Whitechapel Grand

Hotels.com gave it a 7/10, and although I saw the Google reviews after booking, I decided to try it anyway. When I arrived, nobody was there to meet me. I called and waited, but eventually had to leave and find somewhere else.

The building was old and dirty, with long stairs and no lift, so it doesn't seem suitable for children or older people. Our room was especially dirty around the toilet, the sink was blocked, and there was a hole in the ceiling with water dripping through the whole time. They'd put towels all over the toilet. We stayed two nights, and for what I paid, it wasn't worth even half the price. Stay away.

We chose this place for one night because it was close to The O2. There were three of us, staying on 2/6/2025. At about 06:30 on Tuesday morning, someone kicked in the bottom panel of the door from the main road and forced his way into the apartment. He stood in the doorway and said, “Hello mate.” He seemed to be having some kind of manic episode. We should probably have called the police, but instead we contacted the owners, Vilenza Hotel, to report what happened and make clear we hadn't caused the damage. The property has CCTV throughout, so we expected that would back up our account. Ten hours later, the owners said their experts had found no evidence of forced entry and claimed we'd broken the lock from inside. Look at the photos and make up your own mind. The photos and the accounts of three business professionals tell a different story. I expect they'll reply here and blame us too. Their first response also seemed to suggest this had happened before. I'm shocked, disappointed, and hurt by what the owners accused us of. Guests shouldn't be put in a situation where their safety is compromised. If you've booked, I'd cancel and find somewhere else, especially if you're travelling alone. Decide for yourself, but I can't in good conscience help cover up what happened.

The rooms were neat and clean, and the price was affordable. The staff member, I think his name was Batu, was really polite and humble.