Stylotel London

"Stylin" at the Stylotel

I had a great weeklong visit recently at the Stylotel in London. The hotel is just as trendy as described on the website at stylotel, and the pictures on the website perfectly portray what you will get at the hotel. We were two women traveling alone in London, and I always felt safe at the hotel. The rooms were very clean, and the staff was always helpful, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. They get customers from all over the world, so there was never a shortage of interesting people to meet and compare stories with. The decor throughout the hotel was modern, and consisted of stainless steel, track lighting, and wood, and was very recently renovated. It looks futuristic, and is a nice contrast to the ancient city sites you will take in throughout London.

The location of the Stylotel was excellent, and the price was extremely reasonable. We paid around $140 a night, which is a phenomenal price for London. The hotel is only about two blocks from Paddington Station, which is a major tube station providing you with access to most destinations in London. The hotel is located on a street that consists of dozens of hotels in connected buildings, but from what I could see, this one was more popular with the younger business and leisure crowd. We started every morning with the "Stylobreakfast", which consisted of a full English breakfast of eggs, beans, sausage, and toast, as well as juice and coffee, and was included with our room. There was always water, coffee, and hot chocolate in the lobby, and we usually ended the day exchanging stories in the lobby with the friendly and well traveled staff. Any time we had a question about the location of a restaurant or tourist attraction, the staff would print out maps and information for us, including which tube to take, and when to go. As two single women traveling alone in Europe, we were very appreciative of the staff's advice on getting around London safely. There were good places to get Greek, Indian, and English food nearby, but not much nightlife in the area, which was fine because it meant the rooms were quiet at night.

As an American, accustomed to hotels like the Holiday Inn or Marriott in the U.S., I have to say that I was a little shocked at first to discover the small size of the elavators, stairwells (which reminded me of winding stairwells in an ancient castle), and the small rooms. In the event that I was traveling with my family, or with children, I probably would have gone for a more spacious hotel that would be more similar to what I am accustomed to in the U.S. However, for a solo traveler, or while traveling with friends, I think this hotel is the perfect combination of location, price, and "style" to give you a taste of London. What the hotel accommodations lacked in size, they made up for in character with a charismatic staff, and cutting edge modern decor.

Upon checking out, we were advised by the staff to let them know when we visit again that we are repeat customers, and they will have a gift for us, as well as a discount on the stay. I will definately be back!

Small but Fabulous

Good:

Centrally Located (can take the Heathrow Express straight to Paddington, 2 blocks down is Stylotel); many descriptions of hotels say that they are "centrally located" but not. However, it is true of the Stylotel, just a quick walk to the tube and you can go anywhere in London. My friends were staying in a "centrally located" bed and breakfast 4 zones away from the city.

Clean

Friendly Staff (Andreas at the front desk was so helpful and amiable, he made our trip fabulous)

Good breakfast

Furnishings (sleek modern style, the padded walls were cool)

Not so Good:

a bit small, as you can see from the pictures (not a big problem since all I use it for is to sleep and shower in)

yes, the front door is a couple steps from the bed, but it's not unbearable.

The location is really convenient

but the rest . . . We had a double-room, a very small one - and the bathroom was really only microscopic ! The most I was bothered by the bestial stinch from the bathroom, I couldn't really sleep (felt like sleeping in the drainage ditch . . .)

We definitely won't go back there . . .

Hmmmm okay but not as flash as I'd hoped

Right - it looks dead flashy and the website is nice and hi-tech but the rooms are a disapointment.

The rooms are a bit tired and there's a bit of wear and tear. The toilet bathroom (no bath) is rubbish and although I'm very picky it wasn't spotlessly clean. It was a bit like the toilets on trains - all plastic and easy to clean - sort of a plastic bubble in the corner of the room - which sounds modern but in reality is just a bit cheapo looking. Also some fittings were broken and loose.

I wasn't awful but the website made me think it would be super efficient and clean - and it was a little bit tatty.

The staff are lovely but you'd never sit in the lounge cos its really just part of reception and it isn't liscensed. The blue on the walls doesn't match with the furniture and the design is a bit amateurish.

There isnt any noise at night and I was at the front. The rooms are small but so what, I didn't have my piano with me.

I didnt feel it was dirty or grubby but I had quite high hopes and they were a bit dashed. It was cheap and I would stay there again if there was nothing else similar. Having said that I did move to the Caesar on my third day rather than staying on. If you can get in the Caesar or Ramada Hyde Park for the same price I would do so.

Also - if taking a lap top, take a mouse mat - the light up tables stop the optical mouse working! No internet access in room either.

Small but perfectly formed

Okay, yes the rooms are small, but, they are spotlessly clean and the storage space is fine. We spent 3 nights there, the first night we saw the owner in the local pub and he bought us a few drinks, and we ended up back to his place with a few others - so very friendly! Breakfast is excellent, would definately stay again.

Too small for a couple

Yes the rooms are small, which would not be a problem if you're staying as an individual. But everything is tightly spaced. We had 2 suitcases and 2 duffel bags and we had to come up with complicated methods of having suitcases open (on the floor) but no doors could be opened at the same time. The elevator was tiny, with luggage we had to go up one at a time. Also, the shower is a tight cylinder... don't expect to be able to bend down and lather your legs. Overall the bathroom reminded me of an airline bathroom with a shower.

We could the conversations in the room adjacent to our bed as well as the room above us.

Yes the rate includes breakfast but it's still overpriced. I found a much better hotel, Holiday Inn, on the south side of Hyde Park -- for half the nightly cost!

EXCELLENT !

I recently stayed at the ex Ruddimans hotel. It has now been refurbished and has changed its name to " Stylotel ". All the hotels' rooms have been refurbished and the reception looks great in all the glass, stainless steel and black & white pictures of London. I've been staying in B&Bs for a few years in London and usually in the Paddington/Bayswater area and this is definetely one of the best hotels I've been in. As said before, rooms are small but they have everything you would need, they are new and clean (at these prices you don't often get these qualities in London...) During our stay they had their Christmas Party and invited us as well and offered sushi and unlimited drink for free! The staff are unbelievable, friendly and accommodating and Andreas on the reception knows just about everything! He explained to us how to get around, booked us taxis, gave maps and even helped us booking a trip to Paris! MAny thanks to all for a great stay!

Good hotel

Convenient location, around the corner from Paddington tube with friendly staff on reception. Rooms were small as stated by previous review, but who spends time in their room when in London apart from to sleep - all hotels have small rooms in London, especially at this sort of price, which definitely isn't expensive for London! Rooms clean and perfectly adequate although our shower wasn't particularly powerful (actually it was almost a drip!), but that was probably due to the fact we were on the top floor and therefore the lack of pressure! Breakfast was great, as much as you want, although the poor staff were rushed off their feet and sometimes had to lay your own table. We'd stay here again.

Not bad but rooms rooms too small, could not swing a cat, too pricey for the siz

while hotel has been refurbished we could not swing a cat in the rooms (if we really wanted to swing a cat!) It seems as though they have tried to cram as many rooms as possible into the building.

The decor (black and chrome) with muted lighting really was too much (very sort of futuristic). Very clean though. Lifts did not go right up to the floors where rooms were so some stairs have to be tackled with luggage. Breakfast room was down in the basement so again quite confusing, as lift did not go down as far, and stairs quite steep. Rubbish skip outside front of hotel did not make good first impression. Staff not aware of the size of London as they stated centre of London was 10 minute walk away (we walked for hours after Hyde Park), and Hampton Court was 1 hour by boat (it was actually 3 and a half hours!) Staff friendly though, breakfast great, plenty of it. We would certainly stay there again even though it is quite pricey, but then thats London, the dearest city in the world for hotel prices!

Good for the price.

The Stylotel is located in Sussex Gardens, a convenient if none-too-posh location near Paddington tube station. For around 60 pounds for a double room, it's new and clean. Do not expect your dusty chintz or threadbare carpets. The 'stylorooms' look like they've recently been refurbished to be given a hip (but still budget) industrial look. Our double room was street-facing so it was not quiet. The room was not big but space has been efficiently used. The bathroom was clean and basic toiletries were provided.