The Channel View Hotel Shanklin - Shanklin

Dave B

Stayed at this hotel recently for a four night stay as part of a coach tour. I liked the fact this hotel was old school with plenty of character. We had actual keys to use including a key to gain access after 20.00hrs. Some will say it needs a make over but I do not. Our room was very spacious and well maintained. Only downside was Wi-fi which kept disconnecting. Good enough for casual use. Staff brilliant in all departments being friendly and helpful. Food quality was variable. First night I had vegetable lasagna and last night had steak and ale pie for dinner. Excellent. The second and third nights I had the pork and chicken mains which was poor. Overall a good play to stay.

Ann M

We travelled as part of a bowls tour of 48. Staying for 3 nights. Check in process was done well and our room was comfortable, serviced each day and kept very clean. The many steps were a bit of a challenge for some of our party. The staff were all very pleasant and helpful and accommodating in our requests. Breakfast was good, evening meal a bit variable, the fish and chips could be improved. For many the Isle of Wight was a trip down memory lane as wasn’t much changed since our childhood. One of our best tours.

Denise2104

A lovely short stay with our two grandsons - who do enjoyed the pool, great fun. The family room was perfect for the 4 of us and breakfast was plentiful and well cooked- - close to all amenities. The staff were lovely, friendly and helpful. Definately worth a visit

Elle P

The room was small but pretty good with a nice view. The room with two chairs but only one suitcase holder - no place for second suitcase except on floor. The hotel had creaky floors. We could hear people walking overhead. The bathroom needs some scrubbing of the walls, shower, and tub. The breakfast was mediocre – no yogurt, no granola, and not much choice of fruit (only grapefruit or prunes). The hotel was quiet outside.

Fiona S

Booked 2 nights for our anniversary,had a very relaxing time, our room was clean and tidy with tea and coffee facilities, Em was very professional floating between the reception and bar, the evening meals were top class. Our breakfast experience with Andy was very entertaining and funny and a very good host. Would love to thank the lovely Kim for making us very welcome and on leaving was presented with a channel teddy,all staff were very professional and friendly, always with a smile . Thank you all for a great weekend .

philip paulden

I have stayed in very many hotels in my lifetime and to be brutally honest this hotel is well down there with the worst. It’s a pity because the basics are brilliant.
Good location nice building big bedroom.
What is missing is the service and customer care.
They prefer to explain the problems they have rather than address your issues. They made me feel like I was being unreasonable and a nuisance.
The staff with one exception were surly and unhelpful.
So here is my unbiased and honest review of staying 4 nights at this hotel in late August.

When I got to the hotel I found there are about 12 steep steps you have to climb. Alternatively there’s a ramp but it’s further up a steep hill.
As a disabled traveller it was not easy to access.
There was no Mention of this on their website.

The receptionist wasn’t very welcoming. That’s a subjective comment but both myself an wife didn’t feel welcomed as you would expect.

Our room was really nice. Big and clean and airy

There was a tiny tv stuck in the corner. The room was reasonably clean although the carpet was badly stained.
The bathroom was big although it had no mechanical ventilation.
This hotel has lots or irksome points that together add up to a very poor experience.
The shower is very weak almost a dribble. It’s very hard to get to a comfortable temperature as it comes off two taps.
The water is scalding hot and there is no warning.
The shower is within the bath and there is no shelf to put thing when showering. Simple to sort but typical of lack of attention to detail than makes your stay.

The worst part of the room even though it’s the most important was the matress.
It was cheap and unsupportive. I could feel every spring just running my hand along it.

I complained to the hotel about the mattress and the response was pathetic.
First I’m told there’s a rolling refurb program, the. The maintainance guy says it’s a new mattress. They were doing anything but sort my issue.
The best I got was an old blanket under the mattress but I had had the worst 4 nights sleep I have ever had.
I woke up with backache. The hotel had had my money and in my opinion they just weren’t interested in my issue.
The rest of the stay I felt like a pariah as if they had all been warned to avoid this guest who had the cheek to complain.
I can honestly say hand in heart it was my worst hotel experience I have ever had. I can’t believe I am the only person ( apart fro my wife who is very slim and petite) to complain over. The cheap mattress. They could have easily put a matress topper on it and that would have sorted a lot of the discomfort but they didn’t want to know.

This single issue, without the other problems was enough to ruin my holiday.  The solutions offered were just unacceptable.

I expect in a £200 a night hotel to have a good nights sleep on a good quality mattress.   After 4 days my back is really stiff and I will be going to a physio on my return home.

Anecdotally we stayed an extra 4 night at a hotel costing less than half this rate rate and the beds are so comfy and the staff were very helpful and friendly and I have left them a 5 star review.

I appreciate times are hard in the hospitality industry but no 1 priority is to ensure your guests have a comfy sleep.   No one at your hotel appeared to have the slickest interest in our needs once you had been paid.

2) your breakfast menu is very limited and inflexible.
One sausage and one bacon with a surcharge if you want more is totally unacceptable in a £200 a night hotel.
I don’t expect gourmet food but the bacon and sausage tasted awful.

Also my wife enjoys a fruit salad for breakfast when on holiday.
When we asked if it was possible the response was bordering on hostile.
Every morning she was dumped with a couple of kiwis. There was no bananas. We were told that if we wanted bananas we needed to get to breakfast early as they go fast.
It was just a horrible experience all round.
In conclusion it could be a great hotel but the level of service was abysmal and the staff unhelpful
I will never return there.

SOKIT

Extremely Disappointing Stay with No Hot Water

This was my second time staying at this hotel, and unfortunately, it was a major problem. I checked in at 7 pm but was never informed that there was no hot water for showers. When I returned to the hotel around 10 pm after dinner, there was no notice at reception or in my room about the lack of hot water.

I discovered this issue only after getting ready for a shower and nake waiting for over 5 minutes without any hot water. My attempts to call reception were failure as no one answered. I went to the reception in person, the female receptionist avoided communication by dropping the blind. NO WILLING TO TAKE HELP TO GUESTS.

I spoke to a man who seemed to be a staff member, and appreciated that he directed me to the pool shower, which also had no hot water. The entire hotel was without hot water. I asked if I could check out now, but the man informed me that the manager was not here and I would need to speak with them the next day.

The following morning, I asked the receptionist if the hot water issue had been resolved, but the boiler was still not functional. We checked out feeling extremely frustrated and unclean due to the inability to shower.

We sent an email to complain about the situation, and the hotel's response was to offer a 10% discount on my next stay, which I found insulting. With such poor service quality, why would there be a next time?

Overall, this experience left me very angry and disappointed. I expected better communication, compensation and service from a hotel I had previously enjoyed.

Philip P

I see that this hotel has some great reviews and I had to double check I wasn’t staying in the wrong hotel. |The good stuff||The hotel is in a great location. Parking was easy. It’s however not easy to get in. You have to climb 2 steep flights to get in or walk up a hill to get ramp access. |The reception is ok and check in was quick. ||However it put my mind back to holidays in Blackpool 50 years ago. ||The hotel is picked up at 8pm with no staff. |You are warned there is a £30 charge if you call to be let in if you forget the key. |It’s a £200 a night 3 star hotel. I do not expect or appreciate the warning of what happens if I forget my key. |I appreciate there is a cost if you forget but either provide a remote unlock or accept on occasion people may forget to take key. |In 2024 it’s just not acceptable as far as I am concerned. ||The room we were allocated was very roomy. Light streaming in windows. |I’d is for a sea view and yes you could see the see but the main window looked out onto roofs and a carpark. Again I expect to be able to look out of my main window and have the sea view in paying for. ( or at least mention it’s a side window sea view so I can make an informed decision). ||As I said the room was ok. It had carpet which showed some dirt and the paintwork could do withe being touched up but hey it’s a 3 star hotel so maybe I’m just a bit picky. ||What I’m definetly not picky about was the bed. |I provide beds for a living and the matress in this room shouted CHEAP ECONOMY. |JUST RUNNING YOUR HAND DOWN THE MATRESS YIU CAN FEEL THE SPRINGS. |IT WAS THE MOST UNCOMFY MATRESS I HAVE EVER SLEPT ON. |AS YOU TURNED IN BED YOU CAN FEEL EVERY SPRING. YUCK. ||I complained the next day when staff was available. The response was pathetic |First an excuse that’s it’s a big hotel and there is a rolling refurn program. |I’ve paid £800 and to be honest I don’t care about their problems. I think I’m entitled to a comfortable matress. I do t expect too of the range but certainly one where you can’t feel the springs. |The receptionist , young as she is was rude and more bothered about explaining her problems than sorting mine. She suggested she could provide an extra quilt. I don’t want roasting I want a matress that doesn’t feel like you are laying on springs. |I’ve asked her to inform management but I don’t expect my concerns to be addressed. I’ll repost if they are. ||Now onto breakfast. |I’m not a fussy eater but the full English was unappetising and consisted in one bacon ? ne sausage. You pay £5 more if you want a big breakfast ( I would have wanted more of that breakfast for free) ||My wife only likes fruit in the morning. |The only fruit available was full oranges. |I asked if it was possible for them to make a fruit salad with yogurt, happy with standard ingredients. Refused as it’s not on the menu. |In fairness he did bring a frozen pair and 2 kiwis. The didn’t have any bananas. |Our waiter was young and probably doing it for pocket money but his attitude was awful. We felt like we were asking for something impossible. If a £200 a night hotel can’t offer its guests a fruit salad as an alternative it’s not one that is interested in looking after their clients. |We honestly felt like we were being a nuisance both with the waiter and the reception. ||So in summary it’s not terrible but it’s far off great. ||A change in attitude, more attention to details ( like maybe a usb charger plug in the room in this day and age, maybe put the wifi password on the information leaflet so you don’t have to phone for it) |I think with better management and maybe be more willing to cater for your guests requirements and most importantly spend more on your matresses ( see the hotel inspector. No 1 things is to have a good matresses for great sleep) |You could easily up this to a hotel I’d come back to. As it is, I am counting the days I leave. |I haven’t asked for a refund because I think it would be a fight and I’m on holiday. ||I don’t feel you are value for money. I know tines are hard. But I’d rather pay £250 a night and have a decent matress, more breakfast choice with better quality ingredients and to have staff more interested in solving guests problems than explaing yours. ||I hope this review makes you stop and think a little. |There would t be much change to have me written a 5 star review but as you are 2 stars is all I think you are worth