Grand Concerto Hotel

Breakfast was the best part, and worth paying extra for. There were breads, pastries, cakes, eggs, waffles, pancakes, turkey bacon, halal sausage, fresh fruit, and a great machine for lattes. All the meat is halal, which was fine, though I would have preferred bacon and sausage. The room was small but really comfortable, with a good bed and pillows, and handy USB ports next to the bed. We got in early and could go straight to our room after a long travel day. Housekeeping came every day. The safe seemed to be malfunctioning and we couldn’t work out how to reset it, but it wasn’t a big issue. There’s an elevator, though depending on your room you may still have to use some stairs. It’s a small boutique hotel near Paddington station, with lots of bus stops and restaurants within walking distance. The area was a little noisy, though nothing too bad, and our room didn’t face the street. We chose it because breakfast was included in the rate.

The room was unbelievably tiny, and if you get one on the ground floor, forget having a window. Reception is a gamble too, some staff are lovely, while others nearly roll their eyes at you. Breakfast was awful, almost everything seemed to come from a bag. Worst “4 star” hotel I’ve stayed in.

The location is superb, and our room was small but clean and fine for our stay. But the way the staff handled our last morning ruined the end of what had been a nice trip. We were there for 3 days and 2 nights. The bathroom and room had very poor ventilation. After I showered, the steam mixed with aerosol deodorant I’d sprayed in the bathroom and somehow set off the fire alarm over the beds. A staff member came up while I was in just a towel to see what happened. We explained, but he clearly thought we were smoking or vaping, even though there was no smell. A few minutes later, after my sister showered, it went off again. Staff came back, and I even offered to let them look through my belongings for smoking products. I understand why they might be concerned, but their attitude embarrassed us. I shouldn’t have had to be seen in only a towel, or been treated as if we’d be foolish enough to do it again minutes later. Our suitcases were packed and ready to check out. If we’d wanted to smoke or vape, we could have waited until we left, and surely we’d have done it earlier in the stay too. Who knows if the shower was really the problem? The alarm itself might have had an issue, but nobody seemed interested in checking. At reception, a different staff member aggressively asked, “So what happened up there?” The man from our room was with him. We explained again, and he replied passive aggressively, “Well it’s never happened before.” We agreed it hadn’t happened with any of our other showers either. There’s a first time for everything. Then we asked to leave our luggage and were told, “We’re full.” A 4 star hotel couldn’t look after our bags? After what seemed like a moment of realising he’d gone too far, he suddenly could take them. We got a token, but when we returned, our cases were left out at reception, the only ones sitting there. We tried to hand back the token and let staff know we were collecting the bags, but nobody behind the desk even looked up. Before the stay, I emailed questions and got no answer. I emailed again asking specifically for a reply, using the correct address listed on the website, and I’m still waiting. The website contact form only gives an error too. Since the rate was non-refundable, even though I booked just 10 days ahead, being ignored meant I couldn’t cancel. Check-in was slow, and the staff member was unfriendly and unhelpful. The “Maestro of Hospitality” label is beyond me. Please avoid.

The location is the strongest thing this hotel has going for it, but I wouldn’t return or recommend it. We had a “FAMILY” room for four that felt like a very small double, with nowhere to put four small bags. I don’t understand how it passes fire regulations. There was makeup from a previous guest on a towel in the bathroom/bathpress. Our daughter’s room was on the lower ground floor, basically the basement. Its window wouldn’t shut properly, and wind whistled in. I expect management will reply that this isn’t the standard they aim for and that each issue will be addressed straight away. From the earlier reviews, they seem to have that response ready to copy and paste.