I stayed at Blakes Hotel when I was recently in London. Blakes is a special hotel where the decor is unconventional and the spaces are extremely tight. During the three nights I had the chance to experience a lot.
We arrived at the hotel and discovered that construction works are being undertaken. We were not informed about that when we reserved and were expecting better treatment, especially when we asked for bigger rooms. A welcoming reception staff, a nice lobby and a good first impression apart from one thing... I'm not if it's up to the standard of a Five Star hotel.
And I received my room! The smallest room ever. A queen bed with less than 70 centimeters of space around it. A tiny little space for my bag, a tight corner for the working desk, no electrical plug for your laptop but, to be fair, a very nice, large white marble bathroom.
The next day, I asked to be moved to another room. A bigger space, a large bed, a working desk, a beautiful bathroom... I can't complain about the room. The only disturbing thing was the decor; black, dark, writings on the walls, a Sherlock Holmes spirit, a haunted room vibe... Not the wisest of interior designs.
The room has everything you might need; a safe, a mini bar, robes, slippers and a Bang&Olufsen television with an auxiliary jack. They use normal keys, but I like this authentic approach.
I love the bathroom. This large sink occupying the heart of the room, like the ones you've seen in the movies. It's all black, the mirror, ceramics and the stand where soaps and bathrobes are displayed. Check the photos, it's a special hotel many will like.
Now for the unacceptable bits, and the details that will make you want to run away. The hot water needs at least 15 minutes to reach the shower and when it does expect to play between a current of cold water and another of burning splashes that will make your bathing experience extremely unpleasant.
During the works, we had to sleep with a very strong odor paint and chemicals which came from the heating system. Opening the windows didn't help.
Asking for a late checkout, because all of those issues, 3pm was the latest we could get.
The hotel's main entrance was closed due to renovation so reaching the room took longer than usual with stairs to take.
It's not a bad hotel, but they didn't deal with us properly. Those very small rooms should be reconsidered and the hotel should probably offer free breakfast and drinks during the construction works. Find a solution for the water immediately and make sure to inform clients of any issue before reservation.
