Royal Hotel

The bar and the woman working there were nice, and that’s the only reason I’d come back. The room was a different story. It looked nothing like the photos, though I understand there’s renovation work going on, and yes, it was cheap for one night. Still, the mattress was covered in yellow marks, with blood on both it and the sheets. The bed hadn’t been made properly, and the sheets and quilt didn’t fit. My partner and I felt itchy all night and worried the bed might have bugs. The taps also didn’t work properly. If you’re calling it a hotel, have some dignity. I’d give the room zero if I could. I wish I’d taken photos. Don’t stay here.

I’d stayed here before and had a good experience, so this visit was pretty disappointing. The staff member who greeted us at night was really friendly and helpful, but there were dirty mugs in the room and the floorboards creaked loudly. At 8am, builders were scraping the windows and working just outside our top-floor window. The curtains left gaps, so they could see in, and I didn’t feel comfortable in the room I’d paid for. When I complained, a staff member told me to ask the contractors to move myself. That shouldn’t have been my responsibility, and work like that shouldn’t be happening with the room occupied.

I only went in for the bar, so I can’t comment on staying there. It was clean and tidy, though I could smell paint from the refurbishment. The Staropramen was very good. I’d considered staying, and knew about the renovation from other reviews, but changed my plans at the last minute for unrelated reasons. Once the work is done, having a pint outside while looking over the river could be amazing.

It’s an old place, but I thought it was nice and loved my stay. There’s plenty of scaffolding outside, though it looks like they’re fixing the place up, and once you’re indoors it makes no difference. My room was big, with a brand new mattress. It was warm at night, but on the second night I opened the bedroom and bathroom windows and got a nice breeze through. The staff were kind, polite, and lovely. I paid £40 a night, and being so close to the station was handy since I hadn’t driven. It’s right on the Thames, with a lovely little walk nearby. I’ve seen lots of bad reviews here, but mine was an epic stay.