OYO The White Horse, Ripon North Yorkshire

When we first arrived we was told we hadn’t booked a room, after waiting in the carpark on the phone to booking.com for an hour, they told me to go back inside and ask again and magically our room appeared on the booking system. All I can say is I wish it wasn’t there. The rooms are like a panic room with a kettle they are so small, stinks and I mean stinks of damp, along with the mould on the walls, ceilings etc. As we were just there for the night and we’d arrived late, we thought, just go to bed and sleep…again, bed felt wet and damp it was that cold(we slept fully clothed). The mattress or should I say springs we slept on was the most uncomfortable bed I think I have ever slept in, my guess is I’d have had a better nights sleep in the courtyard on the concrete. The staff were pleasant enough, although not very helpful. The best part of this place is the Thai restaurant attached to the pub, my advice would be, don’t book a room, but go to the restaurant. You’ll thank me for it. I hadn’t checked the reviews before booking, but after seeing the room I had a look and wow, the bad ones are spot on. And there are more bad than good. Needs a complete refurb this place. Will not be returning.

I’ll be fair ok Good location staff very friendly Thai food good Quality and good portions free off street parking Beer/ drinks not too expensive Room in courtyard terrible Stench of damp mould on walls cobwebs all over no hot water No toiletries and decor awful Shower was ok only room redeeming feature

Please Avoid – Extremely Disappointing and Concerning Experience Unfortunately, our stay was one issue after another, across two different rooms and two nights. First Night – First Room The most serious issue was that my partner’s watch was stolen from the bar. Conveniently, we were then told that the CCTV was not working. We also experienced a toilet that constantly flushed, along with an extremely noisy cistern. During our stay, the owner shared a significant amount of personal information regarding two individuals who had allegedly been placed at the hotel by the local authority due to safeguarding concerns. If this information was accurate, we found the apparent sharing of such sensitive personal information extremely concerning. We also witnessed these individuals involved in a fight in the courtyard, which resulted in the police attending the property. To make matters worse, glass was smashed around my partner’s van, with a significant amount of glass found underneath one of our tyres. When we pointed this out to the manager, Craig, his response was: “Well, you need a new tyre anyways.” We found this response completely dismissive and unacceptable. Second Night – Second Room Following the issues on our first night, we were offered another room at a discounted rate. Unfortunately, the second room brought even more problems. Despite being advertised as a family room, the room smelled strongly of cannabis, something Craig acknowledged and appeared to laugh about. There were also suspicious hairs in the shower, which was far from pleasant. The beds were incredibly uncomfortable, and neither of us had a decent night’s sleep. The most concerning issue was the television, which was propped up on one leg and balancing precariously on the other. In a room advertised as a family room, this is potentially extremely dangerous, particularly for children. Someone could easily be seriously injured if it were to fall. There was also no remote control for the TV. We contacted Ian, who told us he would get a replacement in the morning. While we appreciated the response, it didn’t solve the issue for that evening, leaving us sitting in the room without being able to use the television. The hotel also advertises Wi-Fi, but we were unable to access any working Wi-Fi during our stay. Refund Issues We were promised a refund, which was confirmed to us by text message. However, the hotel is now refusing to honour this, leaving us with no option but to pursue the matter through our bank. Perhaps most tellingly, even members of staff working at the hotel acknowledged that many of these issues have been ongoing for years and expressed embarrassment about the condition of some of the rooms. It is a real shame because the property has the potential to be lovely. With proper renovation, maintenance, improved management, and attention to guest safety and cleanliness, it could be a completely different experience. However, based on our experience, we would strongly advise others to avoid staying here until these serious issues are properly addressed.