Kensington Stay

The entrance to the hotel is directly opposite the back entrance to Earls Court tube station, which is handy. Everything was straightforward, and support was instant when we needed it. The room and building were finished to a surprisingly high standard, with a comfortable room, superb bathroom and absolutely everything we needed. It was well above what I expected for the price, and cheaper and far better than our usual Earls Court accommodation. Couldn’t have been happier. I’d stay again without hesitation.

It was loud from around 5am, even with good earplugs. The stairs were battered, with what looked like several paint experiments left unfinished. The room was filthy, with hairs and stains on the bed and in the bathroom. There was food on the kitchen cupboard, dirty plates, leftover lasagne in the freezer and no forks to eat with.

The room was tidy but tiny, and fairly quiet despite being right across from the Tube. For a cheap and cheerful London stay, it’s probably up there. Service gets one star because there’s nobody on site.

The location is central, but the hotel is in a terrible spot: a very busy street, a corner entrance and a bus stop right beside it. We got a basement room with moldy walls and a lot of noise. It was the worst accommodation we’ve ever stayed in. There was no service at all, and the phone number didn’t seem to be working. We made a mistake by not checking Google Maps reviews instead of Booking, where it has a higher rating.