Hampstead Britannia Hotel

Nothing fancy about this hotel, but it is well priced for London and in a great quiet neighborhood.

Two bus routes connect quickly to the tube, with the closest station being Chalk Farm, though Swiss Cottage Station is also nearby. The hotel attracts a lot of bus tour groups, and the bar was sometimes a lively mix of customers in the evenings. Breakfast buffet is an option, and my room had tea-making facilities. Good bed, tiny shower and toilet room. Not especially quiet rooms, though comfortable. Would stay again.

The purpose for my trip was for a first time holiday to London and to see some particular musical events. I picked this hotel because of it's location and affordability. The neighborhood in North London was ideal for my needs. On Primrose Hill, a quiet yet vibrant community close to the tube station and just up from the famous Camden Market. Wonderful cafe's & restaurants near by with good food, great pubs, and music venues. The hotel itself is antiquated and is in desperate need of renovation. The room I was given had no heat and was very damp. I had this room a couple days until I became sick. After asking the front desk three times to fix the heater, I finally demanded something be done and they got me another room, this time with working heat and was overall much more comfortable. Although the hotel is old, somewhat dingy, and little things (like heat) break down, if you ask nicely the staff can be very nice and accommodating. The hotel lounge is the highlight. With exception to their food menu which must date back to the 70's, there seems to be a lot of people who stay there. I probably had more fun meeting all the different types of people and drinking pints or tea after hours than in any pub in town. After talking with most of these people, we all agreed, the draw of this hotel is the price and the location. However talk to some of the merchants in the neighborhood and not one has a nice word to say about this hotel. They've heard so many complaints that none of them would ever recommend this hotel. However, I think it's worth a shot, just make sure you work with the staff to get what you need or want. Over all, not a horrible experience and I was comfortable.

First of all the room was freezing, there was damp on the windows. This was with the radiator on high. The wallpaper was peeling. The bathroom tile was chipped. The hotel was a hotel where workers were coming to work in London which tells you the type of person it caters to. It's nearly impossible to find. My taxi driver couldn't find it and made several turns. It took forever to get a pint in the bar, they had to open the restaurant if you wanted to eat. [...] I was talked out of another Hotel. Sad Sad Sad

Our first room the electricity shorted and had to be fixed but not until the next day. The replacement room had red string supporting the shower head, hundreds of cigarette butts on the balcony and the windows open allowing the smell into the room, the bath mat was tattered with loose threads and tears, the bottom sheet was torn, the desk against the heater and the refrigerator backing on to the heater, electrical cords resting on the heater, the shelf in the bathroom directly on the tap which made it interesting as the tap had to be lifted to work. The staff responded to the complaints and had the room cleaned the next day but there was no offer of another room when we complained. We were relocated the next day and the room we finished the stay in was good although we found a quarter of a bottle of Captain Morgan rum under the sink in the bathroom. As mentioned, the staff did respond to our complaints but I feel that a room should not be in that condition in the first place

While the location was ideal for my needs, there was renovation on my floor, so early in the morning and late in the afternoon, there was drilling and hammering that was not conducive to a restful stay. I would have preferred that they put "security chains" on the doors for an increased sense of safety.