England team's World Cup 2018 Russia hotel criticised by reviewers

The Gareth Southgate-led England team will arrive at the ForRestMix Club Hotel, near St Petersburg, almost a week before their opening game against Tunisia. However, according to reports, reviewers have slammed the hotel for it's "dirtiness" and "chemical" swimming pool.

The 107-room ForRestMix club hotel, located 19 miles outside St Petersburg, has been identified by the English Football Association out of 70-plus venues from Fifa’s brochure.

The Daily Mail reports, "One reviewer criticised the swimming pool for having too much chemicals while others moaned about the size of the bedroom TVs. A reviewer from Germany wrote on TripAdvisor: 'Maintenance is below standard. Breakfast is simply tasteless. A guest from Russia said: 'The spa is dirty. The swimming pool is poor with lots of chemicals.' One British expat from Saint Petersburg wrote: 'Breakfast seemed to have been cooked an hour before as it was tepid."

The Mirror reports that the hotel is surrounded by a large brown wooden fence and pine trees, and each room has its own private balcony and minibar.

Soldiers and armed police have surrounded the England hotel and training base in Russia in preparation for the team’s arrival. Members of the Russian police, including military officers, have made their way into the town of Repino to protect the players.