Peckham Rooms Hotel by Belvilla

We were told about the facilities and internet when we checked in. As soon as we entered the room, there was a bleach smell, and it was hard to know whether the bedding was clean. The bedspreads and decorative pillows were dirty. Years’ worth of dust behind the bed frame was visible when we used the bedside plug and light. The bathroom was compact, and the toilet was impossible to use because it was fitted into such a tight space. The stay was bearable, but not enjoyable.

The front desk man was friendly and apologetic once I finally got through to someone, but getting there was a hassle. Before arrival I had to call for my access codes. The automated voice was hard to understand and I couldn't hear the website address clearly, so I kept choosing random options until I reached a person. My brother and I had separate rooms. Both smelled strongly of chemicals and weren't properly clean. In mine there were drink marks on the desk, a dirty sink, dusty surfaces and windows, and walls and a bathroom door that needed painting. The sink only gave warm water, neither hot nor cold. My brother had similar cleaning problems, plus a plug socket, lamps and TV that didn't work. His room had no bathroom, so he used the shared one, which was quite dirty and smelled of drains around the sink. It probably needs cleaning more often. People were walking around during the night, and someone tried my door while I was in bed. Nobody got in, and I don't blame the hotel for that particular attempt, but it added to an already poor stay. I know it's a cheap room and we only needed somewhere to sleep for a night, but more care with cleaning and upkeep would help. It might also be worth having someone keep the noise down when people are wandering around and trying other guests' doors at 2am. It worked as a one-night base, but we probably won't return.

The room was clean and the bed was comfortable, though the space was compact. There wasn't a kettle, but I was shown a lovely shared tea and coffee area that also serves as the breakfast room if you want to pay for breakfast. Unfortunately, that room wasn't hygienically clean. Reception staff were friendly and helpful. Nearby, there's 24-hour paid parking that I booked through an app, a regular bus service, and places to eat around Peckham High Street. The walls are thin, which is why I gave it three stars.

A traumatising 24-hour stay. I spent the night locked in my room, fully dressed with all my bags on the bed, waiting for someone to meet me in the morning so I could get out. People were trying to find out which room I was in and whether I was alone. As soon as my lift left, someone tried my door. When I arrived, my ground-floor room facing the street was wide open, with an entrance big enough to just walk through. Someone kept trying the door all night, while other people screamed and hit doors and walls. The hotel hasn't replied or answered the phone, and I had to file a police report. After reading the reviews, I saw this wasn't the first time someone had tried to get into a guest's room.