Thistle Trafalgar Square

The rooms are small, but comfortable and equipped for a short stay. The hotel is central to some great London landmarks and theatres, and a few of the staff were lovely, though others didn’t seem keen to engage with guests. I’d come back, but wouldn’t pay for the food. Breakfast was lukewarm and the porridge very runny. We also had dinner in the bar&kitchen, and I wouldn’t recommend it. The cheeseburger didn’t seem freshly cooked, and the food looked as if it had just been thrown onto the plate.

Our three-night London holiday was uncomfortable, and the stay wasn’t cheap. The room was in appalling condition: the bed and carpet were badly stained, the bathroom door had water damage, and the bathroom was so worn that the chrome was coming off. There was no heating at all. We told staff when we arrived, and the duty manager came up to inspect, but nobody gave us an explanation or solution until the second night. At checkout, we said we wanted to complain and were told to email. We sent three emails and called the hotel, but management never responded. I wouldn’t come to London if I had to stay here.

The location is hard to beat, between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. Breakfast was better than at many London hotels, with an English breakfast and more, and the reception and dining room staff were nice. We paid for a deluxe room on the sixth floor. The size was fair, but when I turned the lights on before going to shower, I saw countless tiny bits of broken glass all over the carpet. I’d been barefoot and was lucky to spot the glint before stepping farther. I have video of it if anyone at the hotel chain thinks I’m exaggerating. It was late, so we stayed in the room and asked housekeeping to vacuum. She had to do it twice because little pieces were scattered throughout. There was also no water in the hotel until the evening because of a hotel-wide problem, and then we had to wait until after midnight for hot water. Management didn’t come to speak to us or apologize. I rarely write bad reviews after my trips, but this was a very bad experience.

We’ve stayed at Thistle London for over ten years, returning for Christmas and mid-year shopping trips because our visits had always been satisfactory. This time was a deep disappointment. Six of us, including an 8-month-old baby, stayed for three nights in upgraded junior and executive suites. At breakfast we were sent to sit at the bar because there weren’t enough tables, while solo diners had four-person tables. We even offered to split up to fit in the restaurant, but that was refused at first. Only one lift was working for more than half our stay, which made handling a pushchair from a high floor difficult. Housekeeping also didn’t clean the rooms daily, which is unacceptable for a hotel of this standing. The worst part was at checkout, when we asked for somewhere to change the baby. We were told, “We don’t have facilities for babies at this hotel. We request you use McDonald’s up the street.” That was dismissive and especially hard to understand after the hotel had supplied a cot and high chair during our stay. Rose was the staff member who made that comment. Her lack of empathy, customer service, and understanding of diversity training was appalling. For a hotel that prides itself on hospitality, the exchange was insulting to returning customers and damaging to its reputation.