Garden Court Hotel Notting Hill — Hotel in London

This is by far the most terrible hotel I have ever stayed in my entire life. I am eternally perplexed how it managed to get 3 stars. We booked a twin room, yet we were given an unbelievably tiny space that barely fit one person, let alone two. The bathroom was so small it was nearly unusable. The room faced a busy street, and the noise insulation was nonexistent—it felt like we were sleeping on the sidewalk.

So we complain. Because, you know, a hotel is supposed to provide sleep—not a live-action reenactment of urban chaos. They move us. To a room where the heating is broken and set to ‘Surface of the Sun.’ It’s sub-zero outside. Inside, it was a sweat lodge. We kept the windows wide open, practically begging for frostbite, and yet we were still roasting. ‘Oh, sorry, it’s the weekend. Maintenance isn’t available.’ OH, WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE! Because clearly, heating emergencies respect a 9-to-5 work schedule. After even more begging, we were moved again—to ANOTHER hotel, owned by this manager. Caring Hotel. The bed was so tiny there is no way it would fit two people We physically could not sleep. My friend left early because it literally didn't fit us both. Note that we asked for a twin room, whether it is normal for a double bed to be this tiny, it shouldn't have been any relevant because we are supposed to have two beds. Not to mention that the WiFi did not work on that night, and when we asked the receptionist, he just said oh sorry this part of the building has bad coverage. Great. In the end, we asked for a refund. They get offended and say "we gave you options, you didn't like them". An ‘option’ implies at least one of the choices is functional.It's like serving someone a burnt steak, then replacing it with raw chicken, and then acting shocked when they don't want to eat a plate of ice...

It's difficult for me to be impartial in reviewing this hotel. I stayed here 25 years ago when it as "family" owned and operated. London has changed a lot in those 25 years and many of the locally owned hotels are now part of chains, as is this one. So how does one move on from what one knew to what one knows now, when one loved the "old" hotel so much...

Well, some things are still the same. The old Victorian townhouse has been maintained in good condition. The view of the little square park and rows of similar townhouses out front facing windows is identical. The location is still fantastic, close to an amazing selection of ethnic restaurants, 2 tube stations, bus routes, all manner of stores, and Hyde Park.

But once one goes inside, there are a lot of changes. The guest sitting rooms and bar where we spent many happy hours in the past are gone. The rooms are VERY small. No separation between the twin beds, open shelving in place of dressers or closets, no luggage racks. And for a woman the size of Queen Victoria, the tiny showers are a bit problematic. There was constant noise from construction next door over which I am sure the landlords had no control. The spacious basement dining room has been replaced by a small, overcrowded space and the full breakfast has given way to continental.

The receptionist was very helpful with directions and addressing one minor maintenance issue. Breakfast was adequate if not hot. The room temperature was comfortable and the beds slept well. The new decor is very modern and obviously fairly new. The room and common areas were clean and tidy. The price is very reasonable for a well located hotel in London.

Sigh! I am certain I would like this hotel more if there wasn't a "then" clouding...

Arrived half an hour after check in time and was given the key to a dirty room (sheets not cleaned, towels still on the ground, hair in the bed, rubbish on the floor) - baring in mind this is still during Covid I thought it was unacceptable and was quite shocked. When I asked for a new room I was then told there weren't any that had been cleaned (despite it being three and a half hours after check out) and that I would have to wait 40 minutes for a clean/new room - even after I had explained multiple times that I needed/expected to be able to freshen up before a booked event. I can completely understand situations like this but the guy working at the reception showed no sympathy, gave no apologies or explanation, and essentially acted like it was out of his control/he could not care less. I was having to suggest ideas/explanations that should have been provided to me as a guest - and was refused any communication to a manager (who may have had a better idea as to why there were no clean rooms...). I booked this hotel based on it's convivence and price so I didn't expect the best customer service but I think the least someone can expect is a CLEAN room anytime past check in and someone sat on the front desk who can provide decent customer service, and actually respects their guests! The room they provided after an hour of waiting was worse than the original room (albeit clean) and we never received an email back about their terrible cleaning and customer service. As a student I have stayed at some cheap and basic places but I would AVOID this place at all costs - not worth the disrespect and rudeness they give to...