Mercure London Paddington Hotel

Due to a train delay, we arrived at the hotel at 10 PM. We had booked an Executive King Room, which, based on the photos, seemed to be their highest-tier room. The location is indeed very convenient, right next to Paddington Station in the square. However, as expected, you can hear the subway from the room, though it becomes quiet once it stops running at night. The front desk assigned me a room on the 5th floor, and I was immediately disappointed. It had a sloped ceiling, making the room feel short and cramped, and the bathroom was tiny, only big enough for one person. I spoke to the front desk, but the Indian staff member insisted it was the same room type and even claimed the photos I saw were posted by the booking platform, not the hotel, showing an extremely unhelpful attitude. Since it was so late, Trip.com couldn't resolve the issue either. I had to wait until the next morning to speak with the morning shift staff. As soon as I mentioned I had another night, they immediately moved me to a room on the 2nd floor facing the main road to the south. It was clear this room had been empty the previous night. The linens in the 2nd-floor room were noticeably better than those on the 5th floor, and it even had two bathrobes. The slippers provided on the 2nd floor were also thicker than those on the 5th. This shows that even within the 'Executive King Room' category, the hotel has different standards. Trip.com was very sincere throughout the complaint process, but ultimately, it was more effective to deal directly with the hotel's front desk myself.

The room was a bit small, but the location next to Paddington Station was super convenient. The front desk staff were friendly and let us store our luggage. Plus, there were free drinks in the fridge! I'd definitely consider staying here again next time!