Oban Hotel

I needed a hotel room at the last minute, so booked a deluxe room with balcony at the Oban. It all looked rather splendid online but later that evening I stumbled upon some of the reviews left by others and was horrified at reports of uncleanliness, disrepair and bed bug infestations. Brilliant I thought, but it was too late by now and there was no going back, so this would therefore be a grin and bear it job. It was dead easy to park along the seafront almost immediately opposite but a feeling of dread came over me as I approached the hotel entrance. I'd had an email to say we were in room 13 on the first floor and to go straight up where we would then find the room key. By now my superstitious self felt a bit like Del Boy standing outside the Villa Bella after chucking half a paving stone through one of the windows, but fortunately Mrs Cresswell didn't put in an appearance. We went in and as we arrived at the top of the stairs a cleaning lady was busy at work in an adjacent room and greeted us warmly as we approached. On entering the room and I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite clean enough with a nicely made bed and smelt nice and fresh. A small little thunderbox with a square shower cubicle was provided, along with a customary miniature bottle of shampoo and shower gel. This was perfectly acceptable to our needs but if you like your porklife then you'll likely get stuck inside and have to be rescued by a pair of strapping firemen with firm hoses and shiny helmets. The pièce de résistance was a super large bay window looking out to the seafront with fantastic views of force 9 January gales, a glimpse of Eastbourne pier and a funny little fort thing on a mound. The full length sash window on the right led out to a cosy parapet type balcony with a couple of chairs provided. Perfect!! The bed was kingsize and super comfy with one of the best mattresses I've ever encountered. The hotel is unmanned and was extremely quiet and deserted, but I'm an introvert and tend to dread interactions with other people and their nonsense so this suited me like a cream cake to a fatty. We went out for a bit and on leaving I was surprised to hear a voice summoning my attention from a doorbell type intercom device to enquire if I'd found my room and to inform me to use the magnetic fob type door opener to get back in later, before wishing me a happy stay! Anyway, back in the room after a few beers, a bottle of wine and a bit of a columbian blaze I went in search of some teabags and the little exploding milks which I remember seeing on a worktop in the reception area. There was also some additional bog roll provided which was a godsend as me and the missis had slightly overeaten in the nearby Duke of Devonshire pub and I knew that our bottoms would be working overtime the following morning. So in the small hours after gathering this little haul I had a wander around taking in some of the original features of the building such as decorative plasterwork and still quite ornate staircases and ceiling roses. I was secretly hoping that I'd see a ghost. Or perhaps Slimer with a mouthful of sosidge and maybe even Jack Nicholson fire-axing his way through one of the retro sapele doors. Fortunately all remained silent and the intercom didn't tell me off so I retired to bed where I watched an episode of Goodnight Sweetheart and about half a Mr Bean before conking out and having a truly superb sleep. Ok the place is a bit tired and hasn't seen a paintbrush for probably about a decade, but all the lights worked, the toilit worked, the telly worked, the telly remote worked. The water was hot, the oil filled radiator on wheels did it's job despite the outside temperature being like Antarctica. It was cosy. I didn't see a single bedbug. Nobody died. And all of this was a meagre £70. If you narrow your eyes a bit after a good session you can pretend you're staying at the Grand in Brighton and just drink Lambrini out of champagne glasses all for about a fifth of the price!!! I'd happily stay again!

May need a little updating but was perfect for our requirements. Great view, lovely comfy mattress. Tea making facilities, nice hot shower and a balcony. Beautiful old building with a lot of original features. Unmanned but the staff member we did see was very polite. Help yourself area for extra toilet roll, tea and coffee etc… will definitely come again.

The Location

The only thing I liked was that it had a radiator

The bathroom was dirty, there was a hole in the bathroom ceiling, also the shower couldn’t open properly and the bath mat was moulded

Great location to explore Eastbourne and the Coast. Comfy sleep both nights and cosy hotel room.

Kept you informed.

I know it was reduced staff but didn’t see one member. It was like it was deserted.

good price and location.

There is no support if sth is not good with room.