Are London Hotels Really That Bad?

Sept. 27, 2011 - PRLog -- It has to be said that on the whole London hotels have a pretty bad reputation – small rooms, old dingy décor, poor breakfasts, expensive WiFi charges, little or no toiletries, need I go on? But, are they really that bad? Are they all like that?

Granted when it comes to booking accommodation in a capital city you tend to get what you pay for. Spend hundreds of pounds on a room per night and you’ll have undisputed luxury, style and convenience – all in the heart of the location you desire.

What if you have a more modest budget? Is it just pot luck as to where you will stay? Will you get the most amazing boutique hotel that’s central, gorgeous and a great price or will you be destined for that ugly, flea pit that doesn’t really have the authority to call itself a hotel? A bit extreme perhaps but pre-internet days this was the kind of gamble you took when booking a city hotel.

Thankfully along came the internet and with it online reviews. Real people now have the platform to give their opinions, to give honest and real reviews both good and bad, or rather positive and negative. Now you can see for yourself if that bargain room really is a bargain or just money down the drain on something that would be more accurately labelled as a bedsit than a hotel.

Independent review sites such as TripAdvisor have proved so popular amongst consumers that hotel companies and agents have started to issue their own review tools on their sites too. LondonNights.com, Hotels.com and the like ask their own guests to provide feedback about their stay and booking experience then publish the reviews proudly on their site. Customers are subsequently presented with genuine reviews and a more honest portrayal of what to expect.

It is mainly because of such online reviews that hotel owners and chains have had to up their game. There is no hiding anymore. If a guest stays in a hotel and has a bad experience they will more than likely post a review online. If the shower was broken, the room hadn’t been cleaned, the advertised complimentary breakfast consisted of nothing more than a bowl of cereal then every man and his dog of the internet world will hear, well rather read, about it.

Consequently, in my opinion, the standard of London’s hotels has improved somewhat. Hotels strive for good reviews knowing all too well the kind of impact they can have. Very few people these days are foolish enough to buy anything, from a lipstick to a washing machine, without looking up reviews online first. This is especially true when it comes to booking a hotel room. Independent hotels are now offering more of a boutique hotel experience, for a great price whilst internationally renowned chains are striving to live up to their stature and reputation.

This may also be due to the recession. In times of economic downturn, money really matters and getting value for money is paramount for consumers – they simply don’t want to waste money. They want a good product for a great price and won’t think twice about kicking up a fuss if not given what was expected. It seems that hotels are wise to this and are delivering on all fronts – quality, value and service. This is especially so in London meaning its past reputation for having terrible hotels is rather old and outdated.

Interestingly, despite London’s bad reputation for its lower end and mid range hotels there never seems to be enough rooms to meet demand. For events such as the royal wedding, Wimbledon and the London Marathon hotels could sell rooms ten times over at least! Is this because people will stay just about anywhere to attend these events or is it because London hotels really aren’t that bad. I like to think it’s the latter.

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LondonNights.com is the online London accommodation specialist. Offering great London hotels at great rates.