Rosemead Guest House

There are some semi-decent reviews for this guest house - they must be from people that like time travel and really low standards!! It was like we were transported back to the 50s! How deceptive the promotional photos for this accommodation are! We arrived last night with my daughter, planning to stay 2 nights but my daughter burst into tears when she saw the facilities. I calmed her down saying we don’t need to use the bathroom, only the toilet, our bedroom was outdated but clean. But at 22:30 we were kept awake by really strong disturbing smell of cooking, and at 7am again. Some guests didn’t flush the toilet after use, disgusting. Totally depressing stay, we left after 12h and the experience will stay with us for a long time. Absolutely overpriced!!

I was warmly greeted by the host before being shown to my room and the amenities. The room was very spacious, with an ensuite. There was a TV, tea/coffee facilities and a large free standing fan. The bed was comfortable with a great view over the rear garden. Everything was very clean. The ensuite was clean, spacious and functional. There was ample free off road parking at the property. Breakfast was good, with the option of full English with tea/coffee and toast. The host was extremely pleasant and genuinely wanted to offer the best experience for his guests. Highly recommended, would happily return next time I'm in the area.

This place is like an old-fashioned English B & B lost in time. That could be a good thing but unfortunately this place is a mix of positives and negatives. This review applies to the single room in particular. I haven't stayed in a double so I don't know how they compare. First the postive: The guesthouse is nicely located within 7-8 minutes walk of Claygate, wtih various eating options. There is free parking. You can use the kitchen to heat up a meal, which is a real plus. (Lots of ready-meal options at the co-op.) The owner, Charles, is a welcoming person and has that old style English politeness. Unfortunately there are several negative points: The single room was so small there was no place to sit but on the bed. Really too small in my view. No room for a chair or a desk, and the TV is up on a high shelf so that you have to crane your neck to see it. It is almost completely useless being up that high. You're better off bringing a laptop or iPad if you want to watch any films. The shared bathroom is in desperate need of renovation. It features a bathtub that looks like it has been there for at least five decades or more. The sink has a marble top cracked in several places. It's the kind of thing I've seen in homes that are being sold under auction for full renovation. Also, just after 10pm, when I was already in bed and starting to go to sleep, someone in the kitchen starting cooking up a storm with very strong garlic and onion smells. I had to open the window for quite a while, even though it was cold outside. I don't know how was cooking, but I'm aware that people from some foreign countries do their cooking at this hour. So just be aware of the positives and negatives if you decide to come here. The place unfortunately needs some investment to bring the room and the bathroom up to standards and I have the impression the current owner isn't very interested in doing that.