From the moment we arrived, the experience felt far below what you’d expect from a Thistle hotel in central London, especially for £160 for one night.
We arrived around 13:30 and understood we were early, however after the receptionist checked with a manager, we were told the room “wasn’t ready”. The interaction honestly made us feel as though we were being pushed towards paying the early check-in fee instead, so we left our bags and went into London.
When we returned later that evening, check-in became frustratingly chaotic. Despite handing over numbered luggage tags matching each suitcase, we still had to describe every bag before they’d return them. At the same time, the receptionist claimed she couldn’t find our booking, despite the earlier team locating it instantly. What made it worse was repeatedly being asked how to spell my surname whilst she was literally holding my ID.
The room itself was genuinely shocking. Tiny, shabby, visibly dirty and covered in dust, stains and marks. We ended up wiping surfaces down ourselves. The TV had no sound, there was only one usable plug socket, and none by the bedside. Looking outside, there was rubbish and McDonald’s waste scattered below.
Even breakfast ended awkwardly when we were questioned as to why there were two guests, despite my Hotels.com confirmation clearly stating a twin room for two people.
Almost every interaction felt uncomfortable, disorganised or below standard. This experience was nowhere near what I expected
