Thistle Express London Luton

I regret staying here and wouldn't come back. I've advised my friends and family to avoid the hotel, and will keep doing so. I tried to be reasonable and wait, but looking back, I wish I hadn't. I reported a serious issue during the night but didn't push at first for a written report, hoping the symptoms would clear within a few days. They didn't, and pursuing the complaint later became much harder. Whatever an investigation finds, document the issue while you're still there: get names, dates, and written records, and make sure your concern is formally logged before leaving.

I was working in town and wanted to avoid the morning traffic, so the location looked ideal, with a car park of around 15 spaces. The rooms are good, perhaps even a little better than a decent Premier Inn, but most of the rest of the experience was bad and at times scary. On the sixth floor, someone ate takeaway in the corridor outside my room, then slept there for the night. Reception didn't answer when I called several times, so I had to trust my door lock. There was no bar or restaurant, just a reception fridge with some beer and wine. When I asked about food at check-in, the receptionist said they sometimes have pizza but had none then. I went out into the dark town centre to Wetherspoons, which deserves a separate zero-star review. The walls are thin, cars revved and did donuts all night, and the groups of young men outside made the area feel dreadfully unsafe. Next time I'll book farther out and put up with the traffic.

The WiFi was good, the staff were nice, hot drinks were free around the clock, and the train station is just around the corner. The rooms looked like the online pictures, though a bit tatty, and the vents were unclean. Our bathroom door had no latch, so we had to use the lock to shut it. Its light kept flickering, meaning the shower could suddenly be in total darkness. The hotel was colder than I'd expect from a chain, with no in-room way to adjust it, and we could hear noisy people in other rooms. Breakfast was a struggle. At 7 am we found one available breakfast, which was okay, but there were no fried eggs, only scrambled, and clean glasses and pastries ran out. At 9:30 the next day there were no seats, so we ate on chairs in the foyer with food on our laps. There were no clean cups, mugs, plates, or cutlery, and no pastries, bagels, or juice. Staff were busy, but they clearly didn't have enough pots, food, or tables for the turnover. The coffee wasn't great.

We only stayed one night, and it was great. The room was comfortable and clean, the facilities were very good, and the staff were kind. Ali gave excellent service, and we really appreciated the free hot drinks. Highly recommend.