To start, the guy "managing" the front desk was very unprofessional. I asked nicely if he could…read moremake accommodations for my stay and he told me there were absolutely no rooms available in the 3-4 hotels the company owned. I asked if there was anything i could do and he told me i could cancel the stay but that i would be charged for the first night AND i had to write/send a letter to management with my complaints if i wanted even a partial refund. He said that my room was perfectly fine (hadn't even seen the room had just stepped into establishment) and that because there is no legitimate reason i should be cancelling therefore he would not be providing even a partial refund. Per their policy online, it states that it's "partially refundable. if cancelled after reservation, the cancellation fee will be the cost of the first night. if you don't show up the no show fee will be the same as cancellation fee". No where in the policy is it stated that we had to provide a letter with our complaints and send it to management in order to get even a partial refund for not even staying whatsoever. When i asked to speak to the manager the guy kept saying he was the only one managing the 3-4 hotels nearby and that he was "the manager". I even asked for the managements number and he gave an excuse that one of the bosses wasn't working today so i asked for a different one to which he said he couldn't provide me any of his info. Overall i was understanding that accommodations could not be made however the way the guy spoke to me was disrespectful and appeared untruthful.

Arran House Hotel has a strange balance of providing just enough so you're not entirely…read moreuncomfortable, but so little that there's really nothing to rave about. 3.5 stars for achieving this level of mediocrity. As with most places in London, the hotel is old. The location was great, just a short walk to the Underground, the rooms are fairly clean and a basic English breakfast was included in the cost (beans, sausage, toast, tea). There was a shared shower and toilet on each floor and the water was not always hot. Unlike the States, most of the world seems to have much lower water pressure and less consistent hot water (a shame, but I suppose it's less wasteful). Helpful tip: You need to bring your own shampoo, conditioner and soap. The staff was satisfactory. They provided basic services and did their jobs, but did not go out of their way to be friendly or helpful. This was not a big deal to me because I rarely stayed at the hotel. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for and it would be unrealistic of me to expect any more from this hotel given the cost per night. London is an expensive city, so Arran House Hotel is a good option for the budget traveler seeking a good location and a place to sleep.

Choosing accommodations is one of the most important things when travelling -- it is often the most…read moreexpensive part of a trip, and choosing the wrong one can ruin your vacation. In addition to price, location is important, but it can be a challenge if you don't know the city. When looking for a hotel for our five night stay, there were many affordable options in good areas of London, but in the end we chose 69 The Grove, a lovely B&B in the Vauxhall area of London, and it was a GREAT decision. 69 The Grove is so-called because the address is 69 Vauxhall Grove. It is in the Vauxhall area, which is just south of the Thames. While a bit further away from all the main attractions in London, it was just a five minute walk to Vauxhall Station, on the Victoria Line, and took just 20 to 30 minutes to get to wherever we needed to go. It was a perfect balance of being in a quiet residential area and having quick and easy access to the busier parts of the city. It was also within walking distance of many restaurants, parks, Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, Lambeth Bridge, and other attractions. I absolutely loved the area. The price of our five night stay was $1,205.35 CAD (including all taxes), and a full English breakfast is included each morning, Monday to Saturday -- an excellent value. While the room was small, it had everything we needed -- a private bathroom, comfy bed, a mini fridge and kettle, and it was clean and quiet. If my budget allows, I want to make another trip to London, and I hope 69 The Grove is still in operation. It was such a pleasant place to stay, and I would not hesitate to go back. I highly recommend 69 The Grove. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; London, England; Hotels]

Good location. Extremely dirty room and bathroom. My bed…read moresmelled like piss and there was no AC, I opened the windows during the day to let the room air out (I'm quite temperature sensitive) and when I came back the windows were closed as he made up my room. The bathroom was atrocious. A 3 foot by 8 foot shoe box which was extremely disgustingly dirty. The shower door was broken and the fan was so dirty it made me gag. Was woken up at 6:30 every morning by loud noises as the walls are thin. Additionally the owner was extremely weird and overtly friendly. He offered me a visa to live in England within 3 minutes of meeting him. Saying he has a job for me. He forced me into a conversation about American politics and gun control. When I mentioned I was going to a restaurant with friends when he asked me what my plans are in London, he said he might go to the same restaurant on the same day (effectively inviting himself to come with me). The stairs up to the third floor were filled with whatever he was hoarding, making extremely unsafe in the event of a fire. He left the front door unlocked at most times and as a result I never felt safe inside the building. Additionally the English breakfast was bad. Overcooked rashers and frozen hard sausage links. The mushrooms were bland, the tomatoes were not ripe and very hard and the eggs were swimming in butter and also very bland. He did not season anything. The bread he gave me was under toasted and bad. He made sure that I ate some fruit like he was my parent, calling me "My boy". His "helper/server" during the one breakfast I went to had 0 clue how to operate as a server and it seemed like they were in a weird relationship. Overall extremely creepy and weird vibes. If the issue was just a misleading room description and dirty bathroom I would have been able to stay for my entire reservation, but the vibes I got from the whole operation were very bad. I left after 3 of 7 days and never looked back, trying to not let it ruin my trip to England.

This was our first trip to London, and I'm so happy we spent it at Astons Apartments!…read more First, the location is great. A few blocks from the Gloucester Street tube station (we walked it with our luggage, but YMMV) but off the main drag in a quiet residential part of the neighborhood, a little removed from all the big trendy hotels. There's a Waitrose grocery in the tube station, a great continental coffee shop, a used book store, a Pret A Manger, a Burger King, a chemist shop, a handful of pubs, really, everything you need two to four blocks away. Instead of a single building, Astons is a series of townhouses, and your apartment has an address as well as a room number. I love it because I like to feel more like a temporary local than a tourist. Then there's the price. We opted for the studio. Be warned, it is *tiny*. The bed and the table take up almost the entire room. BUT, it has a fantastic built in mini-kitchen closet sort of arrangement, with a fridge, a cooktop, a microwave and an electric kettle. We made meals in our room when we were hungry at weird times or just too whipped to think about where we could go. And all of that for about $100 a night. Hard to beat in London! We're the kind of travelers who want a clean, safe place to lay our head and stash our stuff because we want to be out and about seeing and doing. We're not looking for luxury, and that's not where we want to spend our money. Astons also offers one- and two-bedroom arrangements, but for the two of us, the studio was a perfect fit. Desk staff was friendly, particularly in the evenings when they gave us great pub recommendations. If you're looking for great value in a great location, you can't go wrong with Astons.

I stayed at Aston while on a recent trip to London- on a recommendation from a friend. The location…read moreis great, the room was clean and private, and it was very quiet- which usually can be the most challenging aspect of staying at a hotel/b&b. The rooms are located in apartment buildings so it feels homier than just being crammed into a big building full of rooms. I would recommend a double as I heard that the singles are TINY. There is no breakfast included, and I wish they had their Internet available at all times instead of just in the evening...but otherwise it's a great place to stay at reasonable rates for London!

Do not stay here. It was disgusting. The room was not the same as the picture. It was roughly 12…read morefeet by 14 feet in size and 20% of that was the bathroom. My head was probably a foot from the front main door, and it kept me awake all night. The room was freezing. The radiators provided no heat. The window was fixed open. I mentioned that when I checked out and they said it was warmer than normal in London so they shut off the heating system and I could have asked for a space heater. It was not warmer than usual in London. Space heaters in hotels are illegal in America. Not sure in London. I really don't know where one would fit. The hotel provided no washcloths saying that people in London don't use washcloths. I finally did get two but they smelled of perfume so bad I could not use them. The shower did not drain and water and air would come up the shower drain when I ran the bathroom sink. They provided a water kettle with instant coffee but the kettle was filthy. With the window fixed open, the street noise was loud and disruptive all night. Overall it was really not worth the price - AT ALL. Maybe a $100 US cheaper per night would have been tolerable. Then again, I am not sure was is a good price if you cannot sleep at all. If you are looking for an authentic London hotel room, keep looking. This place is a dump. Oh, and they refused to give me a receipt. They said they would email me one and a week later, I have no email. The charge to my credit card was about $100 more than I expected and since I have no receipt, I don't know what that was for. I also cannot upload the video of the shower drain bubbling up with water and soap from the sink running.

Great staff, helped me get in the room when I left my phone and my roommate had the keys and was…read moreout and about. Very accommodating. Rooms clean, etc. A+

hugely enjoyable stay 10/10 stars review at carlton hotel victoria. completely satisfied with my…read moreeconomical zone 1 london long-term multiple repeated nights trip. as a solo traveller my basic super clean fresh single was a good size with all good working facilities. excellent wifi, tv, handbasin, hairdryer, tea & coffee kettle, lamp, fan, sockets, mirrors & wardrobe. the bathroom was upstairs & people complain about climbing stairs but there realistically is nothing that can be done about that whilst keeping rates affordable or concerns about smaller shower rooms in london where space comes at a very high premium & even chain 3/4 star hotels have notoriously smaller rooms compared to abroad. if you want large hilton size then be ready to pay for it & so good luck to you at high season london prices. i have stayed at various other victoria budget hotel & this was easily the best. if you're open & down to earth with reception then you will get the same friendly professional service back. i really can't fault the staff. if finances are a priority then i can wholeheartedly recommend the carlton victoria because you would not get the same high standard elsewhere in victoria at that price i can confirm.

Simply put: It is what it is…read more This hotel is in a great location. Walking distance to Buckingham, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Pimlico station. The rooms are fairly small, fairly clean, and fairly full of amenities. Our room was cleaned every morning. The staff is very quiet and may come off as dismissive but they gave us zero problems. For $50-$70 a night in Central London, this place is just fine. If you want a slight upgrade over a hostel than this is your place. If you want something that is a little nicer there are plenty of options on this street. Leaving it at 4 stars because the shower is very small.

Stayed here with my daughter for two nights and everything was perfect. We arrived early in the…read moremorning, and appreciated being able to leave our luggage for the day while we explored the city. On the day we checked out, the hotel graciously allowed us to leave our luggage again as we were not leaving London until evening. Our room was perfect for the two of us, and was very quiet with comfortable beds. Best of all was the full breakfast, which was delicious and included everything we could possibly have wanted. We were very close to the British Museum, and just a few minutes walk from St. Pancras and Kings Cross stations which allowed us to get to several locations throughout London very quickly. Our stay was in February, so I am not sure whether or not The George has air conditioning for a comfortable summer stay, but I would definitely stay here again.

Concession: the last time I stayed here was 2010. Still, by the looks of the pictures, it hasn't…read morechanged. I decided to see if this place was still standing out of curiosity. This "hotel" had a shared bathroom, slanting floors, a clock that clearly had not worked in many years and an odd smell. Pros: In 5 years I have not forgotten this "hotel's" name because it was mentioned at so many reunions as the worst "hotel" my family has ever stayed in. Why is that a pro? Because it has given us so much laughter and shared ridiculous memories that maybe it's magical in that weird British way. Cons: no elevator (they're at least honest about this on the site) weird smell shared bathroom bathtub with no shower curtain and no walls that was freely standing next to the toilet. Uncomfortable beds slanted floors (I mean REAL slanted) the most hilariously broken clock of all time. Times this clock can tell: 1 c 1. t 3 o. End of list. If I remember correctly, the staff wasn't unpleasant, but they just couldn't make up for all the other things that this had wrong with it. To sum up: backpacking after college approved. Family vacation, think again.

No more than 10 minute walk from Highbury/Islington tube station, this is a very nice and…read moreaffordable option still within a quick tube ride into Central London. This is a "guest house" so your experience will be more like a hostel than a hotel. To stay here you have to make a reservation, no walk ins are accepted, but do not worry as the process to get a reservation is very easy and unless there are a couple of groups staying getting a room shouldn't be too much of a problem. There are a few different options as to what kind of room from single rooms with community toilets and showers to en suites to family rooms if you are sharing a room with your family. Personally, I don't mind not having an en suite because there are plenty of bathrooms and toilets for use that it has never been an issue. There are a couple of common areas where are not only a good place to hang out with friends, but if you are on your own it is a great place to meet others. In addition, a fresh and plentiful breakfast is provided in the morning and with assigned seating, if you don't come with a group, this is another chance to meet other travelers. Overall, this is a really nice place that is affordable and with easy access to not only Central London, but a wide variety of different shops, pubs, and restaurants. I have been here a couple times now and one time for over a week and had a great experience.

I booked two nights at Finsbury Serviced Apartments for the first leg of my London trip. It was my…read morefirst time in London and I didn't know the area but I decided to take a gamble on Finsbury Park to save some money. Finsbury Park was a great area and perfectly fine. All you need is access to the tube right? The tube was right around the corner, less than a 5 minute walk. Finsbury Park is a residential neighborhood with tons of people at all hours of the day. It felt safe to me and for all the people on TripAdvisor who say there aren't many stores or restaurants in this area, it isn't true. This area is full of restaurants, pubs, and grocery stores. We arrived at Finsbury Serviced Apartments a little before check in time. Luckily, our room was ready. The lady who checked us in walked us to another building a street away where the apartment actually was. We had reserved a studio type apartment and were pleasantly surprised at the accommodations. The apartment was very cute with a modern bathroom, little kitchen, a side room so that your bed isn't in front of a stove, and a huge outdoor space that pretty much wrapped around the whole building. I wish I had booked more nights at Finsbury Serviced Apartments. It was a great deal, clean, and very modern. It has that IKEA look. My only concern would be leaving luggage in storage at the front desk. It's out in the open and even has a sign that says leave at your own risk.

We stayed in the Finsbury Serviced Apartments for 7 nights at the end of 2014. Here are our…read morehighlights and lowlights: Pros: Solid, reliable WiFi. Clean and modern apartment interior with kitchen. Good cable TV. 2-minute walk to Finsbury Park tube station. Central location in London; easy access via tube to all major attractions. Easy walk to local grocery stores, restaurants, and pubs. Cons: Towels, toilet paper, and soap were restocked only once during our stay. We checked in on a Monday and were given our choice of having these items restocked on either the following Wednesday or Saturday. Since we were checking out the following Monday, needless to say we ended up buying our own toilet paper and soap at the local grocery. The double bed in the apartments could be considered small for two adults. No elevator, and very steep and narrow stairs made hauling heavy luggage up to the room difficult and could be hard on anyone with fragile knees. The main office is located a block away from the apartment you'll be staying in and closes at 5pm. You are given a phone number to call for after-hours issues, but one night during our stay a guest couldn't get the key to her door to work so she began knocking on the doors of all the other guests asking if they had an alternate phone number for the management because no one was answering the phone at the after-hours number we were given. Thin walls in the apartment; noisy people in apartments next door and above may keep you awake. Smoking somewhere inside the building will quickly fill your apartment with smell of smoke.