Americana Hotel

Me and two of my college roommates from Chicago planned a trip to visit our other roommate in London who is studying abroad there. As three 20 year olds, we were very excited to visit London and have a great time. It was not going to be a long trip, only from Thursday to Sunday but we were excited to be there. Anyways, I booked a hotel room with two beds and a sleeper sofa at the Americana hotel a few months in advance just to make sure everything went smooth. But when we arrived at the hotel, the manager insisted that because I didn't tell them (the hotel) that there were three of us for the room, the room was not available? And what he could do was give us two separate rooms on different floors and then transfer us to a different hotel the next night that was 3 miles away. I kept trying to explain the situation but he kept inferring it was all my fault; i told him we specially booked this hotel because it was only .4 miles from our friend and we would even just accept getting a cheap 1 bedroom room and two of us could sleep on the floor; we wouldn't get what we payed for but we really didn't care anymore. The manager said no because he already booked us into another hotel (keep in mind he never consulted or asked if that was okay, he told us and we had no choice). We didn't want this to ruin our trip so we just said whatever and accepted his "offer". Obviously not pleased and unhappy, they told us they will book and pay for the cab from our new hotel to the airport when we leave; we thought that was a nice gesture and made up for some of the troubles. Fast forward to the day we leave and the taxi is nowhere to be seen and we were stressing out because we were worried we might miss the flight. I called the Americana hotel and asked where the taxi was and they, in short, said "you misunderstood us, we didn't say we'd pay for the taxi", when all three of us where positive he offered that to us. I said some unpleasant things and hung up. In the end, we barely made the flight and had to pay the fee of 60 pounds (roughly 90 US$) for the taxi. Overall, it was a terrible experience and very unfortunate. I'm not sure if they overbooked the room we initially booked or what but I strongly suggest to look elsewhere. Terrible staff and didn't feel cared about; just the cheapest alternative for them.

Apart from some rather large stains on the carpets throughout the hotel, everything was very clean. The room was small but at this price, in this location what more could you expect? It was perfect for what we needed and I would stay again. Having read the reviews, I'm glad that my friend and I opted for a quieter double room at the back, rather than a twin at the front. It isn't the busiest road in London but the buses come thundering past at all hours.

This hotel has a nice exterior and lobby, but the rooms themselves are more like dorm rooms than hotel rooms. The parts of our rooms that could be cleaned were clean (sink, toilet, bed) but the carpet was stained, the walls dirty and in dire need of fresh paint. On the plus side, the location is good--near Regents Park, and our room was in the back facing a school, which was empty for the summer, and thus quiet. The breakfast was very nice--they have a coffee/latte maker so you can make your own beverage of choice, yogurts, fresh fruit, and lots of breads. We stayed 2 nights during the Olympics so the prices were outrageous for the level of lodging. During a normal season, if the rates are cheap, it might be worth enduring dirty carpet. Only recommended if the price is right.

Room was tiny and noisy (streetside and no AC, so had to leave window open), but OK for our needs. Bathroom was modern and clean. Great location, good complimentary breakfast, and helpful staff. Unusual in Europe that there was no electric kettle in the room, but hot drinks were available downstairs.

Everything was fine and the breakfast was just what we needed in the morning. The room and bathroom felt small, but overall it was good.

The hotel room was good size, very clean, and with an excellent view of the Main Road. Location is ideal to Baker Street tube station and along a reliable bus route.

I was concerned about a recent bout with bedbugs. However, I was pleased with the steps the hotel took to eradicate the monsters along with their openess and honesty. My daughter and I stayed there and the room was great with a dryer, plenty of towels, helpful desk staff and shower gel, shampoo and sink gel soap. It was clean and close to tube stations.

My Mom and I were visiting our cousins in London and were looking for a decent afforable hotel in a good location. This is it. The staff were incredibly helpful and attentive. The room was small but clean. The breakfast and all day tea/coffee was a nice touch.

Great hotel, only issue was it seemed like burnt toast from the breakfast room set off our fire alarm one morning.

I stayed a week in June 2010. I reserved a room with two twins, but all the twin rooms face busy Gloucester St, so I asked for a change to a double room in the back part of the hotel. They changed me with no difficulty and I was happy with the quiet room. Strangely it had no clock (or alarm) so I went and bought one, and the TV was pretty small, but in a small room it was certainly adequate. Maid service was efficient. They provide a very solid breakfast bar every day including OJ, various types of coffee, two kinds of cereal, cheese, cold cuts, croissants and/ or bread rolls, fruit, and yogurt. People were helpful. Overall I would recommend it unless you are a large person. Sitting on the toilet the sink is in your lap, and I could barely turn around in the shower stall. It was clean and quiet (off the street!) and the price was right.