Made a late booking and opted for an upgraded room for £55 B&B which is all of £5 more than the standard rate - for this we were given a massive bedroom with a large very comfy bed, very spacious work area with desk and free wifi and a sofa to watch TV - yes the floor creaked a little in places but it is an old building and I understand that creaking floors can be very expensive to repair - the only downsides to the room were that the bathroom really does need updating/refurbishing and the street noise from so called revellers - we had no problem with cleanliness as everything was in good order
The breakfast, as far as it went, was good but the choice was quite limited compared to most buffets in that the cold offering was really only fruit juice, tinned fruit or small packs of cereal whilst the hot was restricted to bacon, sausages,fried eggs. baked beans, mushrooms and tinned tomatoes
Agreed that thehotel does need refurbished in places especially the worn frayed carpets in the public areas but at least we found it to be clean
Must also mention the free parking in the hotels own private car park
Overall not a bad stay at the price for 2 adults and a dog (no charge for dog)
We would use again

We were booked in as a package deal (which was unalterable) on a trip to Hadrian's Wall. The staff were extremely friendly and the food was nicely prepared and one could choose from a short menu. There have been a myriad of dreadful reports on this hotel- which may have been justified in the past but the new management is getting after it. The location is not helped by the pubs and clubs right outside (The central area of Carlisle can, in the words of P.G. Wodehouse, resemble Belfast on one of its livelier nights). It is not a good idea to have a room facing the front. Otherwise- even on Saturday- it was quite quiet. the beds were clean and comfortable and clean towels supplied daily. It is a little dated, but the refurbished rooms are quite satisfactory. The staff in the restaurant went out of their way to be as helpful as possible. Overall, a much better experience than one would have expected from the Trip Advisor reports.

We stayed here for one night last weekend, and found the carpark easily with sat nav. From entering the hotel, it was obvious why it was only £50 a night: faded elegance would be being kind, and 'in desperate need of some TLC' more honest. We had an enormous room on the first floor, directly overlooking the main road with the pubs and station opposite. Whilst clean, the furniture and decor were old and tired, and the bathroom simply needed refitting.
On going to bed, we realised just how useless the old windows were at keeping out noise from the street - not even the gale force winds could drown out the traffic and revellers. Also, and really quite annoyingly, the floors were really loud and creaky so that someone walking past our room on their way to/from the stairs sounded as if they were a foot away from the bed. We didn't book to have breakfast in the hotel and I was really glad we hadn't! There are plenty of pubs and cafés serving nice breakfasts a stone's throw away.
The one plus is that this hotel was bang in the middle of Carlisle - opposite the station and a 5 minute walk from the shops. However, I would not stay here again unless it had undergone a major refit - I'd much rather pay a bit more and have a good night's sleep.

Shocking bed, shocking room, hard to find how to get into the parking, noisy ...very noisy all night. Worst night of a month long holiday...however saving grace a great Italian restaurant around the corner....perfect! Get what you pay for I guess.