Gateshead Tavern Motel

I was recently charged for a room I did not book. I stayed at this motel years ago and, for some reason, my payment details were still on file. To make matters worse, I later found out I had actually been charged for someone else’s room. I called the motel and spoke with Alison to explain the situation. Unfortunately, she was not very helpful and was extremely sceptical, making me feel as though I was somehow at fault. She repeatedly said she didn’t know who I was or how they could have obtained my card details if it wasn’t me. I explained clearly that I was nowhere near the motel and hadn’t even left my hometown. When I mentioned that I would be contacting the bank’s fraud team and leaving a review, Alison’s tone quickly changed and became more defensive. She claimed she didn’t like how I was speaking to her, despite the fact I wasn’t swearing, raising my voice, or interrupting her. She eventually said she would “look into it” and call me back, then hung up. In the meantime, I contacted my bank’s fraud hotline and was advised to cancel my card while they investigate the charge. A few hours later Alison called back and stated that her staff were “useless” and had apparently charged the wrong account, effectively shifting the blame internally. I asked that my payment details be removed from their system to ensure this could not happen again. She told me that wasn’t necessary and that they would implement internal processes to prevent it in future. I insisted that my card details be deleted, as I do not want to risk going through this again. She said they use an old system and that she would “look into it”. Given the situation, that response was far from reassuring, especially after I had already been made to feel like I was in the wrong. When I raised this concern, the only response I received was again that she didn’t like the way I was speaking to her. This was easily the worst customer service experience I have ever had. I was simply trying to correct an error made by the motel, yet I received no apology and no real attempt to resolve the issue properly. I strongly recommend not staying here. If you do, make sure your payment details are removed from their system afterwards.

Nice little motel behind a local pub. Good value for your money. Quiet and clean with friendly staff.

Basic motel covering all the simple needs.