When was the last time someone shook your hand when you arrived at a hotel? - Well, it happened to…read moreme when I checked in at "La Gaffe" earlier this week. It may sound strange to check in to a hotel when you actually live in London. Yet, circumstances arose that made me check in to a hotel. - No, I didn't get kicked out by my partner, but it has to do with some sort of leaving. In fact, I was moving away from London and once the movers had packed up all my belongings, I didn't feel like sleeping in the empty flat...on a blow-up mattress and in a sleeping bag. That would've made me even more sad. So, I decided to temporarily move to a B&B. And having heard/read good things on Yelp about "La Gaffe" in nearby Hampstead, the decision was quickly made. Plus, I didn't want to move into some corporate hotel, like a Premier Inn or a smart boutique hotel in Central London. I wanted to stay local. And that's exactly what I got: La Gaffe is the quintessential local institution. In fact, on my last morning, when I was waiting for my taxi to the airport, I got to chat with someone who I presumed was another guest. Yet, throughout our conversation it transpired that he just lives up the road in the next neighborhood. Yet he's coming to La Gaffe for a coffee and chat on a regular basis...and that for a few decades. He told me the story about the Greek/Italian couple who opened a French restaurant in the early 1960s. (The name La Gaffe means something like mismatch in French and hints at the audacity for a Greek woman and an Italian man to open a French restaurant.) Soon they purchased the shop/building next door and opened the B&B. According to my local source, the restaurant attracted many domestic as well as international celebrities, all of which loved the personal atmosphere that I experienced with that handshake on my first day as well. (The late Charly Chaplin, apparently, was a guest here.) Furthermore, I learned that this place is one of the oldest privately-run businesses in Hampstead. In fact, I learned many more local tales and curiosities, which - as a somewhat local - I found fascinating, but which would be too boring to write down here. Back to my review of the hotel: if you like it posh, slick and luxurious, this is NOT the place for you. However, if you're happy with a simple room, basic amenities and if you can live without a super-fast wifi connection, then this IS your place. In return, you feel at home, you feel well-taken care of, you will not feel like a money-bringing person, but as someone whose presence makes a difference and maybe even leaves a lasting impression? It's exactly what I needed from this place in my home-less situation at that time. (Granted, there are other times, when I treasure the anonymity of a large hotel!) During my three-nights stay, I visited the restaurant twice: once for the continental breakfast, which is included in the rate, and once for dinner. The breakfasts is simple, yet sufficient. The dinner was lovely; I had the lasagne-of-the-day with a side if French beans. For dessert I ordered the Tiramisu...which I have to say was just ok. (I think I make a much better Tiramisu - send me a message if you want the recipe ;-) On that very last morning, when I was learning about all these local anecdotes, I also had a long chat with the man who shook my hand on the first day. His name is Lorenzo and as it turns out, he's the son of the Greek/Italian couple who opened La Gaffe back in 1962. I was very pleased to hear this, as I then knew that this place will still be there when I come back for a visit to London. And the odds are high, that I'll be checking in here again...

On our trip to England decided to spend a weekend in Hampstead. Fortunately, we reserved a room at…read moreLa Gaffe. The room was very comfortable and clean. The owners clearly care about the upkeep of this quaint and charming small hotel. The stairs are a bit steep going up to the rooms, but it was worth it. Lorenzo, the owner, carried my heavy suitcase to my room. The owners and staff are very attentive and personable. I would definitely go back to La Gaffe. My second night, I eat in the restaurant downstairs. The food was excellent, and the server and manager were so gracious. After being there two nights, Lorenzo and his staff were so welcoming, that somehow I feel like I made friends in Hampstead.

Great boutique hotel in the beautiful Hampton/Belsize area. Wonderful, friendly staff. Clean,…read morecomfortable and quiet...had a lovely stay

From the owner: Located in North London's chicest area, Belsize Park - Haverstock Hotel is the place to stay for a…read moretouch of luxury. Just seconds away from Belsize Park Station - and close to Hampstead Village and Camden Town. The hotel's location allows guests to explore the charms of North London - Yet a hop on the tube whisks guests in to Central London in less than ten minutes.

Staying at the Regents Park Marriott in London was an amazing experience. From the time we were…read moregreeted by the very fun front desk staff member ( YoYo or KoKo or MoMo ) we knew we had booked the right place! I loved the deep rest that I had at this hotel as they have Incredible sheets and bedding and while the bathroom door closed by itself as if possessed. Everything was wonderful including the most amazing shower water pressure and soap that dwells within it by L'Occitaine. The best Italian restaurant Carluccio's is here and has the best staff that can handle very high volume of customers. I had great service by the prompt Vishal, the Loving and kind Corrina and the very fun Iwona. I recommend the pasta with shaved truffles and any given steak is phenomenal. The filet was cooked to perfection and the wine selection is perfectly paired! A special thank you to the hardworking and kind night manager named Tanuka who made sure we were given the best customer service throughout our stay. Thank you everyone! We will be back here in late summer and cannot wait to see you all again! Ps Corinna makes the most fantastic AperolSpritzes!

I stay here often as a crew member for a private jet whose owner travels internationally. Because…read morewe sleep during the day, a hotel's daytime quiet and efficient service are critical -- this property delivers on both. The hotel is conveniently located near Regent's Park, so it's easy to get some fresh air and a walk between duties. The on‑site restaurant is top quality and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; there are also many outside dining options within walking distance. What matters most to crew: * Quiet rooms during daytime hours -- request a room away from elevators and any floors hosting events or weddings. * Fast, smooth check‑in and check‑out (very efficient here). * Complimentary bottled water in the room -- a small but appreciated touch for crew on the move. Overall this is a well‑priced, high‑quality option I'd recommend to frequent travelers and aviation crews who need dependable service, daytime quiet, and good location

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My family and I spent 3 nights at the atravelodge in Finchley which is quite new. In terms of the…read moreroom, food and staff there's can be no real complaints with everything being as it should. The room was clean and had everything you needed,the boys who slept on "put me up" beds said that the sheet on the mattress weren't that comfortable but they were clean. The staff were well mannered and helpful when we needed anything; which wasn't a lot. We had breakfast at the hotel everyday and it was always being topped up and if there was anything missing and you mentioned it to the staff they went and got it for you. The quality of the cooked breakfast items was great too. My only gripe was that although the hotel was no smoking it was clear that people were smoking and it didn't always smell like tobacco either, but overall was great value for money. The location of the hotel is great for London visitors as you are not too close, so things aren't so busy but the tube stop is just round the corner and in 20 minutes you can be in the centre.

Found a bedbug crawling on my bed and they would not reimburse me anything at all for the…read moreinconvenience of my things being contaminated. They were not very quick responding to the issue.

I stayed two nights here with my sister in early March 2018 and it was fabulous and funky! Great…read morelocation (steps from the Chalk Hill tube stop, short stroll to sweet Primrose Hill and Camden neighborhoods), and the downstairs pub and hotel check-in gal (Dee) were amazing and so welcoming! Everything seemed super hip-- the design of the room (semi-small but very well laid out), the furniture, the new bathroom, down to the cool elevator. The only thing missing were some maps in the room, which would have been helpful. Highly recommend!

Horrible hostile and they have CCTV camera inside the shower areas. I booked the place for two…read moreweeks and they kicked me out and banned me from the property. I am in remission from cancer and the property has zero accommodations for people with any form of disability. The staff is extremely racist and homophobic. It isn't not a safe space for anyone within the LGBTQ community , young travelers or if you have disabilities. I told the front desk I was in remission from cancer and have anemia. The employee proceeded to put me on the third floor that did not have any lift access. He also put me in the one bed that had a broken window. The property is also very dirty and they do not clean the beds properly. They just spray it with disinfectant and call it a day. While I was on the property I was sexually assaulted and cornered in the kitchen. The front desk witnessed me get bullied by extremely older men and made fun of me for not wanting to entertain them. I'm 19 and a 60 year old man kept threatening me and telling me to suck his ... while I was sleeping. He proceeded to open my curtain when I was sleeping and yell at me calling me an N word and homophobic slurs. When I turned the lights on in the room and woke up the rest of the room the front desk told me that they would kick me out if I complained again. The man followed me around the property for three days and everyone I complained the property laughed and made jokes. After I complained the to the front desk they gave me the option to leave and be refunded but refused to kick out the man who had SA'd me. I didn't ask for special treatment, just for them to treat me with respect. I had multiple things stolen from my room , including my credit card , brand new Apple charger and skincare products and makeup from Sephora. When I complained to the front desk the guy working from Nashville told me to "keep that Sh** private. Making me the problem. When I tried to take my charger back from the creepy old man who stole it he got physical with me and I grabbed his headphones and threw them out a window. Because of this they accused me of "stealing" and kicked me off the property. They refused to believe me and said there was no CCTV footage. I threw the man's headphones out of the bathroom window. They all of the sudden were able to get the CCTV footage of me throwing the headphones out of the shower windows but they weren't able to provide CCTV footage of the men in the little kitchen or common areas. It seems like they're just watching people while they shower which is insane. As for the property. The kitchen is not existent and people are constantly brushing up against each other. Old men are everywhere and use the kitchen as an opportunity to grab you and blame it on the tight space. The entire staff is just extremely rude and I would not recommend this place to young , travelers especially women because it is extremely unsafe and the staff do not do anything when you report it. They just care about their 5 star reviews and will try to silence you if you complain about the property. The staff would also proceed to cough anytime I walked by , after I complained that it isn't safe for someone at the front desk to be working if they were ill as it could make other people in the hostel sick. The staff also threw out all my food and said I had not labeled it properly. But they had given everyone else a note saying that if they did not label their food properly it would be thrown out the following day. It is clear that they just didn't want me on their property and from the start wanted to find any reason to kick me out. The Generator London and Click261 are much better options in London. I've used hostel world for years now and this is the only property that I have had issue with. The location of this hostel is also not great. It's super far and the two I had previously mentioned are much closer to central London, cheaper and have better facilities and staff. Definitely do not recommend.

I stayed here for two nights last month. The lodge is a short uphill walk (maybe 2 minutes) from…read morethe Swiss Cottage tube station, but the surrounding area is not very exciting. My group stayed in a ten bed female room. The room was in the basement floor, which meant very little air circulation. The weather in London during our stay was rather cool, but because of the lack of air circulation, our room was incredibly stuffy and it smelled like gym socks. Also, the wifi didn't reach our room and the common room was often full, so when I had to check my email I sometimes had to sit on a stairway. The showers were clean, but again, no air circulation and I saw mold on the ceiling. The toilet stalls were the smallest I've ever had to use; To get out of the stall, your legs WILL rub against the toilet bowl. The bathrooms are communal for the floor, so we had to share the bathroom with a bunch of guys. Also, I dont think they clean the bathrooms every morning because I saw the same bits of gunk over twelve hours later. The things I did enjoy about this hostel were the free breakfasts (toast, cereal, coffee and juice) and the friendly staff. I liked the large lockers under the bed and the hostel felt very safe. Each bunk had privacy curtains, a reading lamp, and an outlet. Overall, I would consider staying here again, but I wouldn't be excited about it.

Great hotel. Pros: super clean and modern…read moreSafe Everything worked! Super affordable. Breakfast was delicious and great spread. Close to tube stop Friendly staff Cons: we reserved a double bed and was given a pullout sofa bed super uncomfortable. The did kind of fixed the situation with an extra comforter. Which was greatly appreciated. Wifi sucks! Tips There's a small convenient store open til late with reasonable prices. Go across the street for wifi.

Location, value, and excellent customer service. By reserving through a travel website, we paid a…read morethird of the posted rack rate of 275 pounds per night, so it pays to shop around. Clean rooms, good linens. Our room faced away from Finchley so was very quiet. Amazing buffet breakfast, free wifi, and the manager gave us late check-out (12:30) for free. Tube station across the street. My new favorite place to crash in London.

Very disappointing stay and unlike any of the other Premier Inns our family have stayed at. The…read moreair conditioning was not working in any rooms and each window has secondary sliding windows which limit any possible air flow. This led to very uncomfortable sleeping during our stay which saw daytime temperatures of 30-degree C. Each room was provided a floor fan which was dirty and required cleaning which offered no relief and was noisy. Walls were scuffed and the carpet was threadbare in sections. Even buttons were missing on one of the lifts. Management claims that their website clearly states no air conditioning but you really have to look hard to find this. I would not recommend a stay here in its current condition and will now consider different hotel options vs. staying at any other Premier Inn in the future. Sad since I have been a loyal patron for 15-years.

If you are from USA, think a small motel room. Maybe Comfort Inn or a notch above Model 6…read more Pricewise it's very expensive though. Location is nice and walkable. Despite being called Premier Inn Hampstead it's really in Belsize Park if that matters to you (Hampstead village is a good 15 min walk uphill or one tube stop/few bus tops). Bring your own soap and shampoo/conditioner unless you want to use the same liquid dispensed from a container for everything. A/C kinda works (only when the windows are closed). Rooms are tiny (basically a bed/beds and that's it). Views are either the Royal Free hospital/gas station or the back parking lot. The "free" wifi is patchy so you would need to pay if you need faster connection (however faster does NOT mean more reliable). Beds are relatively comfortable. Remember to close the blinds if you are traveling in summer months and don't care for a 4 am sunrise wake up call. They offer a breakfast deal at the adjacent restaurant though the neighborhood have plenty of restaurants so you might want to try that instead of a routine of English breakfast (kids eat free with paying adult, subject to terms and conditions), especially if you are staying for several nights.

This is a great little B&B very close to the Golders Green underground. Staff are friendly. Rooms…read moreare clean. I stayed here with my family for a week. It is not modern but it worked for me.