The Residence London City

The first night was fine: our basic room was clean, the person who checked us in was nice, and I liked the security. The second night ruined the stay. Someone upstairs came in at 2 and was up again at 5. Every step came through the creaking floorboards, and neither of us got any sleep. The walls and floors are far too thin. It's such a shame, but we cut our day short because we were both exhausted.

The room was dirty, so if you're allergic to dust, run. We were also put in a shared bathroom, which hadn't been mentioned in the booking. They said the conditions had been sent by SMS, but couldn't even get the right phone number from Booking. I was charged £35 for arriving 30 minutes after check-in time. They wouldn't take a card, so I paid cash, and the guy conveniently never gave me my £10 change. There was nobody at reception when I needed help either, and the phone went unanswered. The area isn't good for going out at night. Nothing positive to add, unfortunately.

We had a couple of good, undisturbed nights, and for the price and location it's hard to complain. Still, three things bothered me. There was nobody around when we checked out, so after calling repeatedly we had to leave the keys at reception. We also found that the advertised kitchen space had a stove and sink but no utensils at all: no cookware, plates, or cutlery, just three coffee cups. They kindly let us shift our dates, but charged a £30 cash only “administration fee”. Since the computer wasn't working and we couldn't even check in online, it felt a bit like being ripped off. If you avoid mistakes and “admin fees”, you can have a good stay as long as you know what to expect.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and there was customer parking. Getting around was easy: buses to central London ran 24 hours, and Stepney Green or Whitechapel tube stations were each no more than five minutes away. Excellent value for money. I'd highly recommend it.