Adare Hotel - London, United Kingdom 

The worse hotel ever- Horrible front desk person
Posted: Sat, Dec 15 2007
THIS WAS A HORRIBLE HOTEL EXPERIENCE. We arrived at the hotel as we booked on Orbitz and had the voucher that we were supposed to print that showed we prepaid . The man at the front counter, who didn't understand English very well was very rude and insisted that he would have to charge us again AND we only had 1 room (when we paid for 2 on Orbitz). I insisted that we already paid on Orbitz (which I've used a billion times with no problem) and he said it was not a true website and he had never heard of it and worked at the hotel for 5 years. He was very rude and irrate and I said I would wait for the manager as this guy was not nice or helpful at all (he was going to charge us again!). The man said he did not know when the manager would arrive but since I already paid I said I will just have to wait because I'm not going to pay twice. When the manager arrived, he was very nice and took care of business very fast. I think he needs to get rid of the idiot behind the counter as it is going to make him lose business. Plus, he barely knows how to speak English. We asked if there were any close pubs near by and his answer was, "They close at 11pm"-- obviously does not know english.... The rooms were not great and I was scared to go into the shower barefoot, but it was a good location and I expected it to be a little more rundown than your typical American Hotel. I would not recommend this hotel as long as the man that helped us was there-- if the owner gets nice, respectful employees, it would have been a much better experience.

don't stay there!
Posted: Thu, Nov 29 2007
I reserved a room at the Adare for December and right from the start I asked explanations on why the price they confirmed to me is different and higher than that advertised on their web-site and they never explained. When I later e-mailed to cancel my reservation (20 days before arrival) they advised I have to pay a cancellation fee. The several times I tried to call the Hotel directly for an explanation, the Manager couldn't be found and it seems only the night porter runs the reception and can't help with problems. NOT RELIABLE AT ALL.

Stay at this hotel at your peril!!!
Posted: Wed, Aug 29 2007
My stay at the Adare was booked as part of a 2-city package that included air, hotel(s), and flight between the 2 cities. Averaged out, my off-season stay at the Adare was inexpensive, so I was ok with it (had I paid big $ for the Adare, I may not have been 'ok'). As I always do, I am breaking my review into the GREAT, GOOD, BAD, and the UGLY. I will include some 'bottom line' statements and recommendations at the end. Here goes . . . GREAT: # 1 - The Adare is very nicely located at about a 5 minute walk from Paddington Station on the fringe of relaxing Hyde Park. If you like to stay right 'in the action' you may not like this location, but I generally like to spend my time in a bustling city and then retreat back to a quiet setting at night. The Hyde Park area is really great (as is London)! # 2 - The two girls that serve you breakfast in the morning and clean your room in the afternoon are great. One is from Spain, the other is a local girl. My wife and I found them to be cute and friendly (heads up single guys!). GOOD: # 1 - Well, when we arrived the somewhat indifferent guy at the desk found record of our reservation. I always tend to worry with online travel package groups. That's good, isn't it? # 2 - The breakfast in the morning is nice and pretty substantial (ham, eggs, juices, etc.) BAD (room for improvement): # 1 - We arrived way earlier than check-in time (our problem, not the hotel's) - indifferent guy suggested we just leave our bags at the bottom of some steps near his desk. They would have been at the base of the lower level hallway and in a very vulnerable location. I don't expect anyone to watch my bags and I know it's my risk, but how about a location to store them that at least feels a bit secure, or at least even suggests you care a little bit? # 2 - This hotel is very spartan. The lobby is about 12 x 15 ft. and there are not elevators - and plenty of winding stairs as the hotel is 'tall & narrow'. I'm a jock so I didn't mind, but be aware. UGLY: # 1 - Our room at Adare looked, smelled, and just . . . felt old. It kind of felt like visiting a grandparent as a child. However . . . I can deal with a tired room - the thing I cannot accept is wildlife and extreme filth. Our room did NOT have anything extremely unsanitary - it was just old with a little ripped carpet here, and old mismatched furniture there. The breakfast hotties seemed to do a nice job of cleaning it. BOTTOM LINE / RECOMMENDATIONS: # 1 - If you're just looking for a place to hang your hat while you explore the great city of London and you're not too picky AND you get a good rate, you should be ok with the Adare. # 2 - If you arrive way before check-in (like we did and you probably will if arriving directly from the U.S.) AND you find a place you can feel ok about leaving your luggage at the hotel, I highly recommend taking a morning stroll around Hyde Park. You can stroll around a pretty lake with a neat little lakeside bistro - a great very 'English-feeling' start to your trip. So, an ok hotel in a great city.