Ilford Hotel Goodmayes

The room was spacious and comfortable, and I found the hotel reasonably good value. It's conveniently located for transport and nearby shops, and staff were generally friendly. I stayed for a week, though, and housekeeping really let the experience down. The room was barely cleaned: they made the beds badly and only emptied the bins. Even after I asked for proper cleaning, it didn't improve. Cleanliness needs attention.

At about 19:05 I arrived at Ilford Hotel Goodmayes after being dropped off by uber. I had booked and paid for a room with a fridge, so I asked the receptionist to check whether mine had one. After making an enquiry, he moved me to another room about twenty minutes later because the room they had set aside didn't have a fridge. Once I'd put my things away, I went to wash my hands and found the toilet lid closed. Inside, the toilet was soiled. I went straight downstairs and politely asked the receptionist to come and see. He came up, took a photo, flushed it, then said it was fine to use. I told him flushing doesn't disinfect a toilet, and that after what I'd seen it needed to be properly cleaned and disinfected. I asked if they only flushed toilets after guests left instead of cleaning them. He said it could have been a mistake. When I asked him to arrange proper cleaning, he argued there was nothing he could do. He said there were no cleaning staff available that night and he'd mention it to them in the morning. I said the toilet should have been checked and cleaned before giving the room to a guest. He cut off some toilet paper and wiped the seat. Then he sarcastically said I was complaining even though I'd been given a bigger double room. I asked whether I'd complained about the room itself. He became rude, said he was done discussing it, and told me to use another toilet in the hotel until morning, when they could clean mine. I refused. Not even ten minutes later, he came back and claimed that camera checks showed I was the only person who'd entered the room and that I'd been there for two hours before reporting the problem. I hadn't even been in the hotel for an hour. I asked if he was accusing me of soiling the toilet, and he repeated that I was the only one who'd gone into the room. I asked to speak to the manager, but was told the manager wasn't available. I'd paid for five nights and was disrespected and accused of making the mess I had found in an uncleaned toilet, simply because I asked for proper cleaning and service. This was disgusting and unacceptable. I took the attached pictures at 19:48 when I noticed it.

Spotless rooms and they're well equipped, even with a fridge, which you don't often find. Breakfast was decent too. For a reasonable price, you get five-star quality at a two-star price. If you need a good value place to stay in London, this is it.

Things got worse when we tried to book again. We were dealing with a difficult situation at our house, so I asked the manager to speak with my landlord to help sort it out. He brushed me off, saying, “I can’t talk to anyone, I am busy,” and wouldn't listen. We were just trying to make a booking, but he insisted we book online and wouldn't help us in person, making an already stressful search for somewhere to stay even harder. During our earlier eight-day stay, housekeeping had also been poor. The Bengali woman on staff stood at the door and told us to “clean the room and give me the bin,” refusing to clean it properly. That was our first bad experience, but we let it go because we liked the hotel and hoped things would improve. Instead, we were met with rude, unhelpful, unprofessional service. I can't recommend this place to anyone who wants respectful, supportive staff.