Cove - Cannon Street, The City

The location was convenient, but after four nights this was the worst accommodation experience I’ve had in all my travels. Something went wrong every night, and it’s the first time I’ve ever written a negative hotel review. At check-in we were sent outside to a different building for our studio. The corridor light was broken, so it was very dark, and the coffee pot in the room still had old, foul-smelling residue. When we asked to change rooms, they said the next one would be better. It was much smaller, had no living area, and cost the same. There was a broken spotlight and a blanket with visible stains that might have been coffee or blood. They said they’d sort it out the next day, but never got back to us. Communication between staff seemed poor. We reported that the microwave and stove didn’t work, then the next day’s staff said they hadn’t been told because they weren’t on duty. Cleaning is only weekly. We asked several times for tissues and were first told there were none, then they appeared two days later. At around 10 p.m. one night, staff couldn’t say if or when they could bring more and suggested we come down to the desk if we didn’t want to wait. We paid nearly £400 a night, around 4,000 RMB, during the New Year period, and the stay was a complete disappointment. We also overheard other guests complaining about facilities that weren’t working. We reported the problems to Ctrip, but the hotel never replied. I strongly wouldn’t recommend it. For context, I’m an international student traveling with a U.S. native English speaker, so language or communication problems weren’t on our side.

The front desk staff were friendly, and they generally dealt with problems the following day. The location also worked well for a business trip. Still, the apartment felt worn compared with the “Luxury Serviced Apartments in the City” description. The bathroom looked recently renovated, but elsewhere there were dents and chipped paint. I had a stained blanket when I arrived, a clogged shower drain that flooded the bathroom, a kitchen faucet that needed repair, and washer-dryer cycles that required resets. The room was noisy even on the fourth floor. The gym is downstairs in the basement, where Wi-Fi was unreliable and there was little or no mobile coverage, making it hard to stay connected while working out.

Bank station is only a two-minute walk away, and there are plenty of pubs and restaurants nearby. London Bridge and other sights are about ten minutes on foot, and it was just as convenient for my office, also a ten-minute walk. The apartment was a great base for my four-night work trip. It was spotless, much more spacious than I expected for central London, and had everything listed, including a washing machine, which is unusual in London apartments. The staff were lovely. I checked in late, and the man at reception took time to explain everything clearly. The only small drawback was hearing trains underneath. I was on the first floor, which may explain it, but it’s a fairly normal London sound and didn’t bother me after the first night. I’d happily book again. The transport connections made it easy to get around, and the place would suit tourists too.

The staff helped with everything we asked for. The apartments were warm and clean, and the hotel is right in the heart of the City of London. Its location is excellent, just 20 meters from the underground, with lots of buses, restaurants, and coffee shops nearby.