The Spyglass & Kettle by Greene King Inns

Close to sea front

We stayed at the Skyglass & Kettle for one night and also had dinner there with friends, and overall we had a brilliant experience. For us, the location is the biggest selling point — you literally couldn’t ask for a better spot! It’s directly opposite Gordon’s Zip Zap and less than a few minutes’ walk to the beach. There’s free parking at the pub on a first-come, first-served basis, although there’s also plenty of free on-street parking nearby, so parking wasn’t an issue for us. We stayed in Family Room 1 on the first floor. As advertised, it had a double bed and two single beds, but what we particularly liked was the layout. The double bed was at one end of the room, while the two single beds were at the other, almost creating a little separate sleeping area for the children. The room itself was a really good size, and the beds were SO comfortable — honestly, some of the comfiest beds we’ve slept in! The children were very happy too. The staff were fantastic throughout our stay and the service was great. The room had everything we needed — towels, shower gel and plenty of toilet roll — and we were also given a telephone number to contact if we needed anything during the night, which was a nice touch. We also had dinner there that evening with friends, which was another really positive part of our experience. The portions were a little smaller than some pub meals we’re used to, but the quality of the food was excellent and we all really enjoyed our meals. It was incredibly busy that evening and, if I’m honest, it felt like the team could probably have done with a few more staff. They warned us that food would be around an hour, but it actually arrived after about 35–40 minutes, so we were very happy. We were with friends, sipping our drinks and chatting, so the wait really wasn’t an issue. The following morning, breakfast was brilliant. Alongside the continental options, there was also a choice of cooked breakfast, which was a great bonus.

There were a couple of minor things that could be improved. The toilet seat didn’t quite seem to be the right shape for the toilet, and although the shower had good pressure, the shower door didn’t close properly. The en-suite was quite compact, with the bathroom door very close to the end of the bed, so there isn’t a huge amount of space in that area. We also only had one fan for the side of the room with the two single beds. We happened to stay during the heatwave and had brought our own portable fan, so we were fine. To be fair, we were given a number to call if we needed anything, so I’m sure an additional fan could have been provided if we asked.

Clean, friendly staff and the location was excellent

Needs updating a bit and a set of drawers in the rooms would be good.

Great location! Across the road from the beach (dog friendly party) and the B&B is dog friendly. Staff were loverly and there is parking.

It's very dated - the wall paper is coming away, the curtains were coming off the hooks, the window didn't close, there was no shower gel, the water pressure in the shower wasn't very good and the room was very small.