Meliá White House — Hotel in London

We stayed here as a family of three on the last leg of our European vacation. I had anticipated that this would be the best hotel we stayed at which I was looking forward to as I knew we were going to be tired. The check in was quick and not super informative or friendly. Our room was on the top and in a corner which was nice and quiet. Upon entering our room, I asked the nice man who helped bring our luggage up if there was air conditioning because the room was quite stuffy. He said yes, and turned it on for us however, the room never cooled down. He set it to 50°F, which was the lowest it would go, and it only blew coolish air slightly from the vents. Luckily, there were two windows in the bedroom and one in the bathroom that opened slightly so we were able to get air flowing. Fortunately, for us, the weather was quite cool while we were in London and so leaving the windows open all day was sufficient although noisy as it is a busy neighborhood. If you were to stay here while it was hot outside, I would imagine it would be unbearably hot. I chatted with a man in the elevator, who was also complaining about the temperature of the rooms so I know it wasn't just ours.

The room was fine. It was a decent size for a family room. The sofa bed for my daughter was not super comfortable. The toilet closet had a clear frosted door, which was slightly inconvenient because only one person could be in the entire bathroom at a time if they were using the restroom unless they wanted an audience. The room also had USB plugs, which was a plus for charging our devices at the end of the day

Our room included free breakfast, which was amazing. There were lots of options and everybody was happy. Our level room also included access to the level lounge which offers beverages, including beer and wine and small snacks. This was especially nice after a long day and we took advantage of this several times during our stay.

We ate at the bar in the restaurant twice out of convenience and being tired from a long day not wanting to venture out. It has a small menu, but was decent. There is also a restaurant that we could not find any information about it on their website or posted outside so we were not sure what the prices or the menu were so we just chose to eat at the bar.

The location was close to several metros and near a large park. There were several restaurant options nearby. We ate at a pub across the street twice called the Albany. There was also a coffee shop next to the metro that we stopped at one morning that we had to be out early. There was also a small convenience/grocery store nearby.

We walked home from Piccadilly Circus one night. It took us about 20 minutes. The location is good. The hotel is a little more modern, the elevators are irritating as it seems only one works at a time and you often have to wait for one. I would definitely not recommend if it is going to be hot. The lounge and free breakfast were a plus. All in all not a terrible stay but definitely not...

Overall, disappointed in this hotel; however, that is not to say it didn't have its highlights.

Arrived after a non-stop transatlantic flight from San Francisco w/my Better Half, 3 pieces of luggage, and a couple of carry-ons. (I know--we overpacked, but were going to be traveling throughout the UK in varying climates pursuing varying activities for 3+ weeks, so somewhat unavoidable.) No one was "on duty" as we entered the hotel, so we schlepped our luggage into the lobby by ourselves. Didn't consider it that big of a deal, but a bit unusual for a 4-star hotel. Also, the hotel's lobby is sunken, which necessitated us to wield/drag the luggage down 4 or so stairs. (There is a ramp on the ground floor, but it did not lead to the Front desk.)

Front desk check-in was merely perfunctory to the point that I almost felt as if the Front Desk clerk was bored with her job. However, once given the room keys, a bellman greeted us (I believe his name was Mamood) and he couldn't have been kinder, more accommodating, or more hospitable.

Room was well-lit and clean, as was bathroom. Unfortunately, the shower leaked everyday all over the bathroom floor to the point we had to lay multiple towels on the floor each day before showering. We notified the Front Desk, but it didn't offer any recourse. Also, no facial soap provided. Just shower gel.

Daily breakfast buffet offered an excellent, extensive selection, accommodating everyone's diet/preferences. Fresh and plentiful. However, the heat lamps used to keep the hot dishes (eggs, sausage, etc.) warm were insufficient. By the time you brought your food to your table, it was lukewarm at best.

Inquired into getting some ice for our room. Front Desk stated we'd have to order it via room service. Wouldn't have minded doing so if just staying one night, but we were staying 4, and didn't want to spend (once tip was added) $50 USD over 4 days for 4 buckets of ice.

Gym is one of the better big-city hotel gyms that we've experienced. Very good variety of weights, machines, water, towels, well-air conditioned, and always very clean.

The concierge, Kayva, was exceedingly personable, knowledgeable, and helpful. She is a true asset.

Last night of stay we were tired. Had an early departure the next morning. Decided to order room service. Stopped at hotel's restaurant on the way to the room. No one greeted us, so finally went up to the bar, and asked for a menu to peruse. Shortly thereafter, tried to order a pizza, only to be told it was not on the menu. BH went down to restaurant and explained the menu shown to us less than a hour before offered pizza. To the chef's credit, he volunteered to make us one, and BH took it to go. We were very appreciative.

While the Melia has many good points, its service is too inconsistent for a 4-star hotel. We would not stay...

Let me be perfectly clear: this is not just a bad hotel stay. This was an exercise in frustration, incompetence, and complete disregard for what the word hospitality is even supposed to mean.

I checked in on July 5th, expecting to stay until the 8th. I checked out on the 6th — voluntarily, because the conditions were so deeply unacceptable that it was a waste of time, money, and frankly, dignity to remain any longer.

It began with relentless, disruptive noise from neighboring rooms. Constant banging, shouting, assistance calls – all day long. When I approached the front desk, I was told, astonishingly, that they “can’t control guest behavior.” Right. But when I asked for a new room? “We’re fully booked.” No solutions, no effort, just a polite shoulder shrug.

Fast forward to 4 AM. I was jolted awake by a guest in the adjacent room — not because they were partying, but because they were talking on speakerphone. Every zipper, every word, every light flicked on was coming through as if they were sitting on the end of my bed. Why? Because the only thing separating our rooms was a thin, standard wooden door that let light and sound pour through like it was made of tissue paper. The level of design failure here is mind-boggling. Who signs off on that and still claims this is a four-star experience?

I raised the issue again. Same answer. No other rooms. No solutions. No care.

When I told them I wanted to cancel the rest of my stay, they refused, citing “no cancellation policy.” But this wasn’t a case of changing plans — this was the hotel failing to provide a basic standard of rest and privacy. I contacted Expedia. Six hours, five agents, and a full loop of “we can’t help you, contact the hotel” nonsense. Utterly useless.

When I finally checked out early, I was told they couldn’t compensate me for the last night because I had “already checked in” too late the night before. I asked: If you were fully booked, then what difference does it make when I checked in? That room was going unused either way. So why deny the refund? I got blank stares and finger-pointing.

Let me make this absolutely clear for anyone considering Melia White House or any Melia property: don’t. This isn’t just a one-off inconvenience — this is a company-wide failure to grasp basic hospitality, service, and accountability.

This will be the last time I ever stay with Melia Hotels. This brand is dead to me. And I consider it a personal mission to make sure others know exactly what level of dysfunction they’re walking into if they book a room here.

Melia: You don’t need a new lobby, or new branding, or polished Instagram content. You need training, integrity, and walls that actually separate human beings.

Do better. Or stop pretending you’re in the business of...