Ilford Grand Hotel

I've stayed here a lot and plan to keep coming back. The rooms have always been spotless and quiet, and I've never had a problem. The staff are amazing and go out of their way to help. Cranbrook road is handy too, with shops and restaurants just a few minutes away and Ilford station about a 5-10 minute walk. For me, it's the best hotel in East London. Thanks IGH!

The location is the strong point, right near the town centre with lots of shops and restaurants around. The room felt cramped, the bed was extremely hard, and there were stains on the carpet. The bathroom sink also took ages to drain. Good spot, but the comfort needs work.

At checkout I told the receptionist about the problems, but all I got was that they'd make a note of them. I thought such a poor stay might warrant a refund for the rooms, but they only apologized and said they couldn't do anything. The customer service was terrible, and I don't think this deserves its three-star rating. I'd avoid the Ilford Grand Hotel. My friend and I were in London for a concert and had separate rooms on different floors. I checked at reception that the beds were extra large, as the Booking.com listing said, but what we found was two single beds pushed together. They were painfully hard, the hardest I've slept on, and not comfortable at all. A toilet kept dripping constantly, loud enough to hear with the door closed. Before 11:00 checkout time, while I was showering in the morning, I heard someone trying to get into my room. The shower looked dirty, the walls hadn't been cleaned properly, and the water was barely warm. I hardly slept because of the bed, so at least the cold shower woke me up.

The refundable £40 deposit felt unnecessary, and the two-night stay was a waste of money. Though we'd booked a deluxe room, it was tiny and poorly kept, with dirty walls. They'd pushed two single beds together instead of providing a proper double.