Impressed To Begin with
by TripAdvisor Member Londoncritic
Convenient location for Paddington, tube into central London etc. Although this hotel does not officially offer parking facilities there do seem to be a very limited number of spaces available - check with reception. Costs £20.00 per night per car.
Room had been recently refurbished and had very good level of facilities apart from ........... no water! (hot or cold). We were probably just unlucky, but there was no water available in our room in the morning from 6am until after 10am, when it was just beginning to run again! It totally ruined what would have otherwise have been a pleasant stay.
Nice refurbishment, needs service training
by TripAdvisor Member SactoScuba
Overview: just 2 blocks from the Paddington station tube. Near bus stops, restaurants and pubs.
Pros: 1) We paid a little extra for a larger room and that was worth it. The renovation looks nice in the rooms (but seems to have been done on the cheap, I'd be wary of staying here after the next 12 months). 2) Location was very good - everything we wanted to see and do was within 5 tube stops. 3) Breakfast was reasonably good (eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes, beans, some fruit, yogurt, cereal, juice, coffee, etc) it just got boring after a few days. Maybe throw in a new dish every couple of days to keep it lively?
Cons: 1) Went several days without Internet in the room. Made repeated requests for this to be fixed and asked to be moved to another room (which they said they had no others available). After 4 days, they finally fixed it. We used the computers in the business center in the intrium and they were very slow and antiquated. The wifi which is in the lobby only was also slow. 2) Had trouble with the hotel taking messages (evidently there is not a room voice mail for callers to be transfered to). Several callers said they had a difficult time getting through, and twice that the staff could not speak english well enough to take a message. 3) Same breakfast got rather boring after 5 days. 4) Maid service was ok; one day we didn't get pillow cases, another day the maid left things in our room. 5) It was sometimes difficult to understand the front desk staff for directions, etc. 6) No one seemed to care or have any idea what service means. Beyond just the staff, I sent an e-mail to the reservation manager prior to my departure asking for directions to the hotel via the tube and then for the short walk to the hotel - manager never responded. When I had trouble with the internet and finally got fed up and asked for the manager, my request was never responded to. 7) There is not a restaurant onsite (only the breakfast room), there is no bar on-site.
Summary: I would rate this a 2.5 star hotel. The hotel could make great strides with improved service.
I highly recommend the Levantine, a middle eastern restaurant 2 blocks from the hotel. 26 London St, Paddington. Unique, romantic atmosphere with good food.
Premier Surprise
by TripAdvisor Member Judgys
Booked this on the morning we travelled for a bargain £69 for a twin double bedded room for one night bed and breakfast (full english that is), through the hotel website. We expected little for the money being so central but got a big surprise. This hotel has just undergone refurbishment. The room was fresh clean and had fresh flowers. Flat sceen tv mounted on the wall and tea/coffee/hot chocolate and even biscuits in the room. The room was a reasonable size but the bathroom was tiny. In fact it was minute. The breakfast was excellent and catered for virtually everyone with a good selection available from fruit, cereal, meats, cheeses and the full english.
This hotel is literally a two minute walk from Paddington tube so great as a place to stay without having to drive into central london. We would definately return to this hotel.
Friendly staff in a complete dump.
by TripAdvisor Member jebuff
Room was tiny, towels washed but stained, drainage pbs in sink & bath, internet broken,
Having booked on the internet, and obliged to leave before the 7am restaurant opening, I received a box with 2 rolls, a pad of butter & jelly, suspect salami & cheese. No adjustment possible on the £20 breakfast charge? No sir.
I will never return.
Great Booking!!
by TripAdvisor Member ksm1968
I booked this hotel for my daugher's and my trip to London based solely off of other TripAdvisor reviews. I looked at several hotels in the area, and the reviews of this hotel were the best, so I booked sight unseen. I could not have been happier with my choice.
We arrived in London on the morning of Friday, March 14, 2008. We took the Tube from Heathrow to Paddington station, and embarked on the 2 1/2 block walk from the station to the hotel. The hotel is located in a row of Victorian row houses, on a moderately busy street. I booked through Expedia, so check in was a breeze. The reception staff were friendly and courteous, and accomodated our request for a double room even though Expedia had actually booked us in a single. I had asked for a smoking room, and the hotel is completely non-smoking, so the reception staff took it upon themselves to give us a room with a balcony so I could step outside to smoke. Very nice.
The room was very large considering what I had expected from a European hotel. There were two twin beds pushed together to make queen/king size bed, and a couch that made up into a bed. My daughter slept on the couch the whole time we were there (10 nights) and was very comfortable. There was a plasma TV on the wall, and although the channels were limited, it served our purposes. Several BBC channels, two movie channels, a 24-hour news channel and a few others... There was also a desk available ( hair dryer was provided in the desk drawer), free broadband internet through an ethernet connection, a mini-fridge, and a shallow cabinet with shelves, a safe, an ironing board and an iron. There was an occasional table with fresh cut flowers, changed whenever some of the blooms started looking sickly - nice touch. The bathroom was more than adequate, although the shower curtain consisted of a glass panel that swung either into the tub when it wasn't being used, or out to the edge of the tub when it was being used. That was a little strange, but it did what it was supposed to do. The overall decor was really nice and inviting - we even spent two afternoons in the hotel when the weather was bad and were tremendously comfortable.
The hotel's web site states that they have electric adapters (not transformers!!) available, and they do for a 5.00GBP deposit. I was leery and took my own, but no need to take yours if you don't want to, and no reason to spend a ton of money purchasing them before you leave.
The only notable drawback was that housekeeping did not leave us with wash cloths. We called the front desk and asked for some, but none ever showed up. Other than that, the hotel is all it is advertised.
There is a breakfast available, but we did not take advantage of it. It is 9.95GBP if you notify the desk the night before, and 12.95GBP if you go the morning of.
Some others had mentioned a cafe called Raffles, right around the corner on the way to the Tube stop, and we ate breakfast there four times. Their Big Ben breakfast is the best deal we encountered on the enitre trip - a traditional English breakfast for 2.99GBP. We had other menu items, and all were great. One of the waiters there saw us walking up the street the morning we were leaving, and hollered good-bye to us from across the street!
Some others had also mentioned an Italian place called Bizarro's, also right around the corner and across the street from Raffles. Good Italian food, although we only ate there once.
There are several markets on that same street if you are looking for munchies, or water/soda/juices to keep in your hotel room. No ice in the hotel, as is common in the states, but the fridge was more than sufficient.
We had an excellent experience with this hotel, and I would not hesitate booking there again. I understand how you can feel a little apprehensive about booking based on an online review, as I was reluctant myself. I cannot tell you enough that you are completly safe in booking this hotel!!
Forum Posts
Been to these hotels?
by 16fletch
Anyone familiar with the Shaftesbury Premier London Paddington (got some bad reviews) or the Gateway Hotel(I couldn't fine a website but booked it through priclineeurope)?
I'm desparately seeking a hotel, B&B, etc. for May 9-14, twin beds for $150-165 dollars a night. Even trying theater/hotel package with Travelodge... Please help!!
Re: Been to these hotels?
by leics
Haven't stayed in or seen either.
The Gateway (assuming you don't mean the Days Gateway?) is in Balham, south of the river and further out than the Shaftsbury. Online reviews suggest traffic/train noise, but that's not uncommon in London.
Have a look at www.booking.com. They turned up over 400 available hotels when I searched with your dates, quite a lot within your budget of around 375GBP. It's a reliable website used by VT-ers, with reviews.
