It's a very strange hotel. There are plenty of staff members, but you have to ask at least twice to get anything done. For example, during our two-night stay, we requested ice for our room three times, and only received it once, after calling reception to follow up again.
The building feels like a maze, and the rooms are clearly in need of renovation. We noticed stains on the carpets and chairs, outdated furniture, and a small, old TV. The rain showerhead was covered in limescale and didn’t work at all, the bath gel bottle was broken. On one occasion, I even received a bath towel with visible stains.
The AC wasn't working in all building, and it was 34C outside. When we reported the issue, reception told us someone would come to check whether it could be repaired, but obviously no one ever showed up. After waiting for about an hour, we went back to reception ourselves, and then they offered to move us to another room. We waited about an hour again to see it, only to find that it had no AC either.
Only after that did the manager come to apologize and offer us a fan, a cooler, and a £50 voucher to use on the premises. However, since the voucher was offered verbally and not confirmed in writing, I chose not to use it. Because I didn’t want it to affect my deposit £50 deposit, that was charged to my debit card. It’s still on hold, by the way.
On the positive side, the hotel’s location is excellent: right in central London, close to two Tube stations and Liverpool Street Station. That convenience was the main reason we booked, along with what seemed like a good offer. They also have a club lounge, but you won’t get access unless you specifically ask the concierge. On Friday night there was even a pianist playing! It’s ironic: they couldn’t provide working air conditioning and get ice to your room, yet they hired a live musician for the lounge.
Will I stay here again? Probably not. Next time, I’d rather pay more and choose a hotel with functioning AC.
