Review of Metro Hotel, Paddington, London

The Hotel itself: What struck you as soon as you entered was the stale smell, the dark, stained carpet and the dinginess of the whole place. You climb up a narrow flight of stairs to the "office" to be greeted by the receptionist. The decor of the office should tell you what this hotel is like - decrepit in most parts. Welcome to the Metro Hotel…..

The first room we stayed in was big but that was all that was good about it. The decor was appalling, it was dirty and someone had just been cleaning it. There were studs sticking out of the headboard which didn’t seem particularly safe.  There was a balcony but the paint was peeling off the doors and it looked dilapidated. We went to the shared bathroom but it was not a pleasant experience. My son was put in a room on the top floor which was ok for us but I can see an old person or someone with a child really struggling with the stairs. On the way to his room, I passed a door which had a long screw as a handle, just at the right height for a child to hit with their head or eye.

The second room we were given was better, cleaner but it had its flaws. With the three of us there, there was barely enough room to move. It was really hot and the shape of it made it hard for the fan to offer much air. On the roof outside the window, there was an air conditioning unit, plus other junk. There was a weed growing through the roof. There was some tea and coffee but you had to ask every day for it to be topped up.

We were given one key between the three of us. On the day before we were due to leave, the new guy at the desk asked whether we wanted another key!!!!

The breakfast: Why bother with the breakfast? It was crap – this is not a bad enough word to use to describe it. We got cheapest value juice boxes, yoghurts, tiny cheeses, biscuits, a horrible croissant filled with some horrible synthetic cream. The best thing about it was the fresh rolls we were given. One day we were given cheese strings because they ran out of little cheeses. Another day, we got little fruit shoots. What luxury!  I couldn’t work out whether they didn’t know we had 3 people staying in the room or whether they couldn’t care less and threw stuff randomly on the tray. The breakfast supposed to arrive at 8.30 but was often left there earlier with no warning.

The booking: The process was fine but when we arrived there, instead of a room with 3 beds, we were given a double bed and a single from the second day on. The receptionist was less than helpful. He was smiling the whole time, saying it was not his problem, he was just a temp. While we were there two other men arrived. They had asked for a twin bed room but were given a room with a double bed. The receptionist was unhelpful. The hotel seemed to have been overbooked. The philosophy seemed to be to book rooms and not pay attention to what the customers actually asked for.

The Staff: The permanent staff were sweet and helpful, up to a point. They gave us stuff when we asked for it and did an ok job with the rooms. Apart from that, they did not seem to know much about the area. We were given one key for the room when we arrived. On the day before we left, we were asked whether we wanted a second key…..

We had booked a hotel in Stratford but I changed it to be in Central London. I wish I had researched it more but I was in a rush. It was a dreadful mistake. I will never return to this hotel again, even if I was paid to.

Booking.com were initially unhelpful when I contacted them but eventually arranged a 15% refund. This is pretty pathetic to say the least. This hotel should NOT be on their list. It makes me wonder whether they care at all. Also, they told me I had complained about being asked for a holding fee. No, I had not. I had complained about the hotel and their (Booking.com’s) lack of concern.

If anybody wants to stay at this hotel, be prepared for disappointment. It needs a hell of a lot of work and renovation, plus a management that cares about the customers. My advice would be – find another one.