Hotel Oliver

For under $100 a night, this is basic London accommodation, good for solo travellers who want somewhere compact and tidy. It's dated, with squeaky floors and worn carpet, but the staff are helpful. Breakfast is simple, just tea or coffee, cereal and toast. Earls Court tube station is a ten minute walk away. You should also expect to leave a deposit for the TV remote.

There was mold all over the shower walls and no hot water. I was only there for half a night, and never again. I'd pay someone to find me a worse hotel than this. WORST HOTEL EVER. I'd rather end my life than go here again. There was a scary man called BOB at the entrance, and he was dominating me.

I was thinking of booking, but after reading the Google reviews I changed my mind. Booking.com wanted me to pay a £50 damage deposit upfront, and I couldn't see what it was for. Reviews said breakfast was rubbish, just toast and ham, the rooms were dirty and the staff horrible. No thanks.

The staff were super friendly and helpful, and our rooms were nice and quiet. The location was excellent, right by Earl's Court tube station. We're used to small hotel rooms in the UK, so the cozy size wasn't a problem. Some maintenance problems were harder to overlook. I could feel every spring in my mattress, so I took the duvet from the other bed and folded it underneath me to sleep more comfortably. There was mildew, mold or water staining above the shower, too. I'm allergic to mold and needed antihistamines all weekend. I didn't want the hassle of changing rooms or hotels. They also don't say that you need to leave a deposit for the A/C and TV remotes. So even though they have A/C, you need extra money set aside to use it.