Central Hotel

The room was basic, as I expected for what we paid, but the location was great and we had a lovely stay for two nights. After the first night, I asked housekeeping to clean again because my child had made a mess. Melanie did the room and bathroom perfectly. She was polite, professional, and paid close attention to detail. I didn’t get to thank her at checkout, so I hope she sees this.

Booking.com eventually refunded me and were extremely kind in helping further, which I appreciated. The whole experience was horrific. The room was poky and small, with an extremely hard, cheap-feeling bed. Chloe and her colleague at reception were extremely rude, nasty, and swore at me several times. One apparently had a headache and they were stressed, as a policewoman explained after I called her to deal with an escalating situation that wasn’t even my issue. Chloe later shouted at me aggressively after a phone call, accusing me of leaving without paying. I had paid for an extra night on Booking.com, and had confirmation before I went for coffee that morning. I’d discussed it with her colleague before processing the payment, and she’d said it was fine to stay in the same room. Chloe’s aggression and rudeness triggered a serious panic attack, so I called the police. They said they’d had ‘recent previous bad dealings with the guest house’. The receptionist sometimes walked around in dressing gowns and pyjamas, which felt totally unprofessional and made the place seem seedy and off-putting. The building was horrible. Other guests told me there were loose wires and cables in their room and elsewhere, which raised questions for me about whether it met safety standards. That was only something I heard from someone outside the hotel after they saw how distressed I was. I’ll contact Barnet Council and ask them to investigate and check the place, and review its licence, if it has one. It isn’t a 'hotel' as the name says. It’s a revolting, disgusting place run by two nasty, vulgar women who should be fired for swearing and treating decent guests like that. Others have described similar filthy swearing and abuse, so I’ll report the women and the hotel to London Borough of Barnet. I’m glad it wasn’t only me experiencing it, but sorry others have also suffered verbal abuse from them. Stay well clear. There’s a reason it’s cheaper than other places in the area, so don’t be fooled.

I arrived in the afternoon and waited 40 minutes outside in the dark because nobody was at reception to let me in. I called the number on the door, and the woman said she was on her way. After waiting, a dodgy-looking guy came out of the room opposite reception and handed me the keys. The receptionist still hadn’t arrived, so I called again and got screamed at. She yelled, "what does it matter where I am you b**ch" and hung up. What a welcome. The rooms were dirty, the corridors smelled of weed, and the doors rattled loudly whenever anyone entered or left. The bedding was the only okay part. There were stains on the carpets and curtains, and the stay was unpleasant. The next morning, the receptionist was in pyjamas when I handed in my keys. I’d give zero stars if I could. This was the worst hotel I’ve stayed in, and I don’t know how it’s legal. The customer service was appalling, and I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy. The receptionist should be fired and this "hotel" should be closed. Worse than a jail. Do not book.

The mould climbed the bedroom walls, the bathroom was filthy, and there was half-eaten food and stained, used bedding. The staff were rude, and the whole place stank of weed, dirt, and damp. We ended up leaving. A staff member confirmed it was being used as a halfway house. It clearly isn’t cleaned between customers, if it gets cleaned at all. I wish I could give it fewer stars. Worst place I’ve ever been in. Honestly, don’t book, even if you think you can put up with it for one night.