23 Matheson Road

I didn't even end up staying in Room 55. Its electrics weren't working, so I was moved to another room where the window wouldn't close and stayed open all the time. If I'd had any other place to stay, I'd have taken it immediately. I won't be back. The key situation was alarming from the start. With no reception or anyone in the building to help, keys were left on a radiator beside the front door, so anyone could take one. I couldn't find Room 55 at first because I didn't know its entrance was outside in the garden. I tried my electronic card on Room 53 and it opened, then tried Room 51 and that opened too. Nobody was in either room, but their belongings were there. My friend, who was travelling with me and had a separate room, could open all the doors with their key as well. I worried that anyone with a key could get into my room, so I called the number on a wall note. I was told someone would come sort it out in 5-10 minutes. After an hour, we were told that my friend and I had somehow been given the only two cleaners' keys. How were we supposed to know there were only two? It felt like a MAJOR safety issue. If I were less honest, I could easily have taken other guests' belongings.

The room was clean when we arrived, and they provided a fan since there was no AC. The location was convenient for public transport, and the neighborhood felt safe. We stayed in Room 51 at the Matheson Olympia Hotel from July 17-21, 2025, but the rest of the experience didn't live up to expectations for somewhere called a hotel. There was no reception or staff on site, and no room service during our four nights. After a few days the bins were overflowing, towels and sheets were dirty, and we'd run out of toilet paper. Maybe those things aren't mandatory, but they're what you'd expect at a hotel. Room 51 was tiny, barely enough for one person, let alone two. The bathroom was so cramped that I had to sit sideways on the toilet because the sink got in the way. Bath water shifted quickly between hot and cold. The room faced the street, and the old windows had no security bars, so we didn't feel comfortable leaving them open despite the lack of AC. Being right by the entrance also meant we heard everyone coming and going. The front door code didn't help much, since the building door was unlocked almost every time we came or went. With no staff there, that didn't feel secure. I wouldn't stay again. If we'd known the room's size and condition, we'd have booked a bigger room or somewhere else. It might work for solo travelers who only need a bed and don't mind sacrificing comfort or service, but not for couples or people expecting basic hotel standards.

For this price, the cost was hard to beat. The room was clean, comfortable and dark, with plenty of towels and toiletries, plus a kettle, tea, coffee and biscuits. I was worried by some of the reviews, but had no issues during my stay. It was small, though at 6ft I could move around fine. The radiator had a thermostat for the heat, and the decor was a little worn, but I didn't mind at this price. Noise from other rooms was there, but earplugs took care of it. I would have liked a bedside lamp. I also had to be careful with the tap and shower because the water could get scalding hot.

The room felt claustrophobic, and despite the window being open it was very hot, with no proper ventilation. The photos in the listing make the rooms look more spacious, and don't show how small ours was. It also wasn't clean enough. There was another guest's bottle in the fridge, rubbish behind the bed, and drink stains on the walls. The bathroom wasn't great either, with fungus on the grout. The shower drained very slowly because hair had clogged the drain.