Bizarre hotel experience- was it a brothel ? AIBU

[Mill46]

Arrived on business to city and decided to drop my bag before heading to conference . Booked hotel last minute . Wasn't cheap . Man meets me in street and takes bag showing me entrance to " hotel" next to door to betting shop . Ok a bit weird but I was in a hurry .i return later and let myself in with code and find my room is up 2 flights of a spiral staircase which I find hard to navigate ( won't go in to detail ) . So I ask weird guy who appears with bag if he had another room . He does - it's fine and I say I'll move to that one . Then he says he would prefer if I left . I'm now feeling a bit freaked out and think best to get the out of the place and away from weird guy . I ask him to reimburse me before I leave . He agrees then comes back and says his boss says no . I'm cross now and mention trip advisor - he then says he will pay me himself and gets me to accompany him to thencash point . He gets me the money and off he goes . Now in ianother hotel - but what the fuck was that all about - was it a brothel , should I get in tripadvisor anyway ???

@snozzlemaid Norwich in general in lovely! I go back for the weekend sometimes and I love it. It has great pubs, restaurants and cocktail bars. I currently live in a highly regarded tourist town and much prefer Norwich.

@HarrietKettleWasHere I'm 33! Did you go to school in Norwich? I lived a few miles out as a child, only lived in the city from 21-27ish.

A lot more goes on in this world than one is led to believe by reading the papers.

Kuwait, hardly appears in the press these days.

Ok. Harriet, I'm suspecting you have your tongue in your cheek.

Don't avoid Norwich, there are some lovely little places, just avoid that hotel . Norwich is just like any other city. I went there to see Take That and live a considerable distance from Norwich. It was a big adventure for me and my friend. .

I once stayed in a motel in Mexico.
We asked if they had any free rooms and were told there was on free now and one would be free in a few minutes, fine you might think but this was 2 am.
There was a garage below each room with a big curtain to hide your car, stairs (not spiral) up to the room, an interesting selection of TV programmes and a massive shower. The only furniture was a bed and the TV.

Er, why is that Snozzle?!

I grew up there, as presumably a proportion of the UK did?!

I don't live there now.

Norwich is fine. Avoid the Prince of Wales Street - regional club land- at night.

Norwich is really safe, non 'edgy', we just have a strange sense of humour.

MJB hotels- really odd, hangout of strange criminals, into which normal tourists inadvertently wander sometimes. They're only 'famous' in Norfolk because they are such a contrast with our safe everyday life.

Visit the Cathedral, it's refectory and Close, medieval Elm Hill, Georgian Assembly Rooms, modern Forum, Guildhall and market. Also Royal Arcade. Castle.Bridewell museum.Saintsbury Centre at UEA.

Becoming very invested in this thread. Come back OP!

Was it in Edinburgh?

Sorry @HarrietKettleWasHere I didn't mean to offend. I honestly thought you were being sarcastic. I took your comment the wrong way.
Only too pleased to learn that you do actually recommend we visit there as I was looking forward to it.
Off now to google the hotel that's been discussed. Sounds interesting and look forward to hearing from OP to see if it was that one.

I live very close to one of the MJB hotels... whatever you've read, the reality is worse!! They periodically close down for a few weeks, and then it all starts up again and is dodgy as fuck. The funny part is that they're in what's considered to be the naicest most leftie middle class lentil weaving area of desirable Norwich housing known as the Golden Triangle

snozzle Norwich is lovely, one the nicest cities you'll ever find. Everything's walkable, it's beautiful, people are friendly, and I love it to bits. The fact that so many people in Norfolk know EXACTLY which hotels might be The One tells you just how badly the MJB ones stand out

Bizarre!

What is even happening?? Come back OP I am intrigued!

That's scary! Where was this??

I'm going to get a t-shirt that says "I survived a night in The Beeches". .

A brothel coz - I left a few detail out - the hotel had no formal front door -and why would you ask a guest who had booked and paid 200 quid to leave and give them money back - too weird . Do loads of travelling and never had this . Spiral staircase coz that is unusual in a hotel - as the main way of getting to your room with a suitcase FFS . So I just thought that it can't be an actual hotel

Hello OP!!!

You were probably lucky to get out alive, op, let alone with your two hundred quid intact.

Fair point

Oxford - not Norwich

I'm beginning to see where the expression "Normal for Norwich" came from . . .

PLEASE name this place, OP. Where did you find it, how was did you book and is it on Trip Advisor?

Yes, I might be slightly curious.

Ahem. NFN = Normal for Norfolk.

Oooh Oxford, do tell, which street?

I just read the funniest review of the MJB must be a piss take as I've been crying with laughter 😂😂
2 star review
"I stayed in the hotel for 1 night for a night out with friends. Was cheap and the price resembles the room it was very dark and dull the room looked how I felt. There was some white stains on the walls that were obviously cum stains. There was also used towels that had the same white marks on them. The room smelt like a smoking shack and the bathroom window was broken. Basically there was wank towels and cum Staines and there was also pubic hairs on the bed. But I'd stay again as I'm broke and I can't afford a premier inn."