Bridgewater Duplex by PolkaStays

Just disappointing really Negative: Unfortunately we were quite disappointed with the stay. The dishwasher was labelled as out of order and a couple of the lights weren't working. The Wi-Fi also wasn't working when we arrived, although this was eventually fixed later that evening. The biggest issue for us was the location. We were staying as a family while visiting Alton Towers and didn't feel particularly comfortable with the surroundings. There were people openly taking drugs/behaving in a concerning way directly outside the property, which we could clearly see from the windows. This was made worse by there being no blinds or curtains on the windows, so there was very little privacy and no way of blocking out what was happening outside. The accommodation itself had potential, but between the maintenance issues, lack of privacy and the immediate surroundings, we wouldn't choose to stay here again as a family

Apartment ok but the location is terrible Positive: The apartment was quite pleasant and very large with comfortable beds. One room had two large double beds and was comfortable. The other room had one double bed and was also comfortable. The kitchen was good and generally clean. Negative: The kitchen smelled strongly of the previous guests food and the WiFi was broken. The location is horrendous, entrance is via an anonymous looking door next to quite a rough pub. The main windows in the apartment look down on a derelict street with wrecked and vandalised buildings. Overnight one of these buildings was set on fire deliberately and we awoke to the sound of flames, explosions literally across the narrow street. I had to phone the fire brigade. This part of Hanley is like a war zone in the evenings and I can’t recommend it, I didn’t feel safe with my 3 kids there, especially with the fire across the street.

Amazing Positive: It was amazing the kids love it Negative: Nothing amazing

Worst place we haver ever stayed, we will NEVER return Positive: The mattresses were comfortable Negative: PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU BOOK Faulty Alarm & Sleeping on the Floor: A constant, piercing beep from a smoke alarm in the bedroom forced my husband and me to drag the mattress into the kitchen/living area and sleep on the floor for our entire stay. We reported this immediately, but Polka Stays failed to fix it, passing the blame onto an unresponsive third party. Appalling Cleanliness: The dishwasher was broken, and all the dishes left behind by previous guests were dirty and had to be washed by us. The dining table was sticky, and the placemats had fresh food stains. Worst of all was the shower. The shower tray was filthy, and while trying to clean it, I uncovered a hair catcher so disgusting it literally made me gag and vomit. Polka Stays admitted this was unhygienic and unacceptable but did not resolve this for us No Wi-Fi or TV: We chose this location to relax after long days at Alton Towers, but the Wi-Fi router was broken and physically could not be plugged in. We had zero Wi-Fi and an unusable TV. Severe Safety & Privacy Issues: There are no blinds or curtains in the kitchen/living area where we were forced to sleep. The windows look directly onto a derelict building. Because of this lack of privacy, my family was exposed to a clear, unshielded view of people actively injecting drugs into their legs and groins. Management's only response was that they would "pass on the suggestion" of adding blinds to the property owners. Substandard Amenities:The towels were old and threadbare, the bedding was cheap and unironed (unlike the photos on the website), and the advertised toiletries and cleaning products were non-existent.There was not enough cups & bowls for us all to use together. The surrounding area is run down, and the main entrance door to the building was boarded up at the bottom. Despite prompt responses while we were there none of our issues were resolved & the refund offered by Polka Stays was insulting.

Not the best stay! Positive: Good location and very spacious. Negative: Apartment was clean to very low standard, all dishes and cutlery had to be rewashed before using. Greasy surfaces, dirty bowl left under the sink. Shower tray was cracked and sofa arm broke what was already mentioned by previous renters in their reviews. Very dirty carpet, dirty shower trap.