Staines City Centre by Charles Hope

It's a good value for the price, with clean, spacious accommodation. I stayed for a few weeks and relied on the very good Wi-Fi for work. The apartment is close to the train station, shops, restaurants and supermarkets, and the lively little riverside town is well connected. Weekly cleaning was much appreciated, and the ladies were nice and respectful. The terrace is pleasant, especially with a view of the building in front. There were a few minor annoyances. I could hear the footsteps from upstairs very loudly, even waking me at night though I'm not a light sleeper. The floor seemed to bend with the noise, which was odd. The arrival instructions sent by email were lengthy but missed the essentials, and I found the apartment difficult to locate and access. The towels had a slight smell, maybe like food, though it was tolerable. There was no clothes hanger by the entrance, and the terrace paving smelled strange when it was sunny and warm.

The whole week was painful, even though my company had booked and paid for the stay. Getting to the apartment was a nightmare. It sits behind shops in a private, barricaded area, and Charles Hope apparently couldn't bring guests' cars in for drop-off or pick-up. We paid to park in the shopping district and hauled five suitcases 200-250 metres to the entrance. There were no directions for parking or reaching the property. At night we then had to drag everything up three flights because there was no lift. The first metal stairway was pitch dark, and with a baby along, a slip could easily have hurt her. The apartment entrance opened onto a narrow gallery, with dirty walls and carpet. The bathroom had poor ventilation, mould everywhere, and a light that made a loud, strange noise whenever it was on. The washing machine was so loud we couldn't practically sit in the lounge. The room smelled unpleasant for the entire week, and we never got used to it. The next-door apartment's doors slammed so loudly that we kept thinking someone had come into ours, which made us uncomfortable. The Wi-Fi didn't work when we arrived. Customer service told us to use the next-door apartment's network for now and said they might send someone the next day. At lunchtime the following day, while we were out, they emailed to say we'd caused the problem by putting a hanger on the cupboard, with photos. I was furious at the response but managed to control myself. The attached speed test shows the so-called "business class wifi" once it finally worked. The password was easy for guests in other Charles Hope apartments to use, which could have let them access restricted content and got us into trouble. The location is inaccessible to taxis and private cars, and the service was awful. This has probably been the worst UK accommodation I've stayed in. Charles Hope sounds like a respectable name, but I'm not sure how they have got away with such poor service for so long. Avoid it and spend your money somewhere better.

We've stayed at Southampton, Staines and now Heathrow North / Hounslow East, and the apartments at every location have been superb: modern, spacious, clean and well equipped. They're secure, with reception or concierge support if needed. Parking is secure, and bays for oversized vehicles like mine are close to the apartments. The latest stay has been another example of the high standard of both the booking and accommodation. From my first contact with Charles Hope Apartments months ago, Sharon Wood has been our point of contact. She's proactive and conscientious, communicates brilliantly, and makes the whole experience easy. Nothing is an issue, and she goes the extra mile to meet every need and provide flawless service. The locations have all been central, near supermarkets and restaurants after lockdown. The apartment facilities are thoughtfully arranged, so you can just arrive with your belongings. Key information is placed where you need it, and anything you need to know beforehand is emailed before arrival. We'd happily recommend these apartments and will keep using them. I hope you're as lucky as we were to have Sharon Wood as your contact. Absolutely fantastic.

The apartments are nice, and the service was helpful before and during my stay. But they take a long time to return the deposit. I checked out about a month ago and still haven't got it back. After that, the service felt close to incompetent, with no accountability.