Mercure London Paddington

Nipsia at reception took such good care of us. She managed to upgrade our room, which was amazing, and got me anything I needed. Even with reception extremely busy and her on her own, she put in a great effort to help us. Thanks for having us, Mecure Paddington, and thanks again, Nipsia! I was there with my partner, who had stayed before, and the staff were lovely and attentive.

After nearly 24 hours without sleep following an overnight flight, I arrived around 9am and asked politely about early check-in. Staff said the hotel was very busy, asked me to leave my luggage, and told me to check again around 2pm. When I returned as asked, they said it was still busy and I should wait until the official 3pm check-in. As 3pm approached, I watched many other guests arrive and check in while I sat right in front of reception with no update. I first thought they might have different room types, but as more people got rooms and nobody told me anything, I became frustrated and upset. I finally went back to the staff and explained how exhausted I was, saying I'd take any available room just to rest. Only then did they tell me the hotel was overbooked and I'd have to go to another hotel. If the hotel was overbooked, they should have known and told me at the start. Instead, I was left waiting from 9am until about 3:30pm without clear communication. The overbooking itself was bad, but the lack of honesty, organization, and basic care for an exhausted guest made it worse. Being told the truth earlier would have made a huge difference.

The room was a good size for two and came with complimentary drinks in the fridge. The location is very central, right by Paddington train and tube station, and check-in was easy and smooth. Abdul quickly understood and fixed an unexpected problem with my room key at reception, even though he was busy. He was alert and responsive. Claudiu, at the door, was personable and professional and made coming in and out of the lobby easy. Great service from the staff, and I'd stay again.

The staff were friendly and helpful throughout, always ready to answer questions. Hipsia and Hajar were especially kind and professional from the time I arrived. After a 10-hour flight, being allowed to check in early was much appreciated. The location is hard to beat, very close to Paddington and the Underground. The beds were comfortable and the rooms spacious. I'd definitely come back.