Ashley Hotel

Do not stay here. They have pest issues and a dishonest staff.

I opened the door to my room and a huge roach ran across the floor. The check-in guy killed the roach, then motioned me into the room. The room/bathroom were small and not well-maintained but reflected the low price and didn't bother me much. What did bother me was wondering: if they have roach problems, what other kind of pest problems did they have? I didn't stick around to find out because ANOTHER roach flew across the room and under the radiator. At that point, I called another hotel and told them I'd be on my way. I went to the front desk to tell them I was leaving and request a refund and:

1) He offered me a room upstairs saying "We knew there were roaches in that room because it's the ground floor. If you stay upstairs, there will be no roaches." Firstly, you know there are roaches and you haven't done anything about this?? Secondly, that's not how pests work, they travel through the walls of a building and don't just reside on the ground floor.
2) When I declined and said I would prefer staying somewhere else, the staff member got argumentative with me. Not necessary.
3) When I asked for a refund, he told me because I'd booked through Booking.com I could only get a refund through them. I told him I would call them. I booked the non-refundable rate but figured pest issues would mean compensation.

When I returned home, I pursued this through Booking. Turns out the staff member lied to me. Booking said only the hotel can refund me and they refused because they offered be a "bigger, Deluxe room" and I refused. I refused because the size and location of the room were not the problem, the pests were. So not only does this hotel have unresolved pest issues, they would rather keep $250 than resolve a customer issue. Do not stay here, there are so many better low-cost options in London.

Where do I begin with the Ashley Ho-HELL... I mean Hotel. I checked in last Tuesday for what was supposed to be a 12 night stay but made it to about 7 when I finally got my non refundable booking refunded! I love London, its one of my favorite cities been there at least 12 times but never had an experience like this. Checked in on Tuesday around 3 pm... was given one key. My room was on the 3rd floor and I was carrying luggage, but no staff offered to help me up the stairs (there is no elevator). Get into my room and there is extensive water damage.. The walls have brown residue everywhere of some sort of leak (or worse, I don't even want to know. Also the design of the room is so poor there are holes in the bathroom door because the front door to the room knocks into it. I look outside the window and there is some sort of plank built with a bunch of building supplies which totally blocks my view of the street. The staircase is lined with white plastic, mouse traps in the halls (out in the open for everyone to see), hall furniture is totally run down like someone threw it out on the street and they picked it up and threw it in the hotel. So back to that window sill of mine, the next morning construction workers were literally on my window around 745 AM hammering away.. I don't mean outside my window I mean they built a plank on my window so my view was of cement bags at night and during the day random men on the window. My room walls were so thin I was actually responding to people in the next rooms. One night I came back to my room and the cleaning staff left my door open after cleaning so literally anyone could just walk in my room...yayyyyy!! Between the construction, thin walls and lack of security I asked to change rooms. They agreed to move me if there was free room in the morning after I asked. Luckily (so I thought) there was a free room. They let me take a peak into it and though it wasn't the Waldoff it was better then my old room so I agreed. Once I got in the new room... the toilet was actually filled with ... yup #2 and the garbage was full. So then they sent me back to my old room once I already moved my luggage down 3 flights and all my crap just so I could take a shower in a clean room (No they never offered to help carry my luggage or make any of this easier). I come back to the new room that evening after they said it would be cleaned, actually get in early around 8 cause I needed some good sleep. Unfortuately that didn't happen a huge water bug appeared on my desk next to the kettle... since my new room was on the first floor next to the front desk I asked the front desk reception to catch it. Unsuccessfully he went around chasing a water bug in my room and it got away. There was no way I could sleep knowing a big creepy crawly bug could just wander on me so I came to the conclusion I wouldn't survive another night here. A couple minutes later the bug appeared again and I called the reception over again, this time he caught the bug but guess what!!!!!! HE HAD A FRIEND!!! Now there are 2 bugs. At this point I said I'm sorry but I have to leave I need to find another hotel tonight. The man at reception then responds with "good I think u should leave", not offering me a refund or anything. I responded that is incredibly rude. I asked to speak to the owner and they told me that is private information and wouldn't assist me. The only good thing is they suggested I call expedia and get permission for my refund which they did make happen. After I received my refund a staff member I haven't seen before, bald man who looks like a security guard came down and gave me very dirty looks. Little did he know I'm a New Yorker and I've seen worse. I went on the hotels tonight app and booked an incredible hotel for the rest of my trip . Zero stars for this hotel. The staff is rude all except the cleaning people are lovely and there is a woman at reception who is nice enough in a non smiley way though.

One more thing to mention.... One night I couldn't find my key so I went to reception to ask for one and a woman came down at the same time to ask. They gave her a copy with no questions, no hesitations. When I asked I was told they don't have enough to make copies, then made me wait for someone to walk me to my room and open the door for me. Still I couldn't find my key, and the reception was very resistant to making me a copy. Then I had to demand my copy and with an attitude I got one. I will say I am a woman of color and the woman who asked isn't. That would be the only difference between us. I'm quite well travelled, have stayed in many hotels, I'm very polite, have worked in the service industry myself in my early 20s. This hotel is well below standards, not only in appearance, but hospitality, cleanliness, courtesy, just everything. It was the WORST experience I've ever had and I have had a hotel with bed bugs before. This still beats that.

Superb location near Paddington tube station, but...

small room, small bathroom
bright light shining into our street-facing window all night, and it was too hot to close the drapes
no internet available on the computer downstairs
pricey for what we got: 105 pounds per night for a cramped triple room.

It was a mediocre hotel. Definitely a convenient location, which I was very pleased with; but there were a couple of things that the hotel lacked. The window facing the street had a gap in it so there was a draft all night even with the drapes closed. Also, for "breakfast" there was only breads and cereal, no fruit or yogurt or anything with real nutrients to start the day off. So it really depends on what you are looking for in a hotel. Other than that it was a cute place to stay at, and very near Kensington Gardens which was my favorite part about London.