Villa Mentone Hotel

Business trip Nice hotel, not actually right by the sea as I expected as it is actually on a cliff, but this could be my fault for not looking at all the photos. Some of the hotel is nicely decorated, other areas quite shabby. I booked a single room which was very tiny and claustrophobic but it was a good price. Close to shops and a high street and cliff walks. Staff helpful and friendly. Great views on the veranda. Breakfast was average but plenty as it was a buffet.

Quiet area, walking distance to beach and restaurants

This is a tricky review to write as there are more negatives than positives but I hope the constructive feedback is taken as helpful. First the positives...Undoubtedly the best thing about our stay was the incredible stunning panoramic sea view from the room's private balcony which is breathtaking to say the least. We used it every day and it was the highlight of our stay. The hotel is also ideally situated for walking into Shanklin town and as others have said the lift to the beach. The car park is small but we always managed to get a space. Salma, the owner was very helpful during the booking process and like other hotels they have a business account with the ferry companies so you can get a good discount. Now the not so good.... The hotel decor is very tired and tatty in places. The stair carpet was ill fitted and covered in stains. The handrail to the upper floors was sticky to the touch. In our room, the area behind the toilet and vent were dirty. The toilet seat was the wrong shape for the toilet and wasn't fitted properly. Whoever painted the bathroom door forgot to paint down the side. The glass window had a large crack all the way down and looked like it had been previously patched in the corner. On the balcony the floor hadn't been cleaned behind the furniture and there were cobwebs hanging everywhere and dead bugs around the privacy boards and behind the egg chair. The beds and bedding were not comfortable at all, very hard (as opposed to firm) and the pillows were paper thin. We had to ask for more but they were still uncomfortable. I went home with a very sore back. The buffet breakfast which has been described as the best on the island is most certainly not. The bacon was pre-cooked, stacked in the warmer and was hard. The fried eggs were either under or over cooked and swimming in oil. The mushrooms were slimy. The yogurts were left out and were warm. My mother ate one of the sausages on the first morning and deemed it revolting. We only ate the breakfast for the first few days but couldn't stomach it after that and ate out instead. Lots of people have commented on the friendliness of the staff but none of the staff spoke at breakfast unless you caught their eye and said good morning. The chap managing reception and it seemed everything else was lovely but not very communicative. Perhaps he was just tired as he was there at breakfast and still there late in the evening on all the days we stayed. I would have provided direct feedback but we didn't see the owner Salma during our stay. It's such a shame as if they smartened things up with a lick of paint, improved the cleaning and the quality of the bedding and breakfast, it would make a vast difference as that view is very special indeed but the hotel seems to be relying on this to carry everything else.