Paddington Flat

I still feel grateful for that stay, even two years later. Paddington Flats gave us a quiet place to breathe, laugh, and just be, while the noise and rush of London seemed to fade away. The beds felt like a hug from the universe, and the whole atmosphere had this almost Shakespearean, magical quality. Staying there was joyful and surreal, like riding a rainbow on a summer day. I’ve stayed in plenty of places since, but few have stuck with me like this one. It took me a long time to find the words, but the experience felt transcendent.

The room itself was awful. Carpet had been laid over the old carpet without being secured, and I tripped as I came in. The side table was falling apart. When I put my bag on it, one leg split and chipboard pieces went all over my things. The sink area was so filthy I wouldn't fill my bottle from the tap. I booked because there were cooking facilities, but the fridge was broken, so I couldn't buy or store food for the weekend. I didn't want to check inside the microwave, and I also didn't want to live on microwave meals while working. The bathroom had yellow stains everywhere and limescale on every tap. The whole place, from shared spaces to bedrooms, looked like nobody cared about cleaning. There wasn't a mattress cover either, just a sheet between me and the mattress everyone else had slept on. I would have moved if there'd been another option, but I couldn't and had to focus on work. I also got no sleep because a pipe by the head of the bed kept running water. I've run into this at a couple of Airbnbs and don't know what causes it, but they should cover it or find the source and stop it. I emailed management about the water and broken fridge, and heard nothing. They didn't respond to any of my other complaints either, including the ones I sent through Booking.com. Booking.com said the hotel had not replied to the issues they raised for me. The check-in arrangements were another problem. I only learned after booking that I couldn't pick up the keys after 3 p.m. unless I went all the way to their sister hotel in Earls Court. That's no good for people working regular office hours. I don't know why they don't have a secure lockbox for anyone who can't make their very short collection window. I told them I'd collect the keys from the office around 3, but then got swamped with calls and WhatsApp messages. I'd never contacted them on WhatsApp, and somehow the two people messaging hadn't got the information that I wasn't coming until later. I changed my booking and moved the start date back one night because I didn't want to travel through Central London very late to get the keys. The receptionist said she couldn't change the reservation or reach anyone who could, because the manager had left at 3. It seemed that after 3 p.m. anyone needing help with Paddington Flats had to go to someone in Earls Court, since nobody there seemed to care about the flats after that time. I'd never wish this place on anyone. It's one of the grossest places I've stayed. I paid for cheap rooms, but not so little that basic repairs and cleaning should be out of reach. I ended up feeling I had to go elsewhere for water and a shower just to keep my dignity the next day. Paying £20 more a night for somewhere decent would have been worth it. To me, this looked like greed and laziness, because these problems could be fixed and they could still make a profit.

The damp smell hit me as soon as I entered the room. There was mold visible on the walls and ceiling, and the building was filthy and in an appalling state. It felt completely uninhabitable, and I couldn't risk staying there for my health. The staff on site were polite and tried to help, but it was clear the building's problems were outside their control. I left straight away and had to find somewhere else to stay. It's disappointing to find conditions like that in a hospitality business, and I wouldn't recommend Paddington Flats to anyone. I couldn't even stay for one night.

We arrived and there was nobody at the hotel to check us in. To get the key, we had to walk over two miles to another hotel that supposedly owns the flats. When we got there, Fahaw was rude and dismissive, and blamed us for not calling even though we'd tried both numbers we were given several times and got no answer. The room was in complete disarray. The ceiling was falling apart, dust and dirt covered the counters, and the place smelled neglected. The bathroom was grimy and had several spiders crawling around, enough to feel like an infestation rather than the odd spider. A fire alarm was broken and beeped all night, and there was a smell like a portal potty. They advertised free WiFi, but the service had been cut off because they hadn't paid the bill. We were left without internet. This place was filthy, badly managed, and offered no customer service. It was the worst hotel stay I've had, and one star feels generous. Backpackers and anyone needing a short stay should stay away.