Cavendish House

We have traveled extensively and don't need a lot of room or amenities, but we do expect cleanliness and honesty. We got neither. We lost over $1000.00, though the manager, Adam's rude treatment was even more upsetting. This happened a little over 24 hours ago, and we're now in a wonderful apartment where the staff are kind and interested, the location is supreme, and we feel safe and appreciated. While we were in the awful flat, I was grateful we hadn't brought our children and grandchildren because I would have worried about their health in such filthy conditions. Please don't set yourself up for the disappointment we had. There are so many good places to stay in London. This is NOT ONE OF THEM. We booked flat #8 in February, 2017, and reserved it for the night before our arrival so we could check in at 7am. The staff who answered my enquiries had been courteous and receptive, and the car they arranged from Heathrow arrived promptly with a courteous driver. We felt encouraged after the long flight. Then, on arrival, we were told they were switching our flat because of some kind of medical emergency. The explanation was never made clear. Exhausted, I agreed to look at the replacement, #7, but my husband and I were appalled. It smelled, was dirty, and the online photos showed two bedrooms that weren't even in that flat. I told the customer service representative this was unacceptable. She understood and said she'd ask her manager for approval to move us. Later she took me across the street to their property, “62 Harley”. That flat was bigger, but un-cleaned. She promised staff would clean it and arrange the beds as we wanted. Reluctantly, I agreed and we waited in #7. When we got the go-ahead to carry our bags over, the new flat smelled just as bad, was dirty with filthy walls, and run down. Too tired to move again, we stayed. My husband slept that night, but I only managed three hours. It was hot, (October) because the radiators were on. With no window screens, opening the windows let in bugs, noise and exhaust fumes, and I didn't feel safe. In the morning we packed up and went to the rental office. We said this wasn't what we'd seen online and were leaving. We understood if they charged us for that night, but expected a refund for the rest of the stay. Again the CSR was courteous and said she had to contact her manager. He said there'd be no refund because he thought we were breaking the contract. She put me on the phone with him. I said they had broken it by changing our flat without even giving advance notice. He spoke loudly and aggressively. After listening for a minute or two, I told him he'd made a mistake and this was unacceptable. He replied, “The photos online were not doctored”, although I hadn't said anything like that. Very suspicious. The manager was rude, inconsiderate and misleading. I feel sorry for the other staff.

The location is very good, but the owners seem to have taken little care of the place. It looks like it hasn't been done up in years.