St Paul's Hotel

This was truly a nightmare. The room was cramped, with little space to store anything, and right beside the lobby, so I could hear people moving around outside. The shower head had limescale and mould buildup, with a hair dangling from it when I checked in. They call themselves a four-star hotel, but provide only tiny shower products, not full-sized essentials. I asked housekeeping for more and nothing was delivered. The sheets seemed dirty from the start. At check-in I found hair on the sink and a pillow, plus crumbs or dirt on the duvet. I asked housekeeping to change the sheets immediately. When I returned that night there was still hair on a pillow, a different one. Housekeeping wasn’t around and no other room was available, so I had to sleep on dirty sheets. The receptionist said they’d change them the next day, but when I came back tonight, there were two more hairs on the duvet. The receptionist, an Indian man, said there was nothing they could do and no manager was around. Again I had to sleep on dirty sheets. I highly doubt new sheets were ever changed. I tried several times to speak to a manager during my stay, but was told they weren’t there and to email instead. I got no reply, even after more than two weeks. Nobody could be bothered to help during or after the stay. The lack of accountability says it all. It’s filthy and unsanitary, a joke for a supposedly four-star hotel. I’d give it two stars at most.

The terrace feels like a little oasis in the busy city, and it’s a lovely place to meet up in the afternoon. We’ve only been for drinks, so I can’t comment on the rooms. Staff are friendly and the service is good.

We left St Paul Hotel feeling refreshed and would happily return. The place has a lovely atmosphere and character, and everything seemed well cared for. Our room was cosy, beautifully designed and very comfortable, with generous, thoughtfully presented amenities. From the moment we arrived, the staff were warm, attentive and genuinely welcoming.

The dining room was the one disappointment. I picked this hotel partly because we hoped for cosy, romantic dinners, but they lit the dining room and bar so brightly it felt like an operating theatre. Worse, the dining room was closed at night. One evening they said it was shut for an event, though there wasn’t one. Another night it was open, but a family had an extremely loud child they seemed to think was adorable. On the evening we really wanted a romantic dinner, we were told it was closed because they’d already set it up for breakfast. Really? Set up for breakfast after dinner. I hope they sort this out before our next trip. Apart from that, I absolutely love this charming, unique and warm hotel, and the staff are just as warm. We’ll stay here whenever we’re in London. Our room was immaculate, the beds were so comfortable, the food was great, the whiskey bar was off the charts, and the location couldn’t be better.