of hotel in Ramsgate and I have recommended it to a lot of people in the past. I will certainly no longer be doing that.