Travelodge Kingston upon Thames Central

The trip to London with my partner was ruined by this disgusting, stinky, run-down hotel. We booked five days from 5 January. We couldn't even get through the front doors when we arrived. My partner is severely disabled, and getting up what felt like 100 sets of stairs to reception, with the lift out of order, was an ordeal. The website hadn't mentioned it. The stairs were vile, with smashed bottles, broken windows, blood stains, graffiti, and the smell of booze and urine. At check-in the key card didn't work, and the staff gave no directions to the rooms. They seemed more interested in going to the office to laugh with colleagues. The room was filthy, with suspicious white stains on the floor, rubbish everywhere, thick black hair in the shower, dirty linen, and a strange smell. The USB ports they brag about didn't work, and the radiator flashed an error in red. We also had banging from other guests and sex noises near our room. After a few unbearable nights, we complained and asked to be moved. Other people were complaining too. Customer service told us to wait in the bar for 15 minutes, but we were still waiting two hours later and had to keep checking in. We were eventually transferred to another nearby hotel, where the lift worked and a staff member showed us to our room. The first thing we saw there was a big brown stain on the carpet, and outside the window was a pile of fly-tipped rubbish. I complained to Travelodge. They said the broken lift wasn't their fault and that the service would be better next time. That's not good enough. They offered a £30 goodwill gesture, but I want the first two nights at that dump refunded. I came a long way for a London trip with my partner, and the whole experience kept being spoiled. I'll never go back. I wish I could post pictures of the badly cleaned rooms and these dumps.

The team were doing their best, but the hotel standards weren't great and it felt tired. There was no lift, and it's nearly 100 steps just to reception, then another 20 or so for each floor. Staff said the lift had been out of action for months.

I stayed at Travelodge central for 11 nights recently and had a really pleasant visit. The staff were welcoming, friendly, and helpful throughout. My room stayed clean, comfortable, and well looked after, and I'd definitely come back. Highly recommended!

The location was the only thing I liked. The rest was disappointing, and I wouldn't recommend staying here again. Housekeeping came into the room while we were still staying there because reception hadn't passed on that we'd extended for two more days. The rooms had poor ventilation and the floors weren't properly cleaned. The lifts weren't working reliably and could stop at any time. One of our friends got trapped in one, and another guest was trapped the same day. My wife had a knee injury and had to walk all the way down from level 5, which is literally the 10th floor.