Americana Hotel

Me and two of my college roommates from Chicago planned a trip to visit our other roommate in London who is studying abroad there. As three 20 year olds, we were very excited to visit London and have a great time. It was not going to be a long trip, only from Thursday to Sunday but we were excited to be there. Anyways, I booked a hotel room with two beds and a sleeper sofa at the Americana hotel a few months in advance just to make sure everything went smooth. But when we arrived at the hotel, the manager insisted that because I didn't tell them (the hotel) that there were three of us for the room, the room was not available? And what he could do was give us two separate rooms on different floors and then transfer us to a different hotel the next night that was 3 miles away. I kept trying to explain the situation but he kept inferring it was all my fault; i told him we specially booked this hotel because it was only .4 miles from our friend and we would even just accept getting a cheap 1 bedroom room and two of us could sleep on the floor; we wouldn't get what we payed for but we really didn't care anymore. The manager said no because he already booked us into another hotel (keep in mind he never consulted or asked if that was okay, he told us and we had no choice). We didn't want this to ruin our trip so we just said whatever and accepted his "offer". Obviously not pleased and unhappy, they told us they will book and pay for the cab from our new hotel to the airport when we leave; we thought that was a nice gesture and made up for some of the troubles. Fast forward to the day we leave and the taxi is nowhere to be seen and we were stressing out because we were worried we might miss the flight. I called the Americana hotel and asked where the taxi was and they, in short, said "you misunderstood us, we didn't say we'd pay for the taxi", when all three of us where positive he offered that to us. I said some unpleasant things and hung up. In the end, we barely made the flight and had to pay the fee of 60 pounds (roughly 90 US$) for the taxi. Overall, it was a terrible experience and very unfortunate. I'm not sure if they overbooked the room we initially booked or what but I strongly suggest to look elsewhere. Terrible staff and didn't feel cared about; just the cheapest alternative for them.

This hotel has NOT been "completely refurbished in 2006" and it is NOT "first class". All carpeting has decades of soil ground into it, and walls are not clean either. Linens & towels are clean but skimpy. Tiny room, tiny elevator. Clean, tiny bathroom (but not updated). 4 pound charge to use the internet connection (use the internet cafe down the street for 1 pound instead). Good location for sightseeing because it's just several blocks from Baker Street underground station. Great pub nearby on the same street (Allsop's) - decent selection of restaurants on Marleybone, also not far.

This hotel has a nice exterior and lobby, but the rooms themselves are more like dorm rooms than hotel rooms. The parts of our rooms that could be cleaned were clean (sink, toilet, bed) but the carpet was stained, the walls dirty and in dire need of fresh paint. On the plus side, the location is good--near Regents Park, and our room was in the back facing a school, which was empty for the summer, and thus quiet. The breakfast was very nice--they have a coffee/latte maker so you can make your own beverage of choice, yogurts, fresh fruit, and lots of breads. We stayed 2 nights during the Olympics so the prices were outrageous for the level of lodging. During a normal season, if the rates are cheap, it might be worth enduring dirty carpet. Only recommended if the price is right.

We stayed at the Americana as our first night in London after an allnight flight. It was very cheap for the location. A very nice neighborhood close to fantastic Regent Park. The location and price made up for most of the bad things about this hotel. The front of the hotel and desk area are very nice. But the room was pretty dingy, the walls scuffed, dirt in the corner of everything, dirty carpets. The bathroom was nicer it felt as if it had been remodeled but they didn't touch the bedroom area. The shower was really good. Lots of very hot water and plenty of water pressure. The shower was the cleanest part of the rooms so that was good! There was a very small tv attached to the wall, like in a bar. The traffic noise outside on the street was very hard to get over. They had a very nice little automatic coffee/espresso/hot chocolate maker downstairs in the lobby which kind of made up for the dingy room. But unfortunately in the morning when I really needed the coffee I came downstairs to discover it was broken. The guy at the front desk when we arrived was very helpful, but the guy at the front desk the next morning was not. When I asked if he had any alternative to the broken coffee maker he pointed me to some dried coffee flakes. Then he gave me some very vague directions to coffee shops in the area. I wouldn't stay here again, but if you were looking for cheap place in that neighborhood it might be ok for one night if you don't care about cleanliness that much.

The first thing we noticed was the friendly guy at the reception. He offered us a choice of two rooms, one slightly bigger under the ground level with a window high up under the ceiling facing a small back courtyard with fire escape stairs, the other slightly smaller, but with a proper window facing the street. The size difference was negligible and we opted for the upstairs room. The second thing we noticed was the lift and the rooms themselves. They were all the size that would give a sardine claustrophobia. It is a mystery how they managed to fit a double bed into something that small. I understand that space is at a premium in London, but this was really pushing the limit. One adult or one adult and one child would fit nicely, two adults only if they get along very well. We were two adults and a toddler and it was a squeeze, but we managed. The biggest hurdle was to get to the wardrobe. You really need to climb over each other to get there. And forget about a space for your suitcase. It will be constantly in your way. We finally found a nook in the bathroom where it would just about fit. The bathroom was nice, cosy and clean, if a bit small, but the room, although the sheets were clean, looked like it needed the carpet replaced and the walls redecorated at least a decade ago. The same applies to the carpet and walls in the staircase. Also, it was mid October and at least in our room, the radiator was stuck shut. We could hear the hot water in the pipes, but the radiator was cold and there was no way to turn the valve even a little bit, although it did not look damaged. We did not complain about it, as we only spent the nights there and did not mind it a bit cooler, but be it December, the story might have been different. For the price they charge, one would expect at least some comfort. In three words, forget about it. However, what the room lacked in comfort was more than compensated by the location and the staff friendliness. Seeing that we had a small child, they offered us an out-of-hours access to the kitchen to use their microwave and fridge. They let us use the small space behind reception to keep our buggy in, and on checkout, they offered us to store our luggage for the whole day. The continental breakfast was nice and you could eat as much as you wanted. The cook very friendly, chatting with our little daughter and bringing her special treats. There was a coffee machine and a big bowl of apples in the lobby, to use at any time free of charge. Quite handy when you come back tired in the evening. Overall, we were reasonably happy with the stay and would consider coming back or recommend it, but include a caution about the small rooms.

Hotel is located 2-3 blocks from two London underground stops, British railway and airport bus service to low price airports. Staff was friendly and morning breakfast was a great surprise.

My Mom and I were visiting our cousins in London and were looking for a decent afforable hotel in a good location. This is it. The staff were incredibly helpful and attentive. The room was small but clean. The breakfast and all day tea/coffee was a nice touch.

A glorified backpackers lodge but at a substantially higher price. Very convenient for transit to airports but not recommended for much else.

Room was tiny and noisy (streetside and no AC, so had to leave window open), but OK for our needs. Bathroom was modern and clean. Great location, good complimentary breakfast, and helpful staff. Unusual in Europe that there was no electric kettle in the room, but hot drinks were available downstairs.

Everything was fine and the breakfast was just what we needed in the morning. The room and bathroom felt small, but overall it was good.