The Academy

Very disappointing - an average...

Liked: The location is good and the garden / patio is very nice. The breakfast is solid and good, but also not a 5-star experience. Warm breakfast costs extra, even though I had breakfast included.
Disliked: It’s probably an average 3-star place, far away from a 5-star hotel or any comparable SLH properties which it claims to be. My room was half way into the basement, facing a set of walls. It smelled damp and anything but fresh. What I found very annoying is that I had booked a king-size bedroom. However this turned out to be not even queen size, being sold as a king! The garden sitting is very nice, but an employee decided to clean it at 10am this morning and did not allow any guests to use it!?Some additional points which I usually would not care about, was it not for the 5-star hotel claim: the TV channels worked some times and then not, both reading lamps above the bed did not work, the shower head has not been cleaned in a long time and sprays everywhere, while the shower door did not close properly, flooding have the bathroom. And - not surprisingly upon check-out nobody asked about the stay. All in all a pretty average experience - there are a lot of truly chique hotels in London - this is not one of them.

Superb

The location was perfect, but...

Liked: I liked the location
Disliked: I honestly don’t know where to begin. I had high expectations for this hotel, especially given the price, but I left feeling disappointed and like it just wasn’t worth the money.The breakfast was the first letdown. It was nothing more than toast and cold hard-boiled eggs — not exactly what you’d expect from an expensive hotel. And despite the photos showing a lovely courtyard and charming spaces, breakfast is served in a basement with no atmosphere at all. It felt like a missed opportunity to offer something special.One morning, we wanted to open the window to let in some fresh air, only to find a hornets’ nest right outside. That made it impossible to enjoy the room properly, and we felt a bit stuck.The shower was another frustration. It was impossible to get a consistent temperature — it was either way too hot or freezing cold, making it really uncomfortable to use.That said, the staff were very sweet and welcoming, which we really appreciated. Unfortunately, even their kindness couldn’t make up for the overall experience, which just didn’t match the price or the expectations set by the hotel’s presentation.

Superb

Very good

Exceptional

Exceptional

Excellent except for the bed...

Liked: Excellent location, great breakfast and friendly, responsive service. AC was great, room clean and quiet and pleasant. Looked out on back of house, from top floor.
Disliked: The bed was ridiculously soft, the bathroom was ridiculously small. I had to wrench my back to get out of the shower. Not all the rooms have such small bathrooms, worth your while to ask.

Lovely small hotel tucked away...

Liked: Very friendly, helpful staff. Hotel was located in a great central location - tucked away in Fitzrovia. All rooms and facilities were very clean. Delicious pastries at breakfast as part of an excellent Continental breakfast.
Disliked: The hotel is situated in a beautiful period building; however the paint and decor was looking a little tired.