Acton Town Hotel

The breakfast was just toast, juice, yogurt and some coffee, and they gave us only one towel for showering and washing our hands and face. My three-night stay was a nightmare. The room smelled awful, the sheets were full of holes, and the bathroom wasn't clean or sterilized. There was still hair in the tub from previous guests. When I complained, they said it wasn't possible, then I showed a photo and they said they would clean better. Some of the reception staff were rude and didn't even speak English. I've travelled all over the world, including countries with fewer resources, and never seen a hotel this bad in London. Don't choose it just for the price. Avoid it completely.

I cancelled my stay straight away. The place was filthy, the walls were damaged, and the torn, dirty towel and stinking, dirty toilet were disgusting. I thought the toilet might make me throw up. Getting my £20 deposit back took about two weeks. After I chased them around 20 times, the owner called and said the room I'd been in was their best one. He told me, "please don't come to our hotel again," though I'd expected an apology. Ridiculous. I wonder why environmental health doesn't close the place down. Sleeping in the street might be better if this hotel could make you ill.

The location is really handy, about a five-minute walk from Acton Town tube. It's an odd setup, split across two buildings, and half our group was put in the other one, which wasn't ideal. The rooms themselves were fine, with comfy beds and hot water. Ours was spacious and clean, but smelled strongly of cigarettes. Breakfast was basic and served in a drafty room.

Pedro made our evenings feel special, and we loved the view from the rooms, along with the spa and pool. The bus ride down to the beach was a bit bumpy, but our family day out was still enjoyable. We had to leave so soon that the chef couldn't make the birthday cake he'd promised me, which was the one letdown. I really enjoyed the stay.