This isn't my hotel anymore!
It was my third stay at this hotel -- and definitely the last. in the two previous occasions (in september 2005 and april 2006) it was still called the bonnington, the prices were reasonable (gbp 59 per night for a single room) and the overall value for money was much higher. sadly, this hotel now boasts 4 star quality, a new name and tariffs that are twice as higher than they used to be only two years ago. alas, the 4 star promise is false advertising. it is barely a 3 start hotel. i was given room 642 which can hardly be called a shoebox. i asked the receptionist to change it but he said this could be done only in the morning. i didn't even bother to unpack my stuff. in the morning they changed it to a slightly bigger room in the fifth floor. it was bigger but not worth the price. its old decor, the awful sash windows that you can hardly open to let in some fresh air, the paper-thin walls that enable you to hear every twit from the neighboring rooms (more on this below) and and lack of bottled water which were placed in the room during the bonnington days were noticeably lacking. have no mistake: this is the same old 3 star bonnington, with an amazing tariff of gbp 110 per night for a single standard room and a slightly less courteous service! if i had known all that in advance, i wouldn't have booked this hotel in the first place. my worst experience at this hotel was during the second night. hoping to get a good night sleep after an exhausting day, i went to bed at midnight. an hour later i was waken up by loud noises from the neighboring room: doors banging, loud giggles, screams, and other "sound effects". apparently, one of the guests invited a lady of the night (or perhaps two ladies?) and decided to throw a little party. after an hour of incessant loud noises i called reception and asked them to do something about it. it helped but my night sleep had been ruined already. wasn't this supposed to be a decent hotel? another anecdote: i asked the maid to change the bed sheets every morning. they didn't do that. i noticed that the same stained sheet remained unchanged for three nights! upon checking out, i had another unpleasant and worrisome experience when the porter who stored my luggage started to interrogate me about my destination and opened a long discussion about the conflict in the middle east, his support of the muslim brethren in egypt etc. i was terrified that he might tamper with my suitcase. i decided to take it out from storage immediately and store it a safer nearby hotel. this last scene epitomizes my park inn experience: i should have stayed at a different hotel in the first place. the bedford and the president for example cost gbp 70 per night and offer more or less the same amenities, albeit at a quieter and safer ambiance. lesson learned!
Cerrar