The Leonard Hotel — Hotel in London

Shockingly Poor Experience and Unfulfilled Refund Promise at The Leonard Hotel

My recent attempted stay at The Leonard Hotel in London (booked for June 12-14, 2025) was nothing short of a disaster and completely ruined part of my trip to London. This hotel is advertised as a "boutique" experience, but what we encountered was a far cry from that – a rundown, unhygienic environment and, most frustratingly, an unhonored refund agreement.

Misleading Advertising & Unpleasant First Impressions Upon arrival, the lobby had a strong, pervasive smell of curry spice, which was off-putting and not what you'd expect from a supposed luxury boutique hotel. My own room, while "okay," felt more "shabby chic" than genuinely boutique, especially considering the high price point. The hotel's layout also contradicted its boutique claim; despite appearing small from the outside, the upper floors seemed to house around 20+ rooms each, down many hallways and doorways, feeling like an unorganized apartment building.

Deteriorating Rooms & Unresponsive Staff My family, who had booked an "upgraded" room, were met with an even worse situation. Their room was described as "really old and rundown," causing significant disappointment. When they tried to request a different room, they were told the hotel was "sold out," a claim that later proved false.

The Infestation & Appalling Service Recovery The true nightmare began after dinner. Upon returning to my room, I spotted a shadow, which quickly turned into a mouse scurrying out from under the bed. It ran around my luggage, back under the bed, and then, alarmingly, out the half-inch gap under my room door. Discovering a rodent in your hotel room is absolutely horrifying.

Shaking, I immediately went to the front desk. To my astonishment, the staff seemed remarkably unconcerned, merely stating they would "send someone" to my room. Unable to stay in a room knowing a mouse was present and could easily re-enter, my heart pounding, I returned to the desk to check out.

At this point, despite previously claiming to be "sold out," they suddenly offered me another room. Given the late hour and the stress of finding alternative accommodation, I reluctantly decided to pack my belongings and try the new room. However, upon entering, I was hit with an overwhelming fragrance smell, as if the room had been doused with air freshener, likely to cover up another unpleasant odor. The smell was so strong it made me feel sick, and I knew instantly I couldn't stay there. I immediately informed them I was leaving. My family, equally disgusted by the unfolding events, also packed up and we all left to find another hotel.

Broken Promises & Financial Frustration The following day, we contacted the General Manager, Thomas, via email as advised. To his credit, he agreed to a 100% refund for my room charges. Unfortunately, this is where the professionalism ended. It has now been two weeks, and despite numerous follow-up emails and phone calls, I have received no refund and no response whatsoever from the hotel. I have now been forced to escalate the issue by disputing the charge with my credit card company.

This entire experience at The Leonard Hotel was incredibly frustrating. I urge anyone considering this hotel to...

Our stay at this apartment was far better than we expected. The apartment was very clean, comfortable, and well-equipped. We stayed in the third-floor apartment, which had a master bedroom with a private bathroom (including a handheld bidet/shattaf and shower), a second bedroom with two single beds, and a living room with a sofa bed. Both bathrooms had bidet sprays, which was a big plus for us. The bathrooms are new and spotless — definitely one of the highlights of the apartment — though there was a slight smell that seemed to come from the pipes, not the bathroom itself. The kitchen was great and fully equipped (plates, cutlery, pots, oven, grill). Unfortunately, the dishwasher didn’t work even after the maintenance visit, but the washing machine was perfect. They also provided laundry and dish soap, new sponges, and large garbage bags — a nice touch! There’s no garbage collection service, but that’s normal for serviced apartments.

One thing I really appreciated was how safe and comfortable the apartment felt. The building has a hotel reception, and the apartments share the same secure entrance through the hotel lobby. There’s also a separate private exit for apartment guests, which made it feel private yet safe — I really loved that setup.

The positives are many, and the few negatives are minor and fixable. The mattresses could use renewal, and the bedding — while clean — feels slightly worn. The carpet throughout the apartment is clean and in good condition.

Location is fantastic: • Primark is about 3 minutes’ walk • Oxford Street less than 10 minutes • Hyde Park around 7 minutes • Many new and popular restaurants and cafés nearby There’s also a lovely coffee shop right in front of the building with great coffee ☕️

Overall, I’d rate this apartment very highly and would definitely stay again. The positives far outweigh the negatives. I only suggest updating the mattresses, refreshing the bedding, and fixing the slight bathroom smell.

Special thanks to Ujjal, the front-desk staff — he was incredibly kind, helpful, and patient. When our passports got locked inside the safe on the night before our flight, he truly went above and beyond to help us. We really appreciated his calmness and...

Being a frequent traveller, I will rate this facility from two sides, (1) my personal experience, and (2) direct observation.

Location: excellent location, very close to the Marble Arch and Oxford street.

Facility: very nice facility (design wise), but poorly maintained. Very old furniture in the lobby and rooms.

Front desk: nice people

Room: relatively good size, when compared with other London 4 start hotels in the downtown area. The room has small kitchenette with some basic cutleries. The hot water kettle was old, not clean and needed replacement.   We were provided with a sofa bed, which was very uncomfortable.

Restaurant: didn't use

TV: was not working for 3 days. Connection problem.

Cleanness: although we evelauate any hotel facility based on location, services and hospitality, Cleanness remains the most important factor for any hotel guest. Any customer can forgive any shortfalls in service, but not to enjoy the use of a clean facility is not acceptable.

I can say that this was the worst experience I ever had with the cleanness of any hotel I have been to. (I am attaching some pictures). My first night, I found the bed sheets and pillow covers never been changed with hair all over. Upon asking them to change the sheets and pillow covers, I discovered that the pillows (not the covers) are very dirty with bodily secretions all over. I was not sure how managemt would allow to keep such dirty pillows in circulation. Also, bathroom towels were very old and passed thier lifespan and need to be replaced.

I feel bad for such a wonderful facility to be poorly managed like that.

I will definitely not use this facility again as there are many better options in the same...