Warren Lodge Hotel

The bed was extremely comfortable and the staff were lovely and helpful, but we couldn’t sleep before our early departure. Conversations and the TV in the next room came straight through the paper-thin walls, and people talking in the hallway sounded like they were in our room. Even footsteps made the creaky floors loud. The place badly needs soundproofing. A fire alarm also went off, but no staff came to tell us if there was any danger or whether we could go back to our room. That was disappointing and concerning for our safety. The bathroom water stayed ice cold for 10-15 minutes of continuous running before it warmed up, and the sockets were awkwardly placed, with nowhere near the bed to charge a phone. The price doesn’t match the experience.

There was a strong paint smell, and the place needs more than a smelly lick of paint. Outside rooms 31-39, it looked like an American motel beside a carriageway, the sort that charges by the hour. I’m sure you know what I mean. Food took 45 minutes both at the restaurant and at breakfast, despite there being only two other people in the restaurant. The beans tasted awful, and breakfast came with half a tomato, one sausage, two bacon, mushrooms and a very snooty poached egg, which I changed to scrambled. My guest ordered poached but got fried, then had it replaced. The two other diners asked for scrambled and got fried eggs too, probably the one my guest had sent back. They charged £14 within three minutes of us arriving for breakfast. I guess nobody would pay otherwise. You only get one tea or coffee. You’d be better off at the Holiday Inn up the road for a little extra. This place is a complete letdown for Shepperton. Shame on the owners.

A lovely river view doesn’t justify luxury prices when you can hear conversations and TVs from other rooms, along with the hallway floor creaking as people walk. Maybe the price would make sense if the walls were three times thicker. While I was out, the fire alarm went off. My partner had to stand outside in the cold and wet, with no staff explaining what was happening or checking on any guests. She waited until it stopped, then had to nervously go back into a room that might or might not have been on fire. That kind of negligence is unacceptable.

Breakfast was the final straw for us. We chose the continental selection, but the cereal dispensers had thick dust on top and the milk in the jug was off. After we complained, fresh milk eventually arrived. There was no meat or cheese offered with the cereal and fresh fruit, and we even had to swipe a card before starting breakfast. The room was a family room up an outside staircase, and two lights didn’t work. The tray had just one packet of biscuits for the two of us, while the kettle’s only socket was under the desk, leaving the kettle on the floor, which seems a safety hazard in a family room. The restaurant was nearly empty, with only one other diner. On the way to breakfast the next morning, I had to defrost the stair handrail. We also had to pay upfront before anyone told us where our room was. We wouldn’t recommend this place.