Spark by Hilton Luton

I always stay at this hotel when I’m arriving in or leaving from Lutton's Aerport. You can check in at any time because reception is open 24/7. At night, use your room card or ring the bell so someone can open the entrance door. It’s right in downtown, with a bar and restaurant, and other places to eat are within walking distance. I felt it was safe to walk around, even at night. The hotel is very clean. Rooms are on the small side but clean, like you’d expect from a 3 stars hotel. You can pay a fee to get into your room early.

The train station is a three minute walk away, which helped us save a lot on transport. We stayed in Luton for New Year’s in London, and the train to central London took 36 minutes. The staff were amazing, especially assistant manager Vish, and our housekeeper kept the room spotless. Breakfast had great variety, and the team gave us useful travel tips for the area. A great stay for my family and me.

For central Luton, this seems like the best option, and the rooms here are far better than those at the Sparks hotel in Romford. They’re modern and stylish, with a large TV, safe, fridge, kettle, coffee machine and ironing facilities. The bar and restaurant area is spacious and stylish too, with reasonable prices, though I didn’t eat there. It’s a good value hotel close to the rail and bus stations. The breakfast disappointed me and definitely wasn’t worth paying for. Bathroom lights also seem to have a fault that’s been left unfixed for some time.

The cleaning lady did an immaculate job, which was the one good part of my stay. But there were too many problems for a hotel named Hilton, unless I happened to get its worst room. I’d go back to the Premier Inn or choose somewhere else next time. This was my first stay, and I guarantee I won’t repeat it. It doesn’t feel like a real Hilton, just a franchising business. The room was small, like London hotel rooms, not what I expected in Luton. The fridge was plugged in but didn’t work, the shower kept dripping after I used its handle, and the cupboard above the wardrobe was crumbling despite the supposed refurbishment. The mattress was old and sagged in the middle. There were no single use Nescafe type coffee sachets, only an espresso maker. The receptionist controlled the heating, so that felt no different from other low budget hotels in Luton. Not recommended.