The Z Hotel Strand

The breakfast is £15.95 and, in my view, not worth it. It’s a cold buffet with toast, croissants, pain au raising, cereal, porridge, a flatbread they reheat, hot drinks, and apple and orange juice. There are nearby cafes with hot food made to order, which might suit better. Breakfast was included for us, or I wouldn’t have bothered. Also, avoid the shop across the road for theatre sweets and drinks. They don’t show prices, and Haribo-type sweets cost around £3.50 a bag. The hotel is spotlessly tidy and very easy to find, in a brilliant location near theatres, restaurants, and other amenities. Staff were mostly friendly and polite. Our basic inside queen room had no window. I knew it would be small, but it was smaller than I expected: no drawers or wardrobe, just two wall hooks for larger things. The bathroom glass door offers almost no privacy. I could count how many fingers my daughter held up through it, so don’t share with anyone you’re not very close to. It was hot in the room. The fan was easy to operate but didn’t cool it effectively. The bed was fairly comfortable, and there was an HD TV with decent channels. The rooms are close together, so mornings can be noisy. I’d still use the hotel again for the location.

We stayed here so my 14-year-old daughter and I could see SIX the musicals. I wanted a hotel near the theatre so we wouldn’t have far to walk late at night, and this was about as close as you could get, just a two-minute walk. The room was compact but exactly right for us, with a big comfortable bed and a TV. The bathroom is literally in the room, but it was nicely fitted and had a good shower. All the staff were lovely. We missed the wine and cheese because we’d packed too much in before the show and were rushing. We didn’t eat at the hotel, though they have basic food and breakfast. Plenty of places are right outside, including a really nice pastry shop a couple of doors down. Great value.

The location is excellent and the price is fairly reasonable for London. The hotel was reasonably clean. There’s barely room to move or put your things down, though, and the rooms are extremely small. The matte glass bathroom walls provide very little privacy.

Rooms are as small as the photos suggest, and the bathroom gives you very little privacy. There’s a gap in the door, and the frosted glass isn’t very opaque, so make sure you’re comfortable with whoever’s sharing the room. The staff benefits were good, and they’d left a fun celebration in our room for an unusual occasion. We also enjoyed the daily wine and cheese for members. Great location and service.