Royal National Hotel 38-51 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0DG

"We stayed in the main hotel which is the dated part (not City Sleeper). The compound is massive with hundreds of rooms spread across multiple buildings. When using the self check in, a staff member interrupted me and demanded I enter the second guest name to the system (which it wouldn't accept anyway). He directed me to my room in a different building from reception, but as I looked for my room, security interfered to tell me the room wasn't in the direction I was going (it was) and we weren't in the right place (we were). The lift took me up the one floor to the room. It was busy and I'd rather have taken the stairs to avoid waiting but couldn't find a staircase. We got stuck waiting for packed lifts several times during the stay and when we did find a staircase it only led down to the basement (?). The vibe getting out the lift was very Bates motel. Yellow lighting, corridors of cheap doors that are chipped and dented. Bad vibes all round. The room was mostly bad too. There's no heating or cooling system other than a radiator and a window which cracks open. The bed was extremely uncomfortable, old and rickety. I could feel the springs through the mattress. It was very 70s feeling. The bathroom was okay but had one of those shower curtain shower over baths which aren't really pleasant to have stuck to you. Water pressure was great though. Finally, we paid for breakfast when we booked which I regret. The breakfast area is like a massive 1970s cafe with lots of tables cramped together. Apple and orange juice were served from machines which both had run out, so I got a lovely mouthful of watery apple liquid in my cup. It was very busy and felt crowded as walkways between tables were narrow. The fruit I had from the buffet tasted old like it had been stored in the fridge for a few days. I didn't even bother with the hot options in the end because I was so grossed out by the juice water and fruit, but my partner's hot breakfast looked alright. Overall, while it was bearable for a night, I wish I'd just have paid the extra £25 for a more modern hotel."

"I needed a room at short notice and this hotel was the only one at a decent price (c£200) with good reviews. I was a bit apprehensive as when I arrived it was clear this was mainly a tour bus / tourist hotel rather than a business hotel. Its huge. The signage from the lift wasn’t clear so I ended up walking the entire 1st floor. There were three distinct corridor areas. City sleeper - corridor looked newly decorated. Middle - looked a bit tatty. Worse - very old and tatty. My room was in the ‘middle’ but I was very pleasantly surprised by the room. Newly decorated. Simple but everything you need. I slept very well. Bath and shower in room along with large bottles of hand wash, shampoo and body wash. Breakfast - there were signs up everywhere saying busiest 8-9am. I went at 7:45 and it was busy but manageable. Good range of cooked and continental breakfast. All in all for central London great value and had everything I needed for a comfortable night’s stay."

"I was in the hotel in room 1245 from 10/31/2022. until November 4, 2022. The room is all in all good with a few flaws. The mattress and pillow are bad, they should have the option of soft and hard, so the guest can choose accordingly. That's about the pillow, and they could have a better one for the mattress. The bathroom is small, but functional. In my opinion, it is unacceptable that there is no toilet brush and sponge in the bathroom. The room should have a mini bar or at least an empty fridge. There should be at least one, if not two, sockets next to the bed. It's great that the hotel has a mini shop and appliances with useful things, all praise. The breakfast is really good, with only one choice of juices, which is a shame. The location hotel is in a great position, that is their great attribute. All in all, they have a few things to improve, so that the hotel would really be excellent in its category of 3-star hotels."

"The Pros: Good location; very central. Inexpensive by London standards. Efficiently-run. Good breakfast. Good water-pressure in the shower. The Cons: Pretty basic rooms; small beds. Can be noisy (thin walls/doors). Huge! (Your room can seem miles away, down long corridors!)"