The Zetter Clerkenwell

The Parlour, the hotel's bar, is excellent and clearly popular with locals, so booking a table ahead is a good idea. The bartenders really know their stuff. Breakfast is very good too, especially the streaky bacon, which this Yank loved. The hotel is in a wonderful spot off the main road, and the room was quiet.

A great choice for a romantic winter break, with attentive staff and lots of thoughtful details. The hotel sits where London's West End and City meet. It has old-fashioned decor and a ground floor Parlour serving drinks and snacks beside a huge real fireplace. We also enjoyed some festive live singing. Private dinning is available too. Highly recommended.

The sticky jam area needed more attention: the space around the bowls and spoons wasn't tidy, and the spoons were so sticky they were hard to use without getting it on your hands. You could easily end up taking one with you by accident. The drinks we ordered while waiting also seemed carelessly prepared. My friend and I came for breakfast, but the food took quite a while to arrive, and the delay dampened the visit. For the prices, I expected more care and attention in the service and presentation. The experience didn't meet our expectations.

We were charged for the room three times, and no one has apologized or refunded the full amount. It's been three weeks since our stay, and the only email we've had from them was at checkout. When we raised the problem at check-in, the manager Muhammed was very dismissive. I'm still down over £600, and the issue completely ruined the stay. Staff kept asking whether my partner was enjoying his birthday, which felt tactless. I can't believe they haven't simply processed the refund. Update: I'm following up after posting a review on Tuesday because this seems to be the only way to get a response from the Zetter team. They charged me three times for the stay and have now refunded only half of what they owe. Their email made it sound as if the matter was closed, but they haven't replied to me since. It feels like some sort of scam. I've had to keep my bank card blocked for almost a month in case they take more money. Mastercard raised a dispute on my behalf weeks ago and hasn't received a response either. Zetter offered us a complimentary stay, but given that hundreds of pounds have been taken from me, monetary compensation against the cost of our stay would obviously have been acceptable. Please resolve this immediately.