Town Hall Hotel

We booked this hotel due to its proximity to the V&A Museum of Childhood as we were visiting th AArdman exhibition (excellent btw!) We dropped our bags off, knowing that check-in wasn't until later and completed the check-in process and left to visit the exhibition and the West End. On returning, we collected our bag and made our way to the room. The conversion from a beautiful 30's building into a hotel is excellent and the retention of original features, floorings and some fixtures is really impressive. Our room had all we could have hoped for including a small kitchen with UHT milk in the fridge. As they provided a fridge, why no fresh milk? Tea bags and milk were minimal, providing no more than one cup each, but extra were available on request (bit mean). No biscuits or mini bar but not a problem. Decor was modern and comfortable – all good. The main niggle for us was the lack of customer care. Service was perfunctory and lacking in warmth, compared to many other similar properties. Far from going the extra yard, they barely went the extra foot. With this in mind, we were surprised that on check-out we were asked whether we would like to donate a voluntary £12 for the staff! Is this normal nowadays in the UK? The room was immaculate and I always endeavour to leave a cash tip for the room attendants, but in all honesty W the actual F? Maybe they should pay the staff properly in the first place. Great hotel; fantastic conversion of a beautiful building, but not somewhere we would return.

Hotel is beautifully restored and the room was excellent. Staff was always above and beyond helpful. The location was great with the underground station and bus stops just around the corner. Loved our stay here and would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who asks.

Absolutely the best hotel in East London! My new home away from home. The size of the rooms are amazing! Large and so comfortable. Love having a washer in my room for longer stays. I will be back!

What a shame that this beautiful hotel with a lot of stunning history is run by staff seemingly un-bothered and if you read reviews from other guests who gave fewer stars, you will read the same comments which is that the maids are very helpful - not so much the rest of staff however. I had called the hotel upfront to ask if I could check in earlier by 15 to 30mins which the lady advised she can't promise as the official check in was 3pm - I said ok sure that's understandable especially as I booked the room short notice so I arrived at 3pm as discussed with her to find that the room wasn't ready. Now, if a guest calls upfront to request an earlier check in (in this case fair enough that it wasn't possible) you to the contrary shouldn't leave that same guest wait for 20mins knowing they are in a hurry. I had arranged this as a surprise for my girl friend whom I was about to meet that I said, ok let me leave my bag in the room then and that I didn't mind if the room wasn't ready as I would just drop my bag so my girl friend wouldn't question why I was carrying all this stuff when meeting her and that I would return at 4pm giving the maids even MORE time. To which the lady at reception just said "well as I told you, it's not ready" with an expression on her face as if she was questioning whether I was deaf or something to which I then asked her in return whether she remembered our phone call and that she had stated 'check in being' 3pm? And here comes the bit why I'm writing this review: Instead of being apologetic about the whole situation she just brushed it aside and said: "Well, that check in time (stated on their website btw) was something we can't always guarantee" L O L - it kind of explained the reviews by other guest. I didn't get my girl friend there before 4pm anyway that I was like: Room not ready, ok no problem but not being allowed to drop my bag in a room I paid for and then being given such a lame excuse that the check in time stated wasn't guaranteed ANYWAY, really? If you can't stick to the check in time then you shouldn't advise the guest who calls up expressing a tight schedule to arrive at 3pm, nor should you put it on your website. The management doesn't care anyway as they get the same review over and over again that I don't expect my review to change anything, I'm just writing this as it's just a shame that the hotel's beautiful interior is run by staff giving their guests ATTITUDE for their own mistakes they wouldn't admit to.

Lovely overnight stay. Room very comfortable and I felt safe. I took the opportunity to try the tasting menu at the Elis Restaurant and it was excellent.