Rem Hotel

It's pretty basic, but handy and cheap if you're heading out around Canal Street. The staff were lovely and the location was great. On my Sunday stay, there was music thumping downstairs and noise outside, just as I'd expected from the reviews. Luckily I'd brought earplugs, so I was fine. The room was clean and comfortable, and the place generally looked tidy, even the mugs had been washed. There was still a hole in one bathroom ceiling letting rainwater in, and broken tiles in the other. The rooms and bathrooms could use some TLC.

We immediately took the key back to the bar downstairs and asked for a refund because the room was unsafe and extremely unhygienic. The manager came over and said he'd review it and put the refund through, but three days later there's still no sign of the money. We booked two nights based on the Booking.com photos and location. On arrival, we had to get the keys from the bar and climb more than three flights of stairs, past a nightclub on the second floor. The room was vile: blood stains on the back of the doors and bed frame, walls marked with water drips, and bathroom walls covered in different liquids. There was rubbish under the bed, dust all over the fan, and the extra heater was broken, which is a real health and safety concern. This is the worst hotel I've seen. I wish I could have given zero stars, because it isn't worthy of even one. Do not book.

The place didn't feel clean, safe, or comfortable. The bedsheets had stains, there were red marks on the ensuite bathroom wall, and the mirror was shattered at all four corners. The toilet seat was detached, and the bed frame creaked and seemed unstable, with gaps where you could see the dowels. The mini fridge smelled bad, the air conditioning didn't work, and neither did the TV. I also noticed mold on the ceiling above the shared shower, though that didn't directly affect my stay.

For a night out on Canal Street, it can do if you just need somewhere to sleep. The room was dirt cheap, about a third of the price of nearby hotels, and the staff were easily the best part. They check you in at REM bar downstairs, then show you upstairs and give you the keys. The guys working there have always been lovely, helpful, and provided amazing service. I've stayed before, so I knew not to expect much. If you want more luxury, I'd look elsewhere. The big problem is the nightclub below: on weekends the music goes on until 4 a.m., and my bed felt like it was vibrating from the speakers. The room looked nice at first but was very basic and not clean enough. The windows were stuck wide open, mold covered the frames, and the cups had been put back unwashed. In the shared bathrooms, only one of the two showers worked, and its water pressure was so weak it was hard to wash properly. There was mold in that shower and a hole in the ceiling, presumably from a leak. The toilet had no seat, and the shower drains had no trap trays, so you could see the previous user's dirty water.