Hotel Orlando by PLI

At 5 in the morning on work days, a loud booming noise went on for about two hours. It sounded like a motor or washing machine right next to our room. We complained as soon as it started to be an issue, but got no response. My friend and I booked last minute after our original hotel was cancelled. This one was cheap and near the area we wanted, and despite the poor reviews, some people had been pleasantly surprised. We arrived to find a room that wasn't shown in any of the hotel's pictures. It was roughly 5 square feet, with a tiny bathroom where a little sink, shower and toilet were crammed together. My friend is 1,93m and I'm 1,85m, so sitting on the toilet comfortably, as intended, was hardly possible. The bed could just fit two people, with one large duvet instead of separate ones. I consider my friend close, but I wanted my own sheets. The room was in poor shape, with no place to hang clothes and no shelf or wardrobe, though there was room for one. There was only a nightstand with two drawers. The TV didn't work, and the bright, cold white LED lights were unpleasant. Shower panels were coming loose from the wall, trapping water behind them and leaving a mouldy smell. The toilet door wouldn't close or lock. A stack of picture canvases was jammed into an upper corner of the wall. The window was dodgy but worked, and looked onto a dismal backyard. A stray cat showed up at the window now and then, which wasn't great since I'm more of a dog person. This place is abysmal and I wouldn't recommend it. It's not worth it.

The bathroom was unusable on our first night. We were also told explicitly not to flush toilet paper, which says a lot about the outdated plumbing. Next to our door was a service bathroom apparently used by everyone. It was filthy and unhygienic, and smelled terrible. We asked to move immediately, but the staff wouldn't move us at all, saying there was no availability. They tried to charge extra, claiming they needed to clean our current room before moving us, even though it wasn't functioning in the first place. We were forced to stay there. Our room was in the sub-basement, dark and cramped, and tiny compared with the pictures online, which were grossly misleading. There was also a constant ringing or buzzing from equipment in reception right above us. It never stopped and made sleeping impossible. Our stay at the so-called "Orlando Hotel" in London was horrendous from beginning to end. This place is a total disaster, and a scam. Don't book it. The rooms misrepresented online, broken facilities and unbearable noise made this a massive disappointment. Save your money and holiday and stay somewhere else.

The room itself was in terrible condition. The shower drain was completely clogged and flooded the floor, and staff made no effort to fix it. Wi-Fi didn't work, the TV remote was broken, the bathroom made loud noises all night, the fan didn't work, and the ceiling had visible humidity or mold damage. One bed had no headboard and was uncomfortable. The staircase was absurdly narrow and difficult to use with luggage, almost unsafe. Communication was awful from the start. I told them my exact arrival time a day ahead, but when I arrived I waited outside with my luggage for over 20 minutes without a response. I had to chase them on WhatsApp. While I was outside, they kept asking for a photo of my ID, which felt inappropriate at that point. Then they switched to email for instructions, which made everything slower and more confusing. Once inside, the room code they sent didn't work. I was locked out for more than 30 minutes and sent videos to show it wouldn't open. After several messages, they admitted the mistake and sent the right code. I also saw several other guests outside with luggage, apparently dealing with the same lack of communication. This seems systemic, not an isolated incident. The property is poorly managed and maintained, and clearly not ready to host guests. Booking should seriously review why it's still listed. It doesn't meet basic hospitality standards. Avoid at all costs.

The best thing about this place is the location. The room wasn't too bad at first glance, but closer up it was dirty: pee-stained toilet seats, a dodgy flusher, stained bedding, wrappers under the bed that weren't ours, and toiletries left by previous guests. The shared staircase areas were shabby. The room was shabby too, though someone had given it a lick of paint and added modern furnishings to disguise that as cheaply as possible. The bathroom smelled of sewage, probably from rotten pipework. They wouldn't do anything or switch rooms, claiming there was no availability and acting as if it was the first they'd heard of it, even though reviews mention the problem. There were no staff on site. The cleaners were friendly and helpful, but their English wasn't good, and the number I was left calling sometimes took several attempts to answer. I chose pay at hotel and paid more than the original price for that option. While I was travelling across the country on arrival day, they emailed me several times demanding payment. I had to call and explain repeatedly that I'd chosen to pay there. They kept saying my room wasn't secure until I'd paid and wouldn't send me the details to enter the building until then. It caused needless stress. Don't offer pay at property if you insist on payment in advance. They said someone would come to take payment and check me in, but no one did. There was no one at a desk either. The room was like a sauna. The fan only worked when the light was on. They didn't clean at all during my stay, not even to empty the bin. I couldn't use the shower, and I was afraid to use bathroom water for the kettle because of the smell from the pipes. There was no fridge in the family room, and every drink I bought got disgustingly warm. The sash windows had no safety features, and I couldn't see any clear fire exits or information about where they were. Yes, it's cheap, but there's surely a minimum standard. I've stayed at similar hotels on Shepherd's Bush Road that were far cleaner and nicer. I asked for a partial refund because I couldn't use the bathroom or water without worrying about my health, but I still haven't heard back. We managed, but never again. AVOID.