Blue Bell Hotel

The bedroom. The waiter Jamie.

The shower was very difficult to turn to alter the temperature and I needed my husband's help. The sheet on our bed was bobbly so I turned it over. I believe more staff are required at breakfast as there was a long wait one day and some guests were receiving the wrong orders.

A good location for those walking the coastal path, or other walks nearby, with a convenient bus stop very close too. The provision of a drying room was great to dry some wet gear. The manager deserves special recognition for making this such a nice stay. Thank you

The light in the bathroom didn’t work.

Not alot

Our room had not been cleaned. The toilet was covered in faeces, used soap and btl of moisturiser left on sink, no shower curtain (so couldn't have a shower). The carpet had lots of bits on it (hadn't been hoovered). Got into bed and found a towel in the bed. Breakfast dried up . Staff in bar had too many jobs other than serving (he was a nice guy )just overworked. The hotel needs a revamp.

This is a hidden treasure near to Lindisfarne. The Hotel is old and maintains its origanal charm and character but our room was comfortable, as were the beds and it had a nice ensuite bathroom. All the little extras like a kettle, coffee, tea and biscuits were included at a very reasonable price. The breakfast was very good but the evening meal on the Sunday we arrived was amazing with very generous proportions and delicious food. Everyone was very friendly. There is a Co-op Supermarket nearby for anything you might need. It's well worth a walk up the hill and down again to see a magnificent view of the sea, Lindisfarne and Bamborough Castle.

It's an old Hotel and they haven't spoiled it by modernising it too much, which we quite liked so not really a problem. The evening meals were so generous that most people didn't finish everything, which was a waste.

The very lovely building and interiors The comfortable bed The rich breakfast The kind staff

Location perfect for visiting Holy Island Bamburgh Castle. Centre of village. All the staff were brilliant helpful and accommodating.

Only down point was the bathroom. Needs a little attention to detail (flooring) and a shelf would be useful.

Huge cooked breakfast very tasty set you up for the day. Parking out front very handy. Nice garden out the back.

Nothing much wrong the only gripe would be that the kitchen was advertised on the website as closing at 8pm and we got back just after 7pm and we're told that the kitchen had just shut, but apart from that it was all good.

Very comfortable stay. Friendly staff and excellent facilities

No evening meals available on the day we stayed

Breakfast Choice was good, waffle was overdone in

In general ut could do with redecorating o

For our hike the location was a compromise, so it would be unfair to say the location was bad. The room was spacious and breakfast comprised of help yourself continental cereals, pastries, fruit etc and a cooked breakfast.

Myself had no issue with the furniture, but the four poster was a period piece, which my wife did not take to. The television did not like live transmissions as it kept blinking on and off. I did find whoever last applied bathroom sealant around the bath and panel could have been previously employed as a cake decorator using spiky icing.

Great location, friendly, good breakfast

Great location. Breakfast good, though mushrooms cooked in butter would have been better.

The creaky floor takes some getting used to in the bedroom, I know well this is an old building.

Staff all extremely welcoming and friendly from our arrival and throughout stay. First time I've ever seen a birthday candle at breakfast...despite it being extremely busy! The breakfast staff used their time particularly well to serve, clear and keep things rolling, at maximum capacity. The beer garden (a beautiful paved terrace and large lawned areas) was a lovely suprise. The building generally is old, interesting and very attractive.

Tiny bit of staff guidance would have helped smooth supper in bar - but it didn't detract from overall enjoyment. There were small flaws in the bedroom - crack in the sink, carpet could have used a shampoo - but the room was still lovely with 4 poster bed and large bathroom. General cleanliness in room and corridors was immaculate.

Lovely location with very friendly, helpful staff. Good breakfast.

A good location, excellent breakfast and welcoming staff

Couldn't get the internet in the annexe

Breakfast was delicious

Because the property is old ,water function, shower toilet etc we’re difficult to run and flush!!

Good location for walking Northumberland coastal path. Room was large. Restaurant nice and food good. Staff very friendly.

It’s an old building so shower pressure weak but enough hot water. Scrambled egg was overcooked for breakfast!

Es war ein traditionelles Hotel mit viel Charme und perfekt gelegen. Auch die Parkplätze vor dem Haus waren toll. Ein Coop ist direkt hinter dem Hotel. Perfekter Ausgangspunkt für Ausflüge in der Region. Bamburgh, Lindisfarne, ... Das Preis-Leistungsverhältnis war angemessen. Es ist ein einfaches Hotel, das aber über viel Charakter verfügt.

Leider war der Koch krank und wir bekamen kein warmes Frühstück, auch keine Eier etc. Das war schade.

Location to Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle is excellent. The staff are very friendly and the food portions for dinner and breakfast were great value! Loved the history of the accommodation and the town.

The mattress on the bed was perhaps on the cheaper side of what I'd expect when paying this price. My husband and I realised that it needed to be flipped as it was upside down hence why we felt the springs in our backs on our first night and that did make a difference however it would benefit with a quality topper.

The breakfast was really good with a good selection of foods and gluten free options, all the staff were lovely. 

We booked 1 night with 2 rooms. On the photos the rooms were shown to be within the hotel, having that old charm expected from an old hotel.  When we arrive the hotel was just as expected, we laughed as we arrive at the run down part of the hotel across the square that looked almost derelict joking by saying let's hope we're not in that part!  On check in we were given our keys and advised that we were across the square, in what can old be described as chalet rooms- theses weren't mentioned anywhere on the website or featured in any of the photos - they should be, if were staying for more than 1 night I would have asked to be moved,. With rotten sills on the external doors, loose handles, damp in the corners we accepted our fate, we'd book our first night away with my husbands elderly parents so they had the room with a walk in shower. That half way though showering covered my mother inlaw into freezeing water! Luckily she is made of stern stuff. The beds were comfortable and all bed linen and towels clean. So as not to spoilt the start of our holiday we didn't complain and there was no one at reception when we checked out. I would recommended that you add some photos of the rooms in the square. Or at least mention them .

Not a lot

The hotel is very tired, needs a lot of work. Taps were all mixed, lampshades missing, bathroom flooring was coming up, and it wasn't clean. I would never go back.

Nice location, quiet. Convenient for A1.

Tacky to the touch tables in bar and dining room, staff trainng poor, felt rushed. Overall very old building and fixtures and fittings. Could have been a gorgous location with a bit of investment.

Breakfast and evening meal were both excellent. Clean and comfortable bed.

Was not disappointed with anything.

Nice provincial hotel. Nice bar. Nice clientele.

They put me in the annex. Dire.

The hotel, room, beautiful garden, great food and lovely staff & service. Big thank you!

Not a,didn't like, more of a would have been nice was the remotes didn't work for the tv in the bedroom even with new batteries. Other than that everything was perfect and all the staff are just brilliant- genuine warm and very helpful.

The room was very spacious and had lots of toiletries, hot chocolate/tea/coffee and biscuits. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful

The location was fantastic for our stay. The staff were helpful the included breakfast was beautiful and the Bar meal (extra cost) was great.

The property is a coach inn and very old, and some call it character, but it still felt slightly tired in places, but that was maybe just the room we paid for.

An excellent breakfast

Every fine, good value

Historic old coaching inn, lovely old building. Huge bedroom with a big double and two singles, and a view of the church. Enthusiastic young staff running the place. Dinner in the restaurant was decent, breakfast was copious and included in the price.

I liked the charm of this old building but if you want something modern, don't stay here.

Good full english breakfast option. However poached egg on toast was only 1 egg on 1 piece of bread, rather mean portion ! Good evening meal of chicken, and entertaining singer in bar.

Bathroom needed some attention, with mould and cracking around bath . 3

Tremendous value, great location, fantastic food, character, good parking.

Evening meal-twice- although absolutely delicious (credit to the chef) & reasonably priced was hindered by flustered staff, the table wasn't ready both times although booked ahead, we ended up going to the bar to get our drinks rather than table service and on the first evening had to get our own menu's too.

The hotel is in a great location and has real character. The staff are very friendly and it has a lovely garden.

Although the staff were very friendly and helpful, they do have an issue with the lack of staff working and they soon became overwhelmed when it gets busy, especially in the restaurant. I would not let this put you off, but it was frustrating. Most staff were young and could have done with some support.

The history and the age

Liked everything

The hotel is beautiful from the outside with a stunning garden to the rear which must be amazing at the height of Summer. The staff were fabulous and breakfast was second to none. It was quite possibly the best full English I've ever had with poached eggs cooked to perfection, a huge rosti, really well seasoned mushrooms and excellent quality meat. The rooms are perfectly functional and very clean with nice original features like wooden sash windows.

Nothing to complain about other than the carpets needing replacement in the bedrooms. The bathrooms are simple and whilst the water pressure is quite average, it's nothing to distract from how great this hotel is.

Warm friendly and welcoming staff throughout hotel could not do enough . Lovely courtyard and village and the food was exceptional and value for money very good chef will certainly be back

Could not fault anything about our stay were there for 2 nights which was too short

Easy parking and in the middle of Belford. Easy access to North East Coast and just off the A1 Amazing breakfast!

Room just abit dated, but very clean and comfortable!

Good location and staff were friendly.

Extremely uncomfortable mattresses, noisy door to the top landing, black mould in the bathroom, no shower curtain.

Close to Bamburgh and Lindisfarne

There was a mixup at check-in and we were given a key to an occupied room but that was sorted I 20 minutes. The bed could do with a mattress topper as we found it a little lumpy. Lasagna was excellent but my husband’s gammon steak was tough.

Disponibilità del personale (siamo arrivati in moto, abbiamo chiesto di poter parcheggiare in un posto sicuro e ci hanno aperto il retro del cortile privato); colazione eccellente; presenza di tè e biscottini in camera al momento dell'arrivo.

La camera risulta su uno stile un po' "antiquato", ma comunque funzionale.

The village location

The room was just above the restaurant therefore very noisy. It wasn't clean, fluff and hair visible around the bathroom towel rail and dust on the coffee making tray. No English breakfast was provided on the second day and there was a general lack of staff. I emailed the hotel directly but still no reply.

La posizione è la tranquillità

Struttura vecchia e mal conservata. Colazione appena sufficiente Prezzo esagerato non proporzionato per la Struttura e i servizi E poi se prenoto due camere le voglio Vicino non una bella struttura e una nella depandance che era una stalla Personale anonimo

The location and the staff were excellent. The on-site bar was well stocked and friendly, and we enjoyed the outside patio. Breakfast was relaxed and lovely. Food was terrific. Great location to stay overnight after visiting the Holy Island.

The floors were insanely squeaky, even for an older hotel. Also, our 'family' room was located above the kitchen, so loud kitchen noises woke us up at 6am and were heard until 9-10 at night. Thank goodness for earbuds and soft music! And thank goodness my family was not very young, we could adapt to our forced sleep schedule.

Really nice, traditional and quiet hotel. A welcome site for travellers through the ages. Nice setting with an excellent beer garden. Generous breakfast and friendly staff. Highly recommanded !

Nothing!

Staff were absolutely charming, especially the barman. Ate in the evening in the restaurant and the meal was lovely. Cooked breakfast was fantastic - extensive and very tasty.

Possibly wifi in the annexe rooms would have been good, but wasn't really an issue since my mobile internet reception in the area was fine.

The meals were excellent in a comfortable restaurant. The garden for drinks was superb. A very nice old coaching inn brought up to date. Quiet village only a stones through from the main A1 which gets you to all the area.

Nothing I can think of.

Staff were great. Main building looked nice. Dining facilities and food was good.

My room was in an external part of the building and was a bit rundown and very tired. Hotel wifi didn't reach my room so I had no wifi. General decor was tired. Bath tap rotated if you turned it so you had to hold the tap body whilst turning the knob. You would have thought that the cleaners or maintenance people would pick things like this up.

Staff were excellent as was the breakfast

Building a bit tired. I appreciate its an old building but the deco was tatty( missing wallpaper) carpet discoloured etc

Loved the atmosphere, the staff were lovely and very helpful. Felt really welcome. Breakfasts were filling and tasty and even if you didn’t want a full English, there was plenty to choose from

Nice old building with a large beer garden. Good food and excellent service.

Bit dated in the bedrooms and shower was poor. Did the job though, had everything we needed. Very clean and comfortable

Tiered in need of updating

food okay

outside room 18 was not good - very tired and dated - smell of damp - black mold on ceiling in one corner- bed of one bottom very stained - minor flood in bathroom - outside paint work bad plus rotting . needs an urgent make-over!!

Stayed before a few years ago and obviously it is a old building but having said that it was fine

Nothing really, we’re there for two days and it was an ideal place to stay and visit the surrounding area

Great location for the Northumberland coastal walk as we were on foot. Staff were lovely. Restaurant and bar very good. The room was spacious and quiet.

It was difficult to exclude light coming in around the door of the annexed bedroom so we tried to rig up a blanket. Most importantly though, the mattress was appalling and requires an urgent replacement.

Lovely hotel in a great location. Friendly helpful staff.

What's not to like, nice place to stay

the location of this hotel was ideal with ample on site parking.

the shower in room 4 had no hot water. there was no one around to raise this issue with in the morning at 0600. the breakfast is not served untill 0800 earliest. i was leaving at 0700 and there was no staff around hotel.

Friendly staff, excellent breakfast , parking

Room needs a little tlc , bedside tables very dusty and bathroom shower no power

The staff were friendly from the moment we entered, the young man went out of his way to give us a parking place, he moved hi own car; he mentioned that it was fully booked that day. Nothing was too much trouble from the start with the staff on duty.

Nothing, we liked it all.

Excellent location and friendly polite staff. Great value for money.

Only downfall was no WIFI in the rooms located outside the main hotel building and no mini fridge.

It was an historic building. It was clean. The location was in the town centre- although a small town with little 'going on' nearby.

It was severely understaffed. We felt great sympathy for the young guy trying to multi-task too many expectations- and facing the brunt of several other guests witnessed, angry outbursts toward him One of the single bed mattresses in our room really should have been thrown away and replaced. Very uncomfortable. When we checked in, the notice board stated that the restaurant would be open that evening (mondays)- closed tuesdays. However when we went to dine, were told that there was no chef; it was closed. A nearby local pub managed to fit us in for food, but told us that reservations were usually needed. The next morning, there was no cooked breakfast available- again, no chef. The guy who had been working the day before was trying to supply food for guests to take from a communal table (e.g. tea/coffee,cheeses, bread) whilst also again facing the brunt of several angry guests (who were complaining about several things). I have since emailed the hotel asking for a partial refund of the one night charge as the breakfast was inadequate and not as advertised. No response to date....

Breakfast was brilliant no issues.

The property was dated and needs refurbishment.

Staff were approachable and helpful, friendly but not intrusive. Could get about and fo our own thing. The Hotel was full, but no noise, and lots of dogs rhere but no noise. This enablec goid sleep and settled dog after busy days out. Free parking right outside.

Coiud have done with plug socket by bed, rather than an extension cable, as had to move bed to get to switch to turn off bedside lamp. Very slight niggle.

Lovely clean bedding, beautiful decor of rooms with a lovely beer garden. A young staff member was super helpful on our first night, doing everything he could to help accommodate us for dinner with a staff shortage.

Our experience was marred by an interaction with one member of staff when we accidentally locked our key in the room. At reception, we apologised and asked to be let back in - one staff member (who appeared to be the handyman) made us feel very uncomfortable and behaved very unprofessionally towards us, going on about how guests should be charged for this sort of thing, him telling the other staff (in front of us) "I told you so" repeatedly. We completely understood that leaving the key in the room was our mistake, and we apologised. However, the repeated comments about charging guests and the way the situation was handled, in front of us, felt unnecessary and unprofessional, particularly when we were already taking responsibility for the mistake. I would have been happy to offer payment for the lock being replaced (as I assumed they would have had a spare for the room service?), however after feeling so embarrassed, I did not want to. To their credit, they did not request an additional charge for this.

Great food and ideal for lindisfarne, boat trips to see the farne islands seabirds from seahouses and many other attractions.

Everything was fine for me and my friend

We booked into the hotel in order to visit bamburg castle and this was very conveniently located. The rooms were good size. One was a family room and the other a triple room. The beds were soft and clean. The breakfast was delicious and staff friendly. Overall happy with our stay.

The initial welcome was lovely and friendly, felt really welcome. The room was warm & comfortable & very clean. Super breakfast although the chef was off sick so no cooked breakfast on one morning. The staff were very helpful and chatty. Really enjoyed our stay at the Blue Bell Hotel.

A couple of chairs in the room would have made it more comfortable otherwise we were very satisfied.

Good breakfast when available

No hot water in our room in either bath or sink and shower not working - apparently reported over a week ago. Got hot water by boiling kettle . Not acceptable as a basic requirement

A traditional hotel with good vegetarian breakfast

Toilet flush handle obstruction

No breakfast, after having paid for it, restaurant closed, poor WiFi

Two night stay. First breakfast: the choices were wide, the portions generous, the food was tasty and probably came from a good local butcher. Second breakfast: no cook was available on the second day, a Tuesday, morning, and a single member of serving staff was left to improvise with what was available. No hot options at all, very few choices, available, so no one could really leave the hotel feeling well-fed and ready to face further long drives north.

Coffee and tea need improvement in terms of both taste and preparation methods. Both were poor Guests had to wait a considerable time in a queue with other guests to be allocated tables for each booked meal as inadequate seating was available, despite booking a time on arrival at the hotel the previous day. Our preferred choice of breakfast time was not available but the time offered to us became just the start of a long wait and we were only served breakfast an hour after that. Ninety minutes to obtain and consume breakfast is simply far too long. The hotel appeared to be fully booked in the mid-August high season yet no consideration seems to have been given to how to cope with large numbers. There seem to be two breakfast rooms but more table space is clearly needed. I had the impression that the two rooms or even one room might be adequate in the Nov to Feb period but, very evidently, major staff shortages to meet the needs of so many customers at the busiest time of the year are a no-no in these days of savvy, experienced travellers and the staff present seemed to be stressed out and constantly under pressure to meet expectations that could never be met, let alone fully satisfied. I wondered whether there was ever a member of senior staff at manager and above level to deal with the shambles/ really aware of what must be done to rescue this fine old coaching inn. I felt that Alex Polizzi, the TV Hotel Inspector, needed to pay a visit to advise on ways to deal with hotels with such problems. The writing is on the wall for the hotel until someone takes serious stock of minimum standards for these days. The owner needs to realise that good service and customer satisfaction bring success. Breaking promises stated on line, in advertising, articles and by word leads to dissatisfaction , customer criticism , increasingly lower bookings and low booking rates/ repeat visits. Offering a good place to stay and meeting those targets should have the opposite...

The breakfast was the best part of the trip.

The bed was extremely uncomfortable. Thin mattresses, one on top of another. You could feel the springs and the bed frame through the mattress. No evening meal available due to illness of the chef but the suggestions given ( coop or a local restaurant which was closed) were not acceptable. The bathroom shower had no casing and the toilet lid was missing. No hand towels given for the bathroom. Brown smudges on the wall. Broken external door and window locks broken.we did not feel safe in the room as ground floor room. The front external door of our room was rotten. The room needed a general décoration upgrade as work done was of a poor standard.

The main hotel is a lovely building - decent restaurant and a good breakfast. Short distance off the A1 and a good place to break my journey north. Helpful, friendly staff.

My room was in the annex and in need of some TLC. The shower in particular was poor with hot water taking an age and even then lukewarm.

Location was great and it’s a fine old building (although it needs some maintenance, deep cleaning and generally tidying up). The breakfast was very good.

Rooms were not very clean. We could not get a room for an hour or so because the key did not work and nobody could seem to fix it. Eventually, we were given an alternative room. The total was severely understaffed - with one person seemingly doing his best to do pretty much everything, but that meant long waits. The dinner was OK, but the table next to us complained, so we chose the simplest things to prepare just in case.

The history, the location, breakfast was superb, value for money.

Mattress was very soft.

Lage, Biergarten, Essen sehr gut

Badezimmerfenster renovierungsbedürftig

Great location and food qualty. Quaint village. Parking good.. staff friendly.. Bed very good and comfortable. Good night's sleep. Quiet location. Great chippy near bye.

Room refresh did not include cleaning the carpets or bathroom. Sand from socks and shoes present for three days. Taps on bath very loose. Door closure broke off the wall. Blind on windows badly broken.. food service very very slow breakfast on second day 1 hr for kippers. Tired building with obvious maintenence needs.

The kippers were not fresh and were very salty. Location very good

The bed was not uncomfortable mattress felt boney and bedding smelt damp foisty. Thick cobwebs behind the wall lights. There was no bin in the bathroom. The evening menu was misleading on price. It read that any 2 courses were a set price. My husband had soup and roast beef and paid set price. But I had soup and risotto and I had to pay individual price!! Cost was more and I only had rice . This is misleading and very unfair!!!

Quiet location. Comfortable bed.

Maybe the bathroom could be a little cleaner

Breakfast very good

Room not very clean dead spiders in the bathroom fire sign stuck behind the Tv

an old quirky hotel, lots of character. Needs a good scrub & freshen up. Staff very friendly & helpful. Breakfast good choice. Evening meals quite acceptable

poor bathroom layout, sliding door. No shelves Poor hot water supply due to age of property. Just felt a bit grubby overall Clean sheets though & bed reasonably comfortable

Great for staying on the Northumberland coastal path

Would have liked small fridge in room

Great value for money. Accommodating staff

Lack of pastries at breakfast after 9am

the vegetarian breakfast was excellent

The hotel staff were excellent and we enjoyed our stay for two nights as we were having a stopover to visit Bambergh and surrounding area. Good bar and plenty of choice for breakfast.

My wife and I stayed in the rooms (Bothy in Wales) outside of the main building. The room was adequate but the furniture was in definite need of an upgrade. The bathroom was small and I had great difficulty in getting the shower to produce hot water so struggled both mornings to shower. Second morning gave up and ran the bath instead. Would we go again? Only if we had a room in the main building.

Nice hotel at a very old building. Easy access to the rooms from the street directly (private street) but open to public. Pub included in the premises. :-D Breakfast included in the price and it was full one. Nice one.

Because the building is old, there are some noises on the pipes when someone else was running the water. in particular the extractor was really noisy.

Location, it has great potential but is extremely run down

Cleanliness, bathroom tiles were covered in black mould. Room were not serviced daily and we were told this is their policy. Staff were trying to be friendly and helpful but were not well trained and there was no visibility of senior people. Absolute lack of supervision 3 beer pumps in the bar that had all run out, staff didn’t appear to have the knowledge to change a barrel. Had to visit nearby pubs.

Erg sfeervol hotel en kamer, makkelijk bereikbaar en genoeg gratis en veilige parkeerplek

Het één-persoonsbed op de kamer had duidelijk voelbare springveren. Ik had beter het 2-persoonsbed kunnen gebruiken bleek volgende ochtend. Plus ik hoorde geritsel in de schoorsteen. Daar zou men naar kijken.

Central with home cooked good food and friendly staff.

En suite bathroom urgently needs work. We had a problem getting hot water after running taps for ages. We resorted to the electric shower instead as we didn’t want to waste water running taps for extended periods.

The location

Bedroom could do with a decent clean.A bit of organisation at breakfast would help. Staff not trained ? Also welcome not exactly welcoming

A lovely hotel and the room was above expectations. I would definitely book again. A++++++

Nothing was pure chaos as was understaffed

All of it was very poor

Nothing, do not go

This was appalling.. not a described. Very old, dated, in need of a good refurbishment , last make over probably 1960s, staff appalling, Our room was outside in a courtyard with a glass window in the door which anybody could look through, see photos. L One good thing they did move us when I spoke to them into the main hotel but that room wasn't much better..... Tbf I couldn't wait to leave.... Dont let the pictures foul you....

It's a beautiful location easy to reach Berwick Bambrough and Alnwick from hotel Also hotel is really well kept it's clean and comfortable and friendly staff

Shame evening restaurant closed on a Tuesday as food is really good

Location

The property is very dated and could do with a total refurbishment. We had our daughter’s Wedding reception in the hotel in 2006 and it doesn’t appear that any work has taken place since then.

Good food Staff friendly and helpfull

Its an old coaching house, but our bedroom door casing needed to be replaced. It was badly cracked and the lock was loose.

It’s a lovely old coaching inn

Everything

No issues.

The staff, the room, the garden, the food

Good breakfast. Staff very keen to help.

Too many dogs! Didn’t like dogs being in the dining room. There were two rooms used at breakfast so perhaps dogs could have just been accommodated in one room as several other people commented also.

The property is situated in a fabulous location to explore the surrounding area. Obviously steeped in history.

The property is more than a little tired and in need of an upgrade. We were given a twin room in error on our first night, which was in what felt like a converted stable block. We had to stay in it as there was no alternative. This room and area was, in every way, well below anybody’s standards. On the second night we had a double room in the main building which was more like the room we expected

Very large breakfasts. Lots of choice.

the room was clean & bed comfortable albeit a bit dated