This is a very charming location and charming looking hotel, but it has certainly seen better days. The furniture is sort of oaky-country 1980s nailed-to the wall type and the bathroom was a bit dirty and a hodgepodge of different fixtures--water spilled all over the floor despite using shower curtain etc. The wifi was good, the breakfast was extremely good, and everybody was very courteous.
What then is not to like?
The walls are like paper, and though it is certainly not the Thistle's fault that some of their guests start loudly talking at 3 in the morning and slamming doors, it is a bit irritating that the sound was not the slightest bit muffled by the supposed walls. Frankly, it was like being in between two rooms that a German Basil Fawlty was dashing in and out of. Yelling in one room to my right; the woman yells back in exasperation. The door slams, stomping, "phew" I think, the continental tyrant has gone down to the bar (oops, forgot... it must be closed this late)... a moment later a bang on the door to the left and the same yelling between the German Basil and another woman. Slam! stomp! back to the other room, and so on for another hour. Then at 6:30 when the drama began again and door after door slammed on the hallway. When I got up a bit later I saw the line of luggage down the hallway: aha! Clearly a tour-bus from a louder country than England with a big, shouting group of rude people who were awfully excited to stay in more than a 2-star hotel and get to slam doors all night long, Just for the fun of it. Because a person can!! Why not wake up those fusty, quiet Brits!?! Why not take revenge on Basil Fawlty for making fun of the Germans when they stay in English hotels?!
The next evening, after a long day of work, when I went to the desk for some other inquiry, there was a sign noting that the hotel was apologizing for the noise that would be occurring that coming evening.... if the night before didn't warrant warning, I couldn't imagine another night. It was 7 pm and I decided to escape and return to London without staying the 2nd night.
This was NOT a good deal to begin with--my "deal" was about 120 pounds a night and because I didn't stay through my stay, I really paid well over 250 pounds (b/c I also bought breakfast separately) for a sleepless, noisy night and a cramped, wet bathroom. Sigh. I wish I had opted for one of the newer hotels closer to the train station. read more