The Villa Kensington Hotel

They kept my large suitcase for free while I went on a group tour, which made me so happy. Usually I have to use the Luggage Storage at Victoria Station, and it's expensive and a pain. The rooms are small, as you'd expect in London, but had everything I needed: a window that opened, working air conditioning, a TV, kettle and supplies, a great shower, and a lift. Gloucester Road is just a two-minute walk, with shops and restaurants by the station. I visit London twice a year and am glad to have found a hotel for future trips.

Everything seemed to be going well until we saw a rat, and the staff's reaction upset us even more than the animal. We stayed from January 2-4, and found it on the last day, just as we were collecting our things to check out. It ran across the room too quickly for us to photograph, and we were in shock. The only evidence we could show at reception was a photo of the hole it had run into. We moved the wardrobe beside the corner where it had gone, and found a hole in the floor with the carpet lifted. I’m attaching that photo again. This isn't just a case of moving furniture and lifting the carpet. You can see the hole in the floor. When we reported it, the response was basically that it was quite a coincidence to find the rat at checkout. Honestly, lucky us, because if we'd seen it on the first day, we wouldn't have stayed, and we would have had to find another place without help from the staff. The room was in the basement, and to reach it we had to go through the kitchen, so seeing a rat there makes sense. After we posted our experience on Booking, the hotel replied as if we'd made it up and staged a crime scene by moving the furniture. We were surprised by how naive and unprofessional that response was. Paying 100€ for two nights in London should have told us something, I suppose there had to be a catch. For the people working at the hotel, please improve your communication and customer service. The staff questioned what we said, spoke disrespectfully to us, and offered neither help nor an alternative. Find somewhere else to stay in London. In our case it was a rat, but it could be something else, or the same thing, and the staff may still doubt you.

The room was perfectly adequate, nothing special, but the staff were outstanding. A big thank you to 'Shark', who shared useful, accurate information and was a huge help. The location worked really well too, with the Underground about a block and a half away and several lines available. I'd recommend staying here and will book again when I'm next in London.

There's good value for the price in this area. The station is nearby, there are lots of cafes around, and the staff were very helpful. My room was small, but still comfortable and clean. Special thanks to William for answering all my questions so helpfully.