Elmwood Hotel

I was delivering food to a guest's room and told reception I had a delivery. The receptionist directed me toward the room instead of offering to take the food or asking the guest to come downstairs. I explained politely that major delivery platforms don't allow couriers to go to hotel room doors for safety reasons, to protect guests, staff, and couriers. He kept saying I was “the first one to ever say that,” as if that made the policy invalid. When I calmly repeated it, he gestured dismissively and said I “needed to move around more” and walk to the room, implying I was lazy instead of listening to the safety rules. His tone was unnecessary and unprofessional. Then he abruptly snatched the food from my hands and walked away. The disrespect was bad enough, but the hotel also seemed willing to let unknown third-party couriers enter guest corridors without supervision. That raises serious questions for me about guest safety and the hotel's procedures. It was a very unpleasant experience. Basic courtesy and professionalism cost nothing.

I stayed one night for a gig in Islington, and the location was handy for St Pancras and Euston stations. I'd been dreading it after reading the negative reviews, but the bed was comfortable, the room quiet, and the £5 continental breakfast was reasonable. Staff were fine. For a budget stay, it's okay if you keep your expectations in check.

The noise went on through the night. I could hear people walking upstairs and another room's toilet flushing. It has WiFi, a small TV room, and a private bathroom, and it's close to King's Cross and St Pancras. The bathroom sink drains really slowly. For what we paid, I'd definitely prefer Travelodge or Premier Inn.

The staff were great and polite. They kept the room tidy, put out fresh towels, and restocked the shampoo. Breakfast was simple but good, especially the croissant. The room was quite small, poorly ventilated, and had no AC, so it got very hot at night and I couldn't sleep. The mattress was uncomfortable, with the metal circles underneath easy to feel. The bathroom curtain got wet in the shower and didn't dry because of the poor ventilation, so it smelled bad. A plastic curtain might work better. There was no bath mat, leaving the floor wet after showering, and the safe didn't work.