St Giles London - A St Giles Hotel — Hotel in London

Ah, the St. Giles Hotel in Central London—what a study in contrasts! Nestled in a prime location, you would think it was the epitome of convenience and charm. And in many ways, it is. But oh, the peculiarities and frustrations it holds within its walls!

Let’s start with the positives, shall we? The room was impressively clean, a veritable oasis of tidiness in the heart of the city. The housekeeping staff deserve a medal for their diligence; every corner was immaculate, every surface gleaming. It’s just a pity that this sterling effort wasn’t mirrored by the front desk staff.

Our welcome to St. Giles was far from warm. The check-in staff were, in a word, rude. When we asked for a hairdryer, which should have been in the room, we were met with annoyance. It was late, around 11 PM, and one would expect a bit of understanding. Instead, we got eye rolls and a curt instruction to return the next morning. One particular staff member managed to perform the impressive feat of pretending to be polite while clearly conveying through his body language that he could not care less about our predicament. It was like being served by a disinterested mime.

Communication was another bugbear. The staff seemed to favor speaking Punjabi amongst themselves, even when addressing us, their confused guests. Now, I have nothing against the Punjabi language, but in an English-speaking country, a bit of courtesy in the local tongue would go a long way. It felt as if they were excluding us from a conversation about our own concerns, which is both unprofessional and, frankly, quite rude.

The hotel’s response to incidents outside its doors was equally lackluster. A fellow guest had their phone snatched by a hit-and-run food delivery cyclist right outside the entrance. When I suggested to the staff that they should perhaps warn other guests about such dangers, I was met with blank stares and a disinterested shrug. The staff seemed to oscillate between pretending to care and outright ignoring the needs of their guests. This attitude was particularly noticeable among the newer, foreign staff members, while the more experienced, native staff were genuinely helpful and service-oriented. It’s thanks to these few that I’m even contemplating adding an extra star to this review.

Location, location, location. If St. Giles has a saving grace, this is it. Positioned in the heart of London, it offers supreme convenience. But convenience is only skin-deep. Beneath the surface, the hotel’s age and lack of maintenance are painfully evident. The headboard in our room was falling apart, the leather so brittle that it flaked off at the slightest touch. The bathroom was comically small, so much so that one could, in theory, take a dump while showering. The toilet paper, reminiscent of budget airline quality, did little to enhance the experience.

The lift, though charmingly slow, was serviceable. I skipped breakfast, but rumor has it that it was decent—at least a decade ago. The hotel seems to attract a large contingent of Norwegians and other international travelers in their fifties, adding to its eclectic vibe. Our first-floor room greeted us with the overpowering scent of chlorine mingled with something indefinable but distinctly off-putting. This final sensory assault neatly encapsulated our stay at St. Giles: promising at first glance, but increasingly perplexing and disappointing the longer you stay.

To add to the morning’s entertainment, the fire alarm went off twice, jolting us from our sleep just after 9 AM. As if this weren’t enough, the constant drilling and hammering from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Saturday, was a daily reminder of the hotel’s seemingly endless refurbishment. One wonders if refurbishing one room at a time is the best strategy, considering the impact on guests’ peace and quiet.

It’s a hotel of contradictions—promising much but delivering little. With some significant improvements, it could be a gem. Until then, it remains a perplexing and often disappointing choice in the...

💖Deceptive hotel. Dishonest practices and poor accountability.💖

My father booked two Executive Suites at this hotel. We were assigned rooms 903 (my parents) and 904 (mine). Room 903 was indeed an Executive Suite. However, Room 904 was clearly an Executive Solo Room — different in size, layout, and quality.

When I raised this issue, the male front desk staff said, “All executive rooms look different,” and even added, “Are all rooms the same size when you buy a house?” But I hadn’t booked an “Executive Room.” I had booked an Executive Suite.

When I kept asking why my room was so different despite the same booking, he said, “We gave you the room next to your parents since you’re family,” as if he was doing me a favor. And then he said the most frustrating thing: “There’s not much of a price difference anyway.” In reality, the difference is about 60–70 GBP (approximately 80,000–100,000 KRW). If it’s truly not much, then the hotel should have covered it — not me.

After I strongly complained, he told me to come back the next morning — the room I was supposed to have might become available. There was no guarantee, and if it didn’t work out, I’d be the only one at a loss. When I asked how the hotel would compensate me if that happened, he simply said it wasn’t the hotel’s fault — it was Agoda’s. Agoda is just a booking platform. I laughed — not because I found him funny, but because his logic made no sense. He probably thought I was amused by him. I wasn’t.

And another thing — this hotel has a separate check-in desk for Executive Suite guests, yet no one informed me. The front desk was long and crowded, and I had just landed in London after a 12-hour flight from Korea. I was exhausted. I did notice a desk labeled “Executive,” and I did wonder if that was where I should check in. But someone else was already being assisted there, and with other people waiting in line behind me, I just wanted to check in quickly — so I went to the regular desk. Later, I saw another guest — also with an Executive-type booking — go to the same regular desk as I did. But this time, the staff redirected them to the Executive desk. That’s when it hit me — I had clearly been ignored. It felt awful.

At check-in, I also reminded him that I had booked a room with an outdoor view. He laughed and said, “That’s just advertising — there’s no such thing in London.” He smiled while saying it. Is that really how a hotel staff member should respond to a guest?

In the end, I was too tired and frustrated to keep arguing, so I temporarily stayed in Room 904. Later, I received a call from the same staff member saying Room 803 (an actual Executive Suite) would be available the next day. But I was eventually assigned Room 908 instead — thankfully, a real Executive Suite. (Why it was changed from 803 to 908? I’m too exhausted to explain that ridiculous part.)

The biggest issue? This hotel was dishonest from beginning to end. There was no transparency, no accountability, and no respect for the guest. This hotel owes me a sincere apology.

✨🩷And most importantly:🩷✨ All of this happened the day before my university graduation. What should have been one of the most meaningful and joyful days of my life was completely ruined by this hotel. My physical condition was terrible. My mood was worse. That memory, which should’ve been a celebration, is now permanently tainted — thanks to this hotel.

‼️I will never stay here again. Strongly not recommended.‼️

While I understand that room layouts may vary, the first room I was given had no lounge area at all — just a bed occupying almost the entire space, with barely enough room to open a suitcase. According to your own website, Executive Suites include a separate lounge area. This was clearly not the case, and I find your...

Family stayed at St Giles for 4 nights in August 2025 (2 rooms). On 7 Aug, my wife woke up with bites on her arm that got worse as the day went on (See Pictures). When we arrived back at the hotel that night, we checked her bed and found several bed bugs (See Pictures). We immediately contacted the front desk. They came up and took their own pictures and moved us to a different room. We were told that there would be a 3rd party investigation and they would let us know the outcome.||||On 15 Aug, we finally received an email from Front Office Manager – Sarah Van den Berg. In her email she stated “…unwanted guests’ may inadvertently be introduced via luggage, potentially affecting subsequent occupants of the rooms.”. So, she is either stating that WE brought the bed bugs into the room OR she is stating that St Giles does not clean rooms in between guests in a manner that would eliminate bed bugs. After this explanation, we were offered a 50% refund for ONE NIGHT and only if we sign a release form. I replied stating that their offer was unacceptable and that I believed an appropriate resolution would be a refund of the entire 4 night stay for that room only. We were fine with paying for our other room as no bed bugs were found there. Her response included the same statement I quoted above and they increased their offer to 100% of ONE night for the affected room. I once again explained the impact this had on my wife for the rest of our holiday (through 16 Aug) at which point, Ms. Van den Berg said she would escalate the matter to her senior.||||On 26 Aug, I finally receive an email from Front of House Manager – Jason Addo. Unfortunately, it was just to tell me that he is in the process of reviewing the details. I do finally receive a response from him on 2 Sep where he offers the exact same that Ms. Van den Berg offered but words it in a manner to make it sound like a better offer. I decline and ask that he read the entire email chain. On 4 Sep, Mr. Addo says that he will escalate the matter further. On 8 Sep, he responds that a refund of one day (£203) is the best that they can do. ||||In the end, we spent nearly £1600 to have my wife bitten by bed bugs that negatively impacted the rest of our holiday in London and Rome. Given that and the manner in which St Giles Management handled the situation. I have declined the £203 refund offer that would only come if I signed a release. It’s worth more than that for me to share my experiences with you all to ensure that you don’t make the same mistake that we did.||||DON’T STAY AT...