Modern and huge north London home

I booked this place at the last minute for two female friends who’d had an emergency and needed somewhere safe. We reserved it around 8:30 p.m. and got self check-in instructions soon after, but when we arrived about 11:30 p.m., the room was unlocked and plainly hadn’t been prepared. The bed was unmade, towels and used mugs were on the floor, and leftover things, including a cigarette paper packet, were on the surfaces. I have photos. I called customer service right away. The person on the phone said the cleaners may have made a mistake and first offered a full refund, saying there were no other rooms. I explained my friends were stranded close to midnight and that I’d have to leave a review. He then shouted and accused me of “threatening” him. A few minutes later the owner came to the room, acknowledged what had happened, but told us to leave immediately or he’d “charge us for being in the room.” That put two women out on the street in Edmonton near midnight, looking for another hotel. If I hadn’t been there with their bags, it could have been much worse. This morning we got a message accusing us of bringing an extra guest, deliberately disturbing the room, and making an “unfounded complaint.” None of that was true. The room was already in that state when we arrived, as the photos show. Between the unsafe condition, being shouted at, the lack of professionalism, and being made to leave late at night, I can’t recommend this place. Customer service was extremely poor from start to finish.

The rooms were clean, modern, and comfortable, and the deposit and check-in fee both came back promptly within three days. The location wasn’t ideal, with limited street parking if the driveway was full, but it worked for my event in Tottenham. I’d arranged a 2 p.m. early check-in through Booking.com and by phone with the hotel, and they confirmed it. When I arrived, there was no reception area. I had to call, pay a check-in fee, and send a security deposit. They said the access codes would come right away, but I waited more than an hour. That made for a frustrating start. Better customer service and a smoother check-in would make a big difference to the guest experience and could reduce negative reviews.

Terrible service. I asked to change my reservation months in advance, but they refused. The owner kept claiming Booking.com would charge them for it, which is absolutely untrue according to Booking.com, whom I spoke to before calling the property. They’re trying to run a business without understanding the basics, in my view. Booking.com’s reputation gets hurt too by working with such miserable, unprofessional people.

I booked two rooms in September 2024 for this July, then the owner cancelled both. When I said I still needed a room, he quoted £304, compared with my original booking price of £99. I found that very unhelpful. Why had the price suddenly tripled? The same room was listed at £114 the night before and around that price on other nights. In my opinion, he cancelled deliberately to try to charge me more. It feels like a scam.