We did arrive late on a Sat. nite, around 21.30, after a long drive from Bedford, checked in to our 3rd floor family room in the attic, ceilings too low for me and room a bit smelly. We went out for a bite to eat and returned around 23.00hrs, front door closed (we were told earlier this may be the case) so used rear entrance with uneven ground and poor lighting. Poor nites sleep,that's just me tho, struggled in shower due to lack of height of ceiling. I loaded the car as my partner went to dining room to sit for breakfast, she was told off for sitting at the wrong table, plenty of toast, cereals, coffee and juices, but the cooked breakfasts could have been better. When finally checking out, the lady of the house tried to have a conversation with our daughter with little response, to which she responded, she would give her own kids a slap if they were that ignorant - not the comment to give to paying guests. Would we go back ? no chance, while she still runs it.

After a last minute booking through the Tourist Office we found ourselves at 'The Beacons'. Now it's not going to win any awards for style (we stayed in a bright fuscia coloured room that we think had been refurbished - style's a personal thing though) but it was clean, the bed was comfy, staff very friendly and the breakfast ok. The downsides - a plastic cubicle type shower and a bit of a grotty carpark.

I read a few of the recent negative reviews and decided to give it a go. Stayed for 2 nights on business. Here are the highlights!

1. Room was very cold first night. Asked for an electric heater second night and got one (although I think the only one). As it happens after I stayed the radiator got warmer. However, overall the house is cold (including dining room) and I wouldn't recommend it in very cold weather.

2. Service was generally ok and the young man who dies the breakfasts etc is very friendly and polite.

3. Breakfast ok

4. Location for town - good - 5 mins walk.

5. Good private parking although dark if you arrive late

6. Decor was average to good and room was clean. Also plenty of tea/coffee etc in room.

7. TV with all main channels

8. Shower worked well

All in all ok apart from the cold!

Unfortunately, a similar experience to that of our reviewers. While we found the b&b itself "acceptable" (we just needed a place to lay the head), the owners are quite indifferent, swinging between rude and conciliatory.

When we arrived we were shown to a bedroom that had just been decorated recently. The room was lovely, immaculate job, new carpets, lovely colours etc ... everything. But it had been done *so* recently that the room stank of paint fumes, those given off by the new wood gloss. We had to sleep with the window open, freezing.

The next morning, when we asked politely if we could change rooms, the lady of the house was very rude and initially refused to help, saying they were full (contrary to a sign on their door). A while later she miraculously found a free room we could move to. When we returned at the end of the day, there was a bottle of wine left for us in the room, we suspect from the man of the house.

While it was a nice closing gesture, the facts remain that they shouldn't have let out a room so intoxicated with paint fumes, and there was clearly no need to be so rude to us when we asked to be moved.