Grand Plaza Serviced Apartments - London, United Kingdom 

Serviced Apartments? Hmmmm....
Posted: Wed, Jun 18 2008
We stayed in a studio apartment on the first floor here for almost 2 weeks. You can't fault the value for money if you're looking for a big apartment with a kitchenette instead of a hotel but there are a couple of things that it may be worth you checking with the front desk before you book your stay. We were under the impression that the apartment was serviced, which it was, on the first day. After day 3 of no housekeeping we asked at reception and were told that it would be cleaned... once a week. Fine, but what about when the bins get full and the toilet paper runs out? Turns out it's your responsibility to put the rubbish out in the bin on the street and get toilet roll/bin bags from the cupboard in the reception area. What was strange was that there's no basic information in the room and we found it odd that the front desk didn't mention this upon arrival. Also make sure you bring your own soap, shampoo etc and washing up supplies ie fairy liquid/sponge as you don't get supplied with those either (and no tea/coffee etc or sign of breakfast as per previous reviews). Apartments are pleasant enough, ours was clean upon arrival but fixtures and fittings seemed a bit tired, the bathroom surfaces need a repaint etc and the room generally was in need some basic maintenance checks. The bathroom door handle came off, the tap fittings were loose, the plug in the bath had to be manually removed as it won't drain as it's intended to, and the pane of glass for the shower door is too small and it does soak the floor. Window locks didn't work either, main bin was broken... small things individually but a bit irritating when it's one thing after another. Also the TV kept flickering intermittently, but not when the handy man looked at it so it was dismissed as fine and wasn't changed. Some of the staff are pretty unhelpful and the language barriers was an issue at times. On the plus side, location is great you're right between Notting Hill and Bayswater, loads of places to eat and shop at and tubes are close by.

Absolutely Perfect
Posted: Thu, Jan 24 2008
My sister and I stayed at the Somerset Bayswater in March, 2007. We had absolutely no problems whatsover and were MORE THAN pleased with our entire stay. The staff was courteous (we never had any problems, so we didn't have to deal with them extensively), the room was comfortable and clean, and the location was great. As two single girls travelling alone, we were worried about feeling safe, but that was never a problem in this neighborhood. After spending our days out sightseeing, it was nice to come back to the hotel (which felt more like a studio apartment than a hotel) and watch some great British television! And the breakfast was top-notch, as well.