Bob W London Paddington

It was a very reasonable price for a central location, and I’d definitely stay at a Bob W again. My room was clean and small, close to the Underground, and had a microwave, a few dishes and a small fridge. The fridge was my only real complaint: it could have been the next size up and colder. There was also a kettle and everything for coffee, including grounds, filters and a pot. Since eating out in London gets expensive, it was handy to keep milk, yogurt, sandwiches and a few other supplies there. Paddington Station is 10 minutes from the hotel, with an M&S Foods and a Sainsbury nearby. The area felt safe and friendly, and I had no trouble walking alone at night. Any time I raised an issue, the response was prompt and pleasant. You enter the building with a code and open your room with your phone. There was an Atari in the room too, a nice touch. 👾

The hotel was clean and well located, but I wouldn’t recommend staying here in warm weather. During our visit to London it was hot, and our top-floor room became stuffy and unbearably warm because the windows wouldn’t open. The fan was useless. We spent four very uncomfortable days without fresh air, and other guests told us they had the same problem. A basement room was offered as a solution, but it was even smaller and had even less ventilation, so that wasn’t acceptable. It was also difficult to get through to an actual person in customer service to discuss the problem properly. The location and cleanliness were the only positives.

The alarm started beeping around 1 am and carried on all night. It wasn’t inside my room, but it was so loud and constant that I couldn’t sleep. I contacted BOB W on WhatsApp, and they suggested earplugs, which I already had and which didn’t help. They did nothing else and nobody came to investigate. The bed was uncomfortable, like cardboard, and so short that my feet hung over the end even though I’m only 5 foot 4 / 164 cm, below average height. After a warm shower that kept turning cold, I checked out around 8 am and messaged them explaining that the alarm and bed had kept me from sleeping. I asked for a full refund. Later, BOB W said someone had checked and found no beeping alarm in the room. I clarified that it had never been inside the room. They refused a refund because they hadn’t found one there, and offered 5% off a future stay, which is the standard offer after your first stay anyway. I declined and asked again for a full refund or a free future night. They refused. I told them I’d leave an honest review. If you need somewhere to store luggage before or after Heathrow, book a room at BOB W Paddington. If you need to sleep, as most hotel guests do, don’t book there.

The location is excellent, close to Paddington station, restaurants and shops. The bed was comfortable, and even though the room was tiny, we did have our own bathroom. For two days it was okay, but I wouldn’t recommend a longer stay. There are no elevators, and we were on the third floor with six pieces of luggage. There’s no staff on site if something comes up; you have to text, and it took 25 minutes to get a reply. You enter the building with a keypad code, but to open the bedroom door you need internet or phone data, roaming data in my case. The door is electronic but has no keypad. The rooms are small, and the bathroom is tiny. I included a photo of my hand beside the sink to show the scale, taken while standing in the bedroom, not the bathroom.