Royal National Hotel

What a terrible stay! There's no air conditioning in the lobby, hallways, or rooms, and in 34℃ July heat, it was sweltering. Checking in involved a long queue. With over 2000 rooms, the hotel was incredibly crowded and chaotic. It was still boiling at night; I must have woken up at least 10 times, forcing myself to sleep in fits and starts. The windows barely opened, so there was no air circulation. Plus, the hotel boasted quite the 'biodiversity' – all sorts of bugs crawling on the lights! The door had no peephole, and the lock was a bit dodgy. The soundproofing at night was abysmal; from late night until dawn, there was constant noise from footsteps, shouting, and street racing. I genuinely felt uneasy the whole time. The breakfast was alright, but, predictably, involved another long queue. Because there were so many guests, some luggage couldn't fit inside and was left baking in the sun outside. The cost of the stay was high and definitely not worth the price. I suspect Ctrip might have even inflated the price a bit, as this has happened before with them. I don't understand why so many people recommend this hotel or what's so great about it. It's not particularly close to the British Museum, and I suspect most of the positive reviews are paid fakes. The bathroom sink was tiny, a miniature version. If you absolutely have to stay here, I wouldn't recommend it in the summer; it gets incredibly hot! Sticking with a major international brand is definitely a better idea!

The hotel's location is excellent, very close to the metro station, about a 3-minute walk; it's also not far from the British Museum, around an 8-10 minute walk. There are plenty of supermarkets and restaurants nearby, which is very convenient. The room size is quite spacious for London standards. The soundproofing could be better, and the hotel rooms don't have air conditioning, which was the only thing that was really difficult to accept – it was very uncomfortable without AC in 30-degree weather. Check-in isn't until after 2 PM, which feels a bit inflexible, but they do offer free luggage storage.

I've stayed at this hotel several times now, usually booking a triple room. I really like its location – it's super convenient, right next to the British Museum and Russell Square. There's a tube station and a supermarket nearby, and the breakfast they offer is fantastic and varied. This time I booked a double room, which felt a bit small, but overall it's still a great hotel and definitely one I'd recommend.

1. I originally planned to book a four-night stay on Trip.com from June 28th to July 2nd. However, it showed that only three nights were available, with no rooms for the fourth night. So, I booked for three nights from June 28th to July 1st. A few days later, Trip.com showed that rooms were available again, so I added an extra night to my original booking as a 'continued stay in the same room'. After checking into the hotel, the front desk insisted I check out before 11:00 AM on July 1st and then check in again after 3:00 PM on July 1st. Despite numerous calls to the hotel front desk and contacting Trip.com, this issue couldn't be resolved. As a result, July 1st wasted a lot of my time and energy packing, storing luggage, and queuing to check in again. What a hassle! 2. My first booking stated I reserved a standard king-size double room with an extra bed. However, the room only had two 0.8-meter single beds, as shown in the picture. How is this acceptable? 3. What's even more infuriating is that the room I received on July 1st at 10:00 PM, room 2318, was incredibly noisy. The entire night was filled with the sounds of people cheering for football, drunken shouting, luggage being dragged back and forth, and vehicle noise. It didn't stop all night. It's currently a hot summer in the UK, and the room had no air conditioning or fan. I couldn't even open a small window due to the noise. Is this even a hotel? I demand a refund for the room fee for July 1st-2nd! I have audio and video recordings as proof!

Today, I stayed in the smallest room type, and compared to the family room, the amenities were just as old. The male receptionist who checked me in today was okay, and the luggage storage service was pretty good. However, the weather was so stuffy and hot that I couldn't sleep.

I've stayed at this hotel four times now, and the location is absolutely fantastic. The breakfast is pretty good too. My only complaint is the lack of air conditioning in the summer – it's a real killer!