London Chigwell Prince Regent BW Signature

Jack, the manager, deserves special mention. My friend and I had been wrongly booked by my company into a double room instead of a twin, and he sorted it out cheerfully and efficiently. He made us feel good about the situation through the way he handled it. The hotel was easy to reach from the station. My bedroom was comfortable and had everything I needed, and there was a good quality breakfast buffet the next morning.

The room itself was pleasant, clean and spacious, and quiet too. We’d asked for an extra sofa bed for our toddler, and it was ready for us. It was cold, but the two portable oil radiators heated up quickly. The location suited us perfectly, as Woolston Manor, where we were attending a wedding, was an eight-minute drive away. The service was a letdown. We had no milk in the room, and getting four small sachets took over an hour. I’ve stayed in plenty of hotels and never been told by staff to go back and forth between reception and the restaurant for a little milk. It was a basic request, but the restaurant gentleman didn’t want to provide any and told my husband to sit and wait while he served everyone else. Breakfast was truly awful. Nothing looked appealing, it seemed reheated and very dried out, and I only managed a slice of toast. The cups and cutlery were dirty, so I chose to drink from a takeaway cup. This is not a luxury hotel and is nowhere near four-star quality, in my view. The restaurant and staff etiquette need major work, and I wasn’t happy about paying for parking either.

We were impressed and would happily stay again. Breakfast had a wide choice and catered well for vegans, and the direct booking included free on-site parking. There was also parking on the road. The rooms were a good size, clean and well equipped, and the on-site staff gave excellent service even though it was a very busy weekend. Booking directly was easy, with Oana M. and Roxanne B. being especially helpful and making the process straightforward.

The serving staff were good, but the plates, glasses and cutlery at the buffet dinner were filthy. The plates looked as if they’d been kept on the floor or in a dirty cupboard, with fluff, bits of rock and all sorts of dirt on them. Some glasses had lip marks, and the rest weren’t clean either. I dread to think how clean the kitchen’s cooking tools were. If they were willing to give guests dirty plates, who knows what was happening behind the scenes. Myself and other guests felt sick and disrespected. Management needs to do a much better job checking that utensils are clean. I’d never book this place for an event or attend another one here.