The Excelsior Hotel

We'd read plenty of negative reviews but decided to give the hotel a chance. The location is good, though the stay made it feel like the business was focused on making money from travellers. We'd booked a double room with Excelsior, but were checked in at No. 41 Melville instead. I went down early that morning to tell the concierge about our room preference because I was pregnant. When we got back in the evening, no note had been made, leaving us with the third floor or the basement. Rather than haul our bags upstairs, we took the basement room, No. 60. The room was in a horrible state: it wasn't clean, the towels had sticky stuff on them, there was hair everywhere including on the bed, the toilet seat was loose, and water dripped from the ceiling. We could also hear footsteps from above because the soundproofing was poor. I wouldn't recommend this hotel. Why pay for such poor service and a room in that condition?

It's in a great spot, close to public transport and restaurants. The hotel itself was a letdown. The furniture and bathroom were worn out, there was mould in the bathroom, and the sheets had stains we couldn't identify. Our room was by the entrance, so we constantly heard the front door slamming and people running up and down the stairs. There was no breakfast because of renovation work. We only found out when we arrived, despite having booked with an extra breakfast order, and the reply when we raised it was rude. The photos make it look clean and proper, but it's rundown and poor value for money.

The room had a lot of faults once we looked past the nice first impression: a crack above the toilet door, dust under the bed, a terrible TV picture that made The Big Bang Theory look like a cartoon strip, three dead lights, and a towel heater that didn't work. A strange switch did nothing, and I assume it was meant to operate the vent, because the bathroom got very steamy. The shower door wouldn't close properly, the grout was really dirty, and the shower wasn't high enough for a tall person to wet their neck without crouching. There was little storage, no coat hooks except in the bathroom, and clothes we hung there got damp from the steam. Some wooden blinds were broken and wouldn't shut properly. Check-in said 11am when we booked, but we couldn't get into the room until 2pm. That was inconvenient after a nine-hour bus ride to London and a two-hour walk to the hotel, though being able to leave our bags helped. Even with all those issues, they didn't ruin the stay. The customer service was friendly and helpful, housekeeping emptied the bin, and the bed was very comfortable. The clean sheets and pillows were high quality. The room stayed warm, and the window was easy to open and close. It was a standard-sized room, and the front desk could provide a hairdryer and straighteners. Towels, cups, a kettle, and a small selection of tea and coffee were provided. Plates and cutlery would've been useful. The room had potential, and with those easy fixes it could've been five stars.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the location worked perfectly for my early departure from St Pancras. The room was small, but the bed was comfortable. The doors could use a little oil so they wouldn't squeak when going out to the loo. A good option for someone who's not too fussy. I'd stay again when I'm in the area.