The Z Hotel Piccadilly

We've stayed with Z Hotels six times now, and they keep impressing us. The rooms are compact, though after Japan they seem large by comparison, and have everything needed for a city break. The extra touches are just right: big fluffy white towels, clean hot showers, tea and coffee, and a huge TV with lots of channels. The staff are always polite and cheerful. They're brilliant if you need a place to rest while exploring the city. For a romantic getaway with all the trimmings, maybe less so. We'll be back for another night away.

Most rooms don't have windows, though they do have comfortable air conditioning. The rooms are small but clean, tidy, and comfortable, and the staff are friendly. Breakfast is reasonable. Piccadilly Circus Underground station is just a four-to-five-minute walk away. Rates vary with demand and how far ahead you book, and there's a membership option that can be useful for frequent guests.

For a solo traveller working in central London for a night or two, this place works well. It's just a two-minute walk from Trafalgar Square and the location is hard to beat. The room is very small but functional if you're alone and living from a suitcase. The glass-box bathroom has a decent-pressure hot shower, and the AC was good. My room did have a window, though it faced a wall about three feet away, so there wasn't much of a view. I'd stay again on my own, but wouldn't bring my partner for a weekend away.

The location is very good, and the shower was excellent. But the room was small, which made storage awkward and wasn't ideal if you wanted to spend time in it. My main problem was the AC. It kept cutting out and wouldn't go below 18 degrees, so I don't think it was working properly. Since the window can't be opened, sleeping through nights above 20 degrees was really difficult.