Marriott Hotel London Maida Vale

Across my 45-day stay, the main frustration was room service. I often had to follow up on requests, and the hotel also lost one of my parcels, which was stressful over such a long stay. The room itself was spacious enough to unpack and settle in, consistently clean, and the hotel was generally peaceful. The windows didn't offer much of a view, and the street could get busy and noisy at times, so light sleepers should be aware. The restaurant was convenient, and an off-license shop directly opposite stayed open late for evening essentials. For the discounted extended-stay rate, it seemed fair value. A practical place to stay if you're prepared to be proactive with the front desk.

The one lovely part of the service was the restaurant gentleman with the earring. He was amazing with my daughter's autistic friend, who doesn't like certain foods touching, even though he didn't know about her condition. They also remembered a small gesture for my daughter's 13th. Elsewhere, the front desk was unhelpful, there was no housekeeping, and the treatment at the off-site pool was rude. Before booking, I was told the pool was in the hotel and that my children could use it and the gym, but neither claim was true. I also had to argue with staff over a security deposit I'd been told wouldn't be charged. All of that was incredibly triggering for my mental health. Service outside those two bright spots was nowhere near 4-star standard.

Breakfast was very good, and the shower was excellent. One young male staff member, possibly a room engineer, was also genuinely helpful: he fixed the heating and checked on us. The rest of the stay was poor. The room was cold, and despite paying over £150 for one night, the thermostat was locked at 25C. It took several calls and then a visit to the front desk to get it sorted. The room looked worn, with marks on the walls and peeling wallpaper, and there were no slippers, dressing gowns, toothpaste or similar basics. The pool, sauna and steam room are in an old, run-down leisure centre about a 3-minute walk away. The facilities were the smallest I've used, and the visibly dirty changing rooms and building were unpleasant. The location felt grim, with a view over a housing estate that apparently has an 8/10 regional crime rating. Most staff seemed surprised we wanted a warm room and were uninterested or confused by simple requests. I've had better service in hostels and 2-star hotels. I can't believe Marrrot lends its name to this place. Avoid.

The pool rules were a dealbreaker: children could only use it from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and that restriction wasn't mentioned when we booked. After long days in the city, we wanted to relax there with the family in the evening. If we'd known, we'd have picked another hotel. I do appreciate the 10,000 points credited for the problems, even though the stay still fell short of what I expect from Marriott. Work was difficult too, with no desk in the room and no quiet spot in the lobby. Breakfast each morning was overcrowded, we sometimes had to wait for a table, and glasses or coffee cups were repeatedly missing. We had to ask for replacements or refills. For all five days, only one of the two elevators worked, which meant long waits, especially at busy times. A very disappointing stay.