Hampstead Britannia - London, United Kingdom 

Not that bad!
Posted: Thu, Nov 15 2007
My work sent me and a couple of my colleagues to stay here for a 5 days (10th to 14th September). Based on other reviews, I came armed with some air freshener and a brillo (the later fortunately wasn't needed!). Upon entering mine the room has a very strong smell of smoke, which the air freshener soon solved. The following day the room again smelt of smoke, and again rectified by the air freshener, yet the following days after, the room remained smoke free, suggesting the cleaner was smoking in the room! Apart from this, the double room was spacious, with a desk, coffee table, and chairs and a TV with Sky. The bed was comfortable with sheets changed every day, and the shower was neither too hot of too cold and bath wasn't too small. The lavish reception creates false expectations of room quality, as the furnishings and decoration was aged in all our rooms - The whole places feels like it could do with a lick a fresh paint! The block of flats opposite the hotel was a little overbearing, especially since the rooms lack any netting or blinds so you feel rather ‘exposed’. The reception staff were friendly although there was a small language barrier, and we had a few problems at breakfast with the staff telling us we weren’t booked for breakfast when this wasn’t the case. I guess it were possible we were put in better maintained rooms as we were business customers but the hotel certainly wasn’t as bad as other reviews describe! Although my stay at the Hampstead was OK, I wouldn’t stay again.

Desperately Needing Maintenance
Posted: Fri, Sep 21 2007
We stayed in this hotel for 2 days to join American friends who stayed 9 nights. Our room had an overpowering pungent smell of mould the cause of which was all over the curtains, adjacent wall to the windows and the window pelmet. The photo's we took are daming evidence. our friends from the US never had their sheets changed in 9 nights! and their mattrass had huge stains, including a large blood stain! and a nasty 3 inch spring sticking out of the mattrasss. Photo's are also available of this. Requests to replace mattrass were not actioned. Wallpaper in the room had several edges stuck down with cellotape. Whilst we found the front desk staff very pleasant our meeting with management over our complaints were disappointing and met with disbelief and an offer of less than 10% off the bill !!.

Worst hotel I have stayed in and I travel a lot
Posted: Thu, Sep 13 2007
Curtains would not close leaving an 18" gap. A man appeared at midnight to fix the problem he ended up ripping the darts out of each curtain to widen them but there was still 8" gap at the side. Opposite was a block of highrise flats so that could see into our room at all times. We had to change in the small bathroom which was always wet through due to no ventilation. He said he would get the problem fixed the next day but he didn't. Beds have springs sticking up and were lumpy. Food was okay but just okay. I would rate this hotel as 2 star at most. It needs renovating. Wallpaper old.