European Escapade - First Hotel

The first hotel we stayed in London was Best Western, The Cromwell. And if you have been following my posts at MPG, you'd know just how worried I was; anticipating a small tiny room with no proper bath. There are of course huge fancy hotels available in London but those are way too pricey and our budget was £100 a night.

Staying in hotels means forgoing certain luxuries that you otherwise enjoy in your home sweet home. I was definitely not expecting a posh hotel suite with a huge chimney firepit or glass bathroom sink set in marble. We chose this hotel mostly for its excellent location (a mere two minutes walk to the tube station) and all I really wanted was something big enough to accommodate our belongings, a proper bathroom with clean towels & toiletries plus a little space to breathe after a day of sightseeing and shopping.

Hotel pictures on the website showed pretty decent rooms but some accompanying reviews by previous dwellers failed to convince me that what I see is what I get. I was too exhausted to endure another hotel bed and bath search should Cromwell turn out unacceptable so I silently hoped for the best until we arrived.

While B checked us in, I snapped a sweep panoramic shot of the lobby and waiting area. You can see part of the seating area, the elevator leading up to the rooms and a small check-in counter.

Waiting Lounge

Our room was on the second floor and after inspection from all angles; I jumped into the neatly-made bed in relief! The bed's silky soft cool sheets made it hard for me to leave the bed every morning by the way.

Although tiny in size, the room provided all the essentials to help us feel at home and comfortable for the next three nights.

Seating area with wall TV facing the bed

Pretty pink lamp for night-time read

I was most pleased with the bathroom and despite not having a bathtub, the size and facilities were satisfactory. Loved the hot towel rail too, which kept our fluffy towels soft and warm all the time.

Hot towel rail

Some of the reviews mentioned lack of storage space so I was pleasantly surprised to find a closet beside the door; complete with extra blankets, pillows and hangers.

During our stay, our room was cleaned every day. It was nice to return to our warm cozy room and enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee from the coffee-tea making facilities, which were replenished with different types of coffee and tea daily.

We stayed here for three nights and it was indeed a pleasant choice. Staff was courteous, location was perfect and most importantly, there was FREE Wi-Fi and the room was very accommodating to all our needs while on vacation. Undoubtedly, it was not like home but it did come a close second; perhaps even more comfy in some ways!

Next European Escapade - my reunion with baby Issy at Leicester Square!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-

ELAI
MONICA
CAROLINE