Real Dreams Hotel

We booked a twin room but got a double bed. A DJ was right next to us, playing booming music until 4am, so we didn't sleep until it stopped. After that, drunk people came up the stairs making a lot of noise. A light flashed whenever anyone came near our door, and although someone had tried to cover it, they'd done a poor job. The carpet had stains everywhere, the bed was so uncomfortable I could feel the springs, and there was no free Wi-Fi or password provided.

My friend and I stayed here for a dance convention at the Excel, and as uni students we found it bad. We barely slept because people argued or talked very loudly every night. The location in Barking was awful too; we got a lot of strange looks while walking around. There were stains on the walls and bedsheets, and we heard people having sex early in the day. I won't be coming back.

Room 22 was tidy when we arrived, with clean bedding and a very comfortable bed. The shower was another story. The control went up to 38°, but the water was cold, then only lukewarm after waiting, even in the cold weather. We told reception before going out for dinner. The man said he'd check, but when we asked after returning, he hadn't because nobody was in the room. We said we were back and could show him, and he came up a few minutes later. There was still no hot water. He guessed it might be because too many people were showering, even though it was only 7pm, and said he'd tell the manager. He apologized but said there was no other room because they were full. The water didn't drain, so for both nights we had to shower standing in pooled water. They gave us extra towels to soak it up, since the small strip of silicone separating the shower and toilet area couldn't stop the water reaching the other side. On Saturday morning the shower light was out. We told reception and got no solution, so I used my phone light to see and use the sink and mirror. The hotel was overpriced because it was Valentine's Day. Wi-Fi was poor and the TV kept disconnecting, so I couldn't connect my phone either. There was a tea and coffee corner with only a kettle and one glass, but no mug, tea, coffee, sugar, or milk. I didn't bother asking because I couldn't see the point of it. The checkout details were misleading too. Google said check-in at 14:00 and checkout at 12:00, but they only let us check in between 18:00 and 19:00. On Sunday the receptionist knocked on our door at 11:15, even though the key card said 12:00. When I asked, he said to check with booking.com. He did let me get ready and leave, but the mismatch clearly caused confusion between guests and the host. He knocked on other people's doors as well. There was a phone in the room, but he didn't use it to tell us about checkout, which felt unprofessional. The phone seemed to be there for decoration.

This was a very upsetting mistake. I booked two separate rooms for two different people, thinking I was booking the Dreams hotel in Dusseldorf, Germany, where I'd already been. I'd never been to England. Only when my hotel in Dusseldorf said I hadn't paid did I realize I'd booked the wrong place. I politely asked for my money back, and hotel staff asked me to cancel, which I did. Then there was no reply. I waited 24 hours, emailed again and again, and still got nothing. I also called booking.com and spoke with them, but nothing changed. People shouldn't treat others this way. I don't recommend it.