Smithfield Apartments by YourStays - Gated Apartments with private car park in City Centre

Clean spacious had everything we needed

Everything was great

At first sight, the apartment complex is rather unprepossessing. However, our apartment turned out to be light, spacious, comfortable and well equipped. The beds and pillows were particularly comfortable. The location proved to be remarkably quiet despite being directly opposite the fire station. Parking onsite was easy and a bonus - though the parking was not "gated" as in the description. The town centre was in very easy walking distance of the apartment - but, to warn you, we didn't find much in the town centre to recommend it.

All our communications were online with the apartment details. entry code etc only being released to us about an hour before the official arrival time - it would have been more re-assuring to have had these important details earlier. Minor concerns - 1. a bottle opener/corkscrew in the kitchen equipment would have been useful. 2. We got only watchable TV on BBC1 and 2. The signal was too weak to get any other channels. Major grouch - security deposit required, which is fair enough, but to have to pay a £10 administration charge simply to have your credit card blocked is just not on. The alternative, to pay a £35 damage waiver fee, smacks of opportunism. These were not made clear before booking and a non-fundable payment had been made.

It was close to the venue we were going to and had on-site parking, which was essential because we are both disabled. Lottie - Customer service is an absolute asset and deserves high praise for her handling of the problems we experienced throughout our stay. The maintenance man (whose name I didn't get) was remarkably helpful, too.

On arrival, we noticed that the apartment felt jaded. It wasn't as clean as we would have liked, and it felt shabby. We found a dirty sock on one of the dining chairs. There was no safety mat in the shower and nothing to hold onto if either of us slipped on the smooth surface. I also expected a towelling mat to step onto when leaving the shower. Both these issues presented a health and safety risk. There was also standing water in the shower tray because the outlet is set higher than the tray, and the water doesn't drain away. This can present a risk as the water could have been sitting for some time, and if it had not been cleaned properly, it could contain contaminants. On the point of water, the temperature of the water was dangerously too hot. I would go as far as to suggest that the temperature is in breach of legal limits, and if anyone were to scold themselves, the owners would be looking at legal proceedings. It goes very quickly from cold to scolding hot, and we got caught out a couple of times in the kitchen, which made us very cautious when it came to the shower. We then attempted to lift the glass and chrome coffee table closer to the sofa, and two of the legs started to fall off. We put it down quickly and called reception to deal with these issues. It transpired that there are no staff on site. The young lady Rachel explained that she would speak to housekeeping and maintenance and get things sorted out, but it wouldn't happen until the following day. I was not happy as it would mean our not being able to use the shower. The cushions on the sofa were filthy, there was food debris stuck to them, and the fluffy cushion covers were matted and grubby. Have they ever been washed? We prepared a meal and couldn't find the salt and pepper, which I was assured of would be there when I emailed before our journey started. Otherwise, I would have brought it with me.

My family and I enjoyed our stay at Smithfield apartments. The communication with the team was very good. The location is easier to get to and it’s very quiet

Apartment 1 was spacious and met our needs. The bedrooms both had en-suite facilities and the bedding and towels were scrupulously clean.

Apartment 2 and apartment 6 had a bad smell about them. Apartment 6 was a studio apartment and therefore not suitable for 2 colleagues to stay in. It was virtually impossible to air apartment 2 at night as windows on the ground floor led straight to the road and it would be unsafe to leave them open. The smell was worse in Apartmrnt 6 and the bathroom had a distinct strong smell of damp. The sofa in apartment 6 has marks on it. The coffee table in apartment 1 was incredibly dodgy- wobbly- would possibly fall apart. The saucepan in apartment 1 made scrambled egg taste decidedly odd. The outer doors at the back were impossible/temperamental. The info about access did not arrive on time so I had to enquire - I did get the help I needed