Cranbrook Hotel

My kids loved it, and I felt safe and comfortable walking around, even at night. The people nearby were so friendly that it made me believe world peace might be possible. Thank you, Ilford, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Cranbrook Hotel is a lovely place, and I was surprised by how much I liked it as a family holiday spot. The rooftop pool was lovely, and the all-inclusive bar surprised me for the price. One thing I didn’t like was finding a dead cockroach in the straw in my drink. And I wouldn’t recommend the hot tub. Still, I’d recommend the hotel to families looking for a vacay.

The woman who answered the call the next morning, 1 Feb 2026, made my day a little better. The night before, I arrived after midnight on January 31st, my birthday, and was met with a check-in that turned into a nightmare. The receptionist was rude and dismissive, and demanded a £100 deposit that hadn’t been clearly disclosed in my Booking.com reservation. He first refused my virtual card for no legitimate reason. After a long argument he accepted it, but when the machine failed, he blamed me. It worked perfectly five minutes later. Then I was told my room was in another building, supposedly a 3-minute walk away. The postcode they gave me was actually a 15-minute walk away, so I had to drag all my luggage through the streets alone at 2:00 AM. The staff showed no basic empathy or professionalism. I hope the owner sees this and deals with the night reception team’s conduct. This is no way to treat a paying guest. Avoid this place if you value your safety and sanity.

The beds were extremely uncomfortable, and the floor wasn’t as clean as I expected. The carpet and mattresses both looked like they hadn’t been replaced in a while. The service was rubbish, and I expected more. It was a horrible experience. I’ve since stayed at another hotel and won’t be going back. Sorry!

They advertised free parking, and I’d checked that I needed a space when I booked, but they couldn’t provide one and didn’t seem to care. The rooms were dirty, though at that price I might expect it. They also held the deposit for five days after checkout. What was that for? Terrible. Avoid!