Park Avenue Bayswater Inn Hyde Park — Attraction in London

Subject: Formal Complaint – Unacceptable Stay at Park Avenue Bayswater Inn Hyde Park

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding my recent stay at your hotel, which was, without exaggeration, the worst hotel experience I have ever had.

From the moment I arrived, the service and conditions were absolutely unacceptable for a hotel claiming to be 4 stars. Unusable Mattresses The first room I was given had a mattress barely 2 cm thick — completely worn out and uncomfortable. After a long complaint (lasting over an hour), I was moved to another room… with the exact same mattress. Only on the third attempt did I receive a room with a mattress of standard quality. Overwhelming Paint Smell The second room smelled strongly of fresh paint — it was unbearable. How can you assign guests to rooms that are clearly not ready or safe to be used? Deplorable Customer Service The reception staff were inattentive, uninterested, and unwilling to help. Shockingly, the hotel manager was standing behind the front desk staff, listening in, and when I found out who he was and asked to speak with him, he replied, “I have nothing to say to you.” A disgraceful attitude from someone in a leadership position. Zero Cleaning Service I stayed for 3 nights and not once was the room cleaned. No towels replaced, no bed made — absolutely nothing. The cleanliness, especially under the bed, was unacceptable and disgusting. Elevators and General Condition Only one elevator was working, and it was constantly occupied by staff carrying bags, leaving behind an unbearable smell of sweat. The general maintenance of the hotel is poor and unpleasant. Poor Breakfast Offering The breakfast is extremely basic: bread, cheese, coffee, bacon, eggs, and sausages. No fruit, no variety — completely underwhelming for any hotel, let alone a 4-star one. Other unacceptable issues

• Room key cards constantly got demagnetised. • No soundproofing: I could hear everything from the corridor, next room, and floor above. • TV smaller than a computer monitor. • The first two rooms had filthy, neglected coffee machines. The third room had none at all.

Disregard for Feedback and Dishonesty It’s very telling that the hotel only replies to positive reviews online and completely ignores the many negative ones — all echoing the same issues I experienced. I only read these reviews after checking in — had I seen them earlier, I would have never booked. To make things worse, when I complained about the mattress, I was told that “if you don’t like it, you’re free to leave — but we won’t refund your money.” A hotel staff member even confided in me that those awful 2 cm mattresses are over 10 years old. Imagine that.

⸻

Conclusion: This hotel is not worthy of a 4-star rating. At best, it’s a 2-star property — and that’s being generous. The service, hygiene, comfort, and overall experience were appalling. I will be reporting this stay to Booking.com, relevant tourism authorities, and consumer protection services.

If your management cares at all about maintaining your reputation, I strongly advise a complete review of your service standards and facilities.

Kind regards, Nuno Carvalho 08/7/2025...

I booked this room very last minute at 2AM and arrived at the hotel at 10AM wanting to check in but was informed that I could not and had to return later. I was later informed of a family emergency and returned at noon to notify the front desk to cancel my booking. As it was through Agoda, they were willing to give me a refund despite the non-refund policy me given my circumstance but the hotel insists on not refunding me the money of my 2 night stay. DO NOT BOOK HERE!! When I had to cancel my 4 night stay with Best Western also with non-refundable policy, they did not give me any hard time (booked through another 3rd party-expedia). I was able to get my refund within 24 hour without hassle. The managers was super empathetic and understanding of my situation and tried to help me. The workers here do not care, brushed me off and basically told me to deal with it with my third party when I already did. I would never EVER recommend anyone to stay here. It's completely insane how a 4 star hotel operates less than a 3 star Best Western Chain. Just by the front lobby washroom, the door knob was broken and I slipped on my way out because there was a small ledge without any caution sign. The wooden doors were already ripped. I stayed at many hotels within hyde park prior to selecting this one and this has got to be the worst one in the area. It is also far away from the train station. If you want better value, location, service- Central Park Hotel.

TO UPDATE: I HAVE CONTACTED AGODA numerous times and can provide you a list of dates when I called and an email correspondence back and forth providing the proper documentation required and asking for a refund.

I have since provided a proof of medical Certificate and also a flight booking back home. Agoda has numerous times to get in touch with your hotel but you are not responding to them.

It is appalling that you are claiming me as a fraud and maliciously accusing a customer when I am already dealing with a dying family member in the emergency room.I don't think this is a joke. I cannot believe this is a 4 star hotel... and that this is the kind of treatment a customer gets when booking at your hotel. Put yourself in my shoes and see how you would feel if a 4 star hotel denies you of a refund for gains when you have given followed the proper protocol to show up and notify the hotel and provide the proper documentation. It was not in my interest when I asked to check in at 10am to leave. I found out shortly and informed your duty manager immediately after I found out of the situation.

Threatening to not give me my refund because I am being vocal about my situation to the public is so unprofessional. I will remove this post after I hear back from agoda and your hotel.

Report them to the hotel association and get...

Unfortunately, this was by far the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in! I was tricked by the pictures posted on their website and Booking.com. I paid £432 for 3 nights for a twin bedroom, but I was given a room in the basement (the lower ground floor). The room was nothing close to the pictures posted. It’s too small, the toilet is tiny, and the faucet has limescale on it. There’s no sound isolation by any means; the walls are paper-thin, and we could hear every little sound. The room has a window, but apparently we can’t open it for ventilation as it is clogged with large blue bags—I suspect what those bags are! There is a musty smell in the room. The fire alarm is flashing a little red light every second; that should be fine unless it’s right above our heads, making us sense the red light while we’re trying to get some sleep.

The corridor of the -1 floor is another story! It feels unsafe; the lights are so dim, and it’s very tight, with lots of rooms and only one elevator working. The other one is out of service. I asked to change my room the moment I was assigned the basement room, but I was informed that there was no availability and that I should wait until tomorrow to get an upper ground floor room. I was offered the option of paying an extra £80 to get a room with a double bed and a sofa bed. I refused, as I don’t want to pay extra for a place that calls itself a hotel with such a terrible building that needs lots of refurbishment work. I forced myself to stay the night and waited until 8 am the next morning to be moved to the upper ground room as promised. I was surprised then when I was told I needed to wait until 3 pm to be moved to another room!

After this, I was completely fed up, and I asked for a cancellation for the remaining nights. A big thanks to the Indian lady at the front desk this morning; she made the refund process for the remaining nights easy. I still haven’t received the refunded amount, but hopefully, it will be reflected in my account soon.

Please don’t be tricked by the photos and online pictures; ask to check the bedroom before you...