St Christopher's Inn Hammersmith

Erwan De made me feel welcome right from check-in, and was especially lovely and helpful. I had a great stay at St Christopher's Hostal in Hammersmith London. The hostel was clean and comfortable, and the location was handy. I'd definitely recommend it.

There was no proper ventilation in the room, and the window barely opened. On top of that, it smelled awful, like dirty shoes and socks. I complained at reception, but they didn't help, move me to another room, or seem to care. I couldn't sleep or stay comfortably there. This was the worst experience I've had, and I'd honestly have been better off on the street. I'm sharing this as fairly and honestly as I can.

The room was noisy well into the night, with sound from the bar below reaching 59 decibels by my reading. Some nights it continued until 1am, and the ear buds provided weren't enough to block it. The living areas and showers feel worn and need a significant upgrade. The sleeping areas also need ventilation, air conditioning, and dehumidifiers; the air was very dry. There's no kitchen or place to cook. For the revenue from guests, the property could do much more to make the building fit for people and create a healthier place to sleep and shower. I was told I'd get a refund after I had to leave for reasons outside my control, but it still hasn't arrived. I also tried calling the team, and they seemed to answer and leave the call open without speaking. My £95.00 Ralph Lauren T Shirt was taken by another guest. As for the beds, the Pods in 102 aren't real pods, just bunks with sides attached. The USB ports in the light box area didn't work. One guest sleeping above me asked me to switch off my only ventilation, a small fan, and said I was loud on the phone, though I was speaking very quietly. A male cleaner disturbed me several times and touched my belongings without permission. When I raised things with the general manager downstairs, he seemed to be on a power trip and was confrontational in response to my questions and the facts I gave him. I also saw staff side with another traveler who had complained about me, without listening to what I was trying to explain. That guest then started harassing me. Freddie was the only good staff member; the others were not good at all. Do yourselves a favour and stay at another one of the St Christopher's inns.

I was left outside at night with no idea what to do after being refused check-in at 2 am, from 28 February to 1 March. The staff member was very slow, kept rolling his eyes, and gave me no chance to check in. Booking.com says check-in starts at 15:00 and doesn't mention any closing time. I've never experienced anything like it. It was awful.