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Hotel Apex London Wall (London)
by costas1
Introduction
This hotel is located in Moorgate, Liverpool Street or in layman terms it is in the city of London. The hotel is highly attractive on the outside. The transport system of London allowed me to get to Moorgate station in one hour on the Metropolitan line network. The streets here are really interesting because of ... the bars and coffee lounges. At Liverpool Street one difficulty I had was finding the correct exit to find the hotel.
About the Hotel
This hotel has 89 luxurious rooms as well as a restaurant and a bar area. The hotel also has free internet services as well as free local telephone calls. The hotel is located within close proximity to two main railway stations as well as three tube stations. The stations nearby include London City Airport, the o2 and Excel on the Docklands light railway, Kings Cross St Pancras, the Eurostar, and Waterloo and London Bridge main tube stations. The walking time from these stations is around three minutes. It is close to London's Barbican Centre, St Paul's Cathedral, and the London Wall.
Ambience and Decor
I would say that the decor is very modern, sleek entrance. The reception area was very crisp and had very clean lines. The entrance was very clean, glossy and looked very modern. People at the reception were very friendly, helpful and professional. The receptionist was very quick in finding our details on the computer system, and in giving directions into how to get to our room. The lifts to the different floors were close to the reception desk area, opposite the bar and dining area. There were clear divisions, for each area. I noticed the interior decor is minimalist, with an ultra modern twist. The colours of the stripy carpet were picked up in other areas of the hotel, such as soft furnishings and curtains. The room was very spacious, and welcoming. There was a large king size bed, a writing desk, flat screen television, and a sofa that was conveniently positioned at the bottom of the bed for watching television or having light refreshments. The provision of tea making facilities, along with the small fridge was an additional convenience. The bed was very comfortable, with plenty of pillows and scatter cushions. I found the lighting to be very flexible, because there were various options available. The colour scheme of the room was well co ordinated and pleasing to the eye. The bathroom/shower area was also well appointed, and provided a deep bath as well as a large walk in shower.
Initial check in Process
At the reception area, the check in process was quick and efficient, the reception staff gave us good eye contact and smiled, we were politely asked for our names, in order to process the check in. We asked for a room that was in a quiet area of the hotel and we were informed that all the rooms were quiet, particularly during the weekends and that the local offices were closed. We were issued with a card for a room on the fourth floor, and then given clear directions, as to how to get there using the lift which was located near to the reception desk. We were asked how we would like to pay for the booking and our bank card details were taken. We were also asked if we would like to take breakfast, and if so if we would like to pre-book and if we would like to pay for it. However as we were uncertain as to whether we would want breakfast in the morning, the receptionist explained that we could still have breakfast, without pre booking and simply pay for it at the time or have it added to the bill. We were asked if there was anything else we could be helped with. We made our way to the lift, which was clean and provided a very smooth ride to our floor. The corridor provided clear instructions to locate our room. The corridor was softly lit, but spotlights illuminated the numbers on the doors. The door to our room opened easily with the use of the card. The reception area was very tidy, almost minimalist by having just computers on view.
The Bedroom
We found the bedroom to be very spacious, with a large comfortable bed, lots of pillows and scatter cushions which co ordinated well with the bed linen and the curtains. The whole feel of the room was very relaxing and comfortable. The facilities made our stay enjoyable. There was for example tea and coffee making facilities along with the provision of tea and coffee. There was also a small fridge which could have been used to store small items of food and drink. The layout of the room was such that it enabled easy access to different areas. There was a desk area with a chair and a sofa at the bottom of the bed for the viewing of a large flat screen television. The whole room was well lit, but had a number of flexible lighting options. There was plenty of wardrobe space and the provision of ironing facilities as well as a hairdryer. The bathroom area was modern with a large deep bath, and a walk in shower/wet room. The hotel provided a selection of toiletries and towels and bath robes and slippers. The bathroom was like the rest of the room, spotlessly clean and hygienic. There were enough personal essential luxury toiletries which also surprised us a little, though we did pay for a good night stay at a four star hotel. The extractor fans were quiet in the bathroom area, and the desk area was tidy. The desk area had some writing paper and pens. We were very pleased with the decorations and the quality of the bed. The sofa area was very comfortable and cosy. The bedroom overall was very luxurious, with new carpets. The ceilings were quite high, which made the room appear more spacious. The windows were very wide and were drapped with fine net curtains. The heavier curtains were easy to draw back. It is a pity that the view from the window was not more interesting. All we could see outside the window was more buildings, some which were being renovated.
Service
The service included a breakfast menu, as well as a lunch dinner menu as an optional extra. People can have room service, as well as laundry service. We also got provided bath robes and slippers that we could use during our stay. There was ample wardrobe space, as well as a safe in the room to keep our valuables secure. This is an ideal place for business people on trips and for tourists to use as a base to see London's attractions.
The breakfast included a full English breakfast or there were items such as porridge with blue berries which cost £6. We did not have porridge as we had the full English breakfast. The full English breakfast with two pots of tea cost £15 each, which included the service charge. I found this to be a bit steep, though the food was well cooked and really well presented.
Facilities
The facilities included laundry and shoe polishing, 24 hour room service, 40 inch large television screens, alarm calls in the morning, disabled access to rooms. There was also a restaurant and bar area which we had breakfast which was modern and this was a really nice place to have drinks and eat. They provided a newspaper in the morning to read at breakfast time. The place also benefited by having free local telephone calls as well as wi-fi facilities which I used to surf the internet for a short time. In addition the hotel also had free internet services which is also good service to have. Previous stays to the Holiday Inn, has resulted in me being charged £4 an hour for the use of the internet. Here at the Apex hotel it was free of charge. The hotel also had a meeting room and dining room for ten people, which could have been used. Here is a complete list of the facilities provided:
~24 hour room service
~40" LED TV's
~Bose SoundDock MP3 docks in all rooms
~Free local calls and Wi-Fi for hotel guests
~Gym (opening soon)
~Alarm calls
~Restaurant & Bar
~Cots and high chairs
~Hairdryer in room
~Disabled access to rooms and public areas
~Guide dog access
~Mail and message delivery
~Same day laundry
~Concierge Services
~Meeting/Dining Room for up to 10 people. - Further conference and event
~facilities are available at the Apex City of London Hotel close by.
Comparison to Other Hotel's I have stayed in
I paid roughly a similar amount of money when I went a few years ago to have a night stay at the Holiday Inn express in Earls Court and I have to admit that the Hotel Apex benefits from having much better decor and the facilities were much similar, except that the Apex hotel is much better colour co ordinated. In addition the television screen was also flat screen compared to staying a night at the Holiday Inn. This is by far and away the best hotel I have stayed in as the hotel staff are really friendly and professional and they smile, whereas previous stays at the Travelodge as well as the Holiday Inn Express the reception staff have not scored so highly.
Price Paid
The price I paid for a one night stay was £107. We feel that because there were two of us staying in a nice and relaxing double bedroom that this is somewhat good value for money. We found ourselves relaxed throughout the visit as well as we enjoyed the place as well as the sites around the hotel. We were slightly surprised with the £15 breakfast charge for each person. This was a slightly high in my opinion though the breakfast was sufficient in terms of quantity, it was well presented and well cooked. I did not come away feeling absolutely full, though it was sufficient. The breakfast itself was quite good value for money, though we felt that there could have been slightly larger portions.
Recommendation
We would recommend this hotel, for anyone wants a centrally located hotel for either business purposes or for tourists to use as a base. Obviously this luxury type of hotel comes at a price, though it is well worth it. For those who can not afford or do not wish to pay £107 a night on a regular basis it is well worth considering for a special occasion. I did pay £135-150 to stay at the Hoxton hotel, so the Apex Hotel is better priced.
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Travelodge Stratford Upon Avon
by joey92
--The hotel--
Travelodge are a budget hotel chain, with a no frills, basic nights stay service.
They are to be found in popular destinations all over the UK and this was my second stay in a Travelodge.
--Location--
The Stratford Travelodge is reasonably easy to find, just out of town and it is ... opposite a retail park with a Tescos, a Boots and a New Look amongst other things. Right outside the Travelodge is a Dominos pizza which is where we got dinner!
We arrived from the train station and it was just about 15 minutes walk from there so not too bad.
--Personal experience--
Stratford is an expensive area for most things, so when we booked some tickets to see The Taming of the Shrew at the RSC theatre on Valentines Day this year we should have booked a hotel in advance!! However, we managed to leave this til last minute...
The only rooms left in the area at a reasonable price for one of the most expensive nights of the year were in the Travelodge. A double room came to the price of £74 in total, a price that you should just not be paying for a travelodge! That aside, we had no problems with the hotel itself.
After a tiring day, it was a relief to head back to the room mid afternoon to dump our bags. Check in is at 3pm. The people on the desk weren't overly friendly when I requested to be able to leave my bag behind the desk a little bit earlier. Eventually I got them to accept it on the basis that there was nothing of value in it whatsoever.
Apparently you are not allowed food in the rooms from different premises, but no one was on the desk when I sneaked my Dominos takeaway upstairs so that proved a great Valentines dinner!
The room was basic and the bathroom came with towels which was nice, but it had one of those horrible shower curtains that sticks to you!! They also had a hairdryer in the bathroom which was great. I took my own toiletries but I think there was a free little soap and shower gel too.
The bed was reasonably comfortable and there was a complimentary tea set, but one cup had mould inside it which was a bit unpleasant. My boyfriend actually started drinking from it too (oops!) but he was completely fine luckily!
--What to do in Stratford--
Stratford is the home of Shakespeare so there are always fantastic productions on, but the area is also beautiful, being on the River Avon so the park is lovely for walks and there is plentiful shopping options.
The drawback is that Stratford is an expensive area!
--Value for money--
Obviously because we had booked so late, it wasn't such great value for us but we were glad to have a bed for the night and not have to catch three different trains home!
--Verdict--
A pleasant, supposed-to-be-budget hotel which is good value for money at the standard price of £19 a night in the beautiful town of Stratford.
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Hotel Premier Inn (London-County Hall)
by denise1609
This hotel is brilliant, me and my husband stayed here last year for our anniversary for 2 nights. Although slightly expensive compared to some Premier Inns in other parts of the UK it is about average for this type of location in London. It is located right next to the londn eye in County Hall. The hotel itself is easy to get to as it ... is about a 10/15 minute walk from London Victoria. We opted for the breakfast and evening meal included int he price, and i have to say i can not fault the breakfast. There was so much choice from bacon, sausages, eggs, mushrooms, tomatos to cereal, fruit, bakery products. all self service so you can help your self as much as you like. The evening meal was ok but i wouldnt say it was brilliant i think as we went in July it was probably a very busy time for them and we did have to wait about 1 hour after we ordered before we got our main. once it came though it was cooked well and tasted good. The rooms are a good average size but thats all you need when your staying in London as you hardly spend any time in your room. The bed is comfortable, pillows maybe slightly too hard and lumpy for me. The bathroom is also a good size with a nice powerful shower. staff were all very friendly and helpful when we arrived and very welcoming . i would recommend this hotel if you are looking for something nice, well located, it is a good quality hotel in the center of London.
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