The Gainsborough Hotel

The reviews stating that the hotel was loud and that there was a night club open until 2 am almost detered me from booking this hotel... We stayed in a double standard. There was no night club within a few blocks and for the most part the room was very quiet. After 9am on weekdays there were school kids playing in the school yard behind the hotel. I don't think there are many better locations in London! Close subway access, many attractions, restraunts within walking distance. The rooms are small but clean and well decorated, as with most down town hotels in Europe. Service staff were average. Quaint, relaxing restraunt in the hotel. If you are a person that spends more time out of the room seeing the city and doing things this is a great hotel. If you plan on spending a lot of time at the hotel (ie with kids) I wouldn't recomend it. I probably would not pay full price as that may be a bit much. We recieved a great deal through expedia.

First of all I would not class this hotel as 4 star. Have stayed in better budget hotels. The room was very basic and some of the doors on the furniture where damaged and it would take little to fix them. Beds are old and lumpy. A portable aircon in the room with the ducting running along the floor and out the window. The bathroom was old but clean. Had a number of broken tiles and the bath was stained from long term use. I did not have any of the problems from previously reported noise from a night club but the hotel seems to have rooms across the road and the problem may be over there. Wifi cost €15 per day and signal was very poor. The bar was in the corner of the small reception and it was not a full bar. The only positive thing about this hotel is its location. Lovely area with plenty of restaurants and close to some tourist attractions and a underground station.

Terible,

Arrived, and the receptionist didn't speak sufficient english to understand what i was asking her. I went to the room only to find the bathroom and room was freezing cold .

I phoned down do ask if the heater in the bathroom was working or not.

5 minutes later "Manuel " turned up and turned the bathroom heater on ( why it was turned off when the room was booked i don't know).

I phoned again down to reception to ask if i could move room as it was late and needed to shower and i didn't want to wait 40 minutes until the bathroom was hot as i needed to get up at 06:00 in the morning . the receptionist said she would ask her manager and get back to me.

after 30 minutes i phoned down to receptionagain to ask if i was moving room or not !!!!!!! she replied to me that i could .

2 minutes later "Manuel" turned up again and asked if the room was now ok..........i explained that i was going to move room but he said that it would be the same in the other rooms as the heaters in the other rooms would also be turned off !!!!!!!!!

Also the bed cover was filthy. and on top of that the next day there was total confusion as to whether the room had already been paid for or not ( my secretary had already paid for the room with the company credit card) one of the members of staff said it was paid and his colleague said it was not!!!!!! nobody knew until 09:00 as the reservation office was the one dealing with this .

what a waste of 190 pounds sterling ( without breakfast )

I wouldn't recommend this to my worst enemy