Gidea Park Hotel

Breakfast was a good English breakfast, and the staff were exemplary, so polite and willing to do anything for you. There are lots of local amenities and plenty of free parking, and it's a nice place. We made the most of the stay and would recommend it, though we were unlucky with room No. 7. We'd been offered an upgrade, but the heating wasn't working, so we were moved into a smaller room. It was comfortable, but noisy and opposite the kitchens. Guests in the corridor and upstairs were loud, and a compressor kept switching on and off in the early hours.

We had a very comfortable night's sleep in a superior double. The room was tidy, the bed really comfortable, and the bathroom was modern and well maintained, a big change from the dated main room. Breakfast was the disappointing part. They advertised a full English for £12, but what arrived felt half-English at best: one sausage, two small, overcooked pieces of bacon, one egg, a plum tomato and some beans. The toast was stone cold, apart from the extra toast they brought us. Comfortable night, lacklustre start to the day.

I was charged £68.08 for a room I'd booked as a single at £54, over £14 extra. I had booked directly on the website and checked by phone with the receptionist, who said I could pay on arrival at the standard rate. At check-in they made me pay before I could even see the room. When I challenged the amount, they gave conflicting reasons, including claiming I'd stayed in a double, which wasn't true. I had the single I'd booked. They refused to refund the overcharge and showed no apology or empathy. Receptionist Svetla was extremely rude on the phone. Rather than hear my concerns, she dismissed me and said, “She talk too much.” It was insulting and completely unprofessional. There was no accountability or concern for customer satisfaction, just deflection and refusal to own their staff's error. It felt like a money-making scheme. I'd strongly recommend staying elsewhere, such as Premier Inn or Travelodge, where pricing and treatment may be fairer and more transparent.

I was very pleased with the small single room I took for Saturday night. It was quiet at the back of the hotel, clean, tidy and decorated all in white. It had everything I wanted, including two pillows, a fan, bed, dressing table and wardrobe. The bathroom had a bath and hand shower, and the water was hot. Everything worked. Breakfast was good, served in a plain dining room and bar overlooking the street, with attentive service. There was loads of car parking. I took a chance and was glad I did.