Astors

We went to London to see Wicked at the Apollo Theatre, less than a 10 minute walk away, so the location suited us perfectly. Victoria station was also under 10 minutes on foot, and getting there from Gatwick by train was easy. There are lots of food places, coffee shops and cake spots nearby, plus a Sainsbury’s Local right next door for snacks. We didn’t try breakfast because we wanted to explore the local places. The area felt safe, lovely, quiet and clean. It was very peaceful both inside and outside the hotel, apart from the occasional sound on the stairs. Our room was small, which seems typical of central London hotels, but it worked well for our two nights. It was tidy, and the beds were really comfortable. The complimentary bottled water was replaced each time the room was cleaned, and biscuits, tea and coffee were included too. The staff were absolutely lovely and gave us a warm welcome. There’s no lift, and the stairs are steep, so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with mobility restrictions unless they’re on the ground floor. My Mam and I had a fantastic stay, and we’d definitely book again.

The location is very good, and if you enjoy walking you can easily reach the main places around the city. The room was clean, and the staff were really nice and helpful. They can carry your luggage up and down the stairs, but you have to tell reception first. There’s no elevator. The building is very old and needs a full renovation, including the wiring, plumbing and carpets. The room’s air conditioning and heating didn’t work, so they supplied electric radiators that sparked and didn’t seem very safe. The toilet made constant noise, and got even louder when other guests used theirs, which made sleeping difficult. Breakfast was chaotic when Jaskiran wasn’t working. They forgot to put out things like butter, Philadelphia, donuts, and the cucumber was cut in very thick slices. Full marks to Miss Jaskiran for her fantastic work. The room was clean, but they could pay closer attention to requests. I asked for just the trash to be emptied and the room vacuumed, but they also replaced towels and cleaned the bathroom. I give it 4 stars, but only because of the staff.

We stayed at Astors Belgravia from 19 to 23 December. Both my partner and I developed several bites during the stay that were consistent with bed bugs, and they got worse afterward. We contacted the hotel repeatedly by email and phone and sent photographic evidence. Apart from a short message saying they’d “respond soon,” we got no meaningful reply and no confirmation that anyone had investigated the issue. The suspected bed bugs and management’s lack of follow-up made for a very disappointing stay. Based on what happened to us, we wouldn’t recommend this hotel.

Visible cracks in the walls and ceiling made the room feel unsafe and poorly maintained. Worse, I got bed bugs during my stay, which was extremely disturbing and unacceptable. I reported the problems, but the staff were unhelpful and didn’t take my concerns seriously. It was a very unpleasant experience, and I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone.