Fountain House Apartments

The location, price and apartment size suited us and met our expectations, but several things made the stay disappointing. Cleanliness was poor, the kitchen trash bin was broken, and the bed linens weren’t clean. My sister got itchy after sleeping in the bedding, which raised serious hygiene concerns. We were in the basement, where constant loud noise from the underground made things uncomfortable. When we asked to move to an apartment on a higher floor, the upgrade fee per night was very high. I also asked the morning receptionist for the manager’s phone number or email so I could raise these concerns, but they wouldn’t give me any contact details. The problems with cleanliness, noise, maintenance and communication really affected our stay.

We arrived to find the room flooded. Reception staff said it was terrible, but by almost midnight, with two small children and nowhere else to go, we had no real choice but to stay. Hyde Park isn’t exactly safe with kids at night. They gave us towels to mop things up, but those were soaked minutes later. The leak was under the floor, across the area in front of the bathroom and between the bedroom and kitchen. Every time we got up, our feet got wet, and we had to dry off before getting back into bed. It was absolutely awful. There was also a huge, 4ft hole in the ceiling, and the bed could only be reached from one side because the other was pushed against a wall. This is about as far from five-star as you’ll find in all of London. They also expect a £500 a night pre-authorised deposit, which is beyond a joke. Worst of all, the owners won’t engage. We’ve had no reply to any of our messages, and we’re now working with the credit card company on a chargeback.

To be honest, the apartment itself was just fine for my family and me, and all the amenities were as expected. My low rating comes from how we were treated. I’d reserved two apartments for 11 people, including children under 4. The woman managing the place said a family downstairs had complained about noise from our floor. I was shocked because nobody asked me whether there had been noise at the time they claimed, 11:00 pm, and my kids had gone to sleep well before then. They told us they’d charge us for every day if that family left the apartment, even though there was no proof of their claim. Families planning to stay here should be careful. I don’t recommend booking.

The location is prime, and you get a good view of the London park. The hotel has been completely refurbished and feels new. Management is awesome, and Sam on night reception, Fahad on day reception, and Jyothi were all wonderful. Manager Salman was especially helpful. I'd recommend staying here.