The Victoria

The pub and its food were lovely, and the staff there were a real bright spot. The hotel room, though, was a letdown for $170 a night, or $510 for three nights, especially in such a nice neighborhood. I wouldn't stay again at that price. There were plenty of room problems: the shower wouldn't get properly hot, its hose was torn and nearly detached, and the water pressure was weak. The shower walls had mildew and the floor was stained and dirty. The kettle was scummy with limescale, its tray was dirty, and the bathroom bin had a broken lid and pedal. The bed's headboard was crooked and broken, with velour pillows whose covers couldn't be removed. The room also had only three hangers, no iron or ironing board, and a floor lamp that didn't work, which made packing difficult with the dim overhead light. The TV remote was missing. Staff offered to move me, but said they'd already known it was missing and were trying to order another one. The person checking me in could have told me before I'd unpacked. There was no do-not-disturb sign, so housekeeping woke me from a deep sleep and I had to call out for them not to come in. The advertised continental breakfast turned out to be a few boxes of dry cereal and a jug of milk. The pub restaurant was closed for private events on two of my days there, something I learned only at check-in, though they should have told me when I booked. Some of these are small things, but together they made for a disappointing stay. It's a shame, because the pub food and staff really were delightful.