Wanstead Hotel

Good value for the price in Wanstead area. Kind and friendly staff

It’s very good value for money 😇

I stayed here because it was near the area of a concert I was attending. Otherwise, it is quite far from the centre, although it is a lovely neighbourhood. The hostel is a 15 minute walk from the tube stops of Wanstead and Leytonstone. There are also some buses that stop in a small park that is close. There is a bit of noise at night because there is a hospital nearby and you can hear the ambulances, but nothing that some earplugs can't fix. The hotel is very basic and I actually expected more seeing the photos. There is no lift and the reception desk is open limited times. I just saw the owner when I arrived and as soon as I did, she disappeared. They give you the front door and the room keys. In the room there were a very useful kettle and also a cup and some glasses. There was coffee (not decaf, but brought my own) and a jar with tea. There were also an iron with an ironing board and a hair dryer. It was a single room, so not too big, but OK for one. There were a couple of plugs for the phone and such. Also, a rack for the clothes, but just two old hangers. On the negatives, the glasses and the cup were not too clean. The spoon was actually full of dirt and didn't dare to use it. The bed was really uncomfortable and gave some bad backache. There was no shower gel or shampoo (the soap next to the basin is too far). The shower burnt my skin. No way to regulate the heat at all, I had to shower in a hurry, it was scalding my skin. It was also slippery, so beware with that. In general, needs some more cleaning and the furniture is tired. Looked nicer in the pics, but it's not the worst place I've been to. Although I definitely change that bed.

Liked · The room and bathroom was clean. The owner was initially friendly - I asked about check out time, she said not to worry - whenever I was ready, which was a lovely response. Parking was easy. The bathroom was well presented. Disliked · The shower was scalding - when I told the owner she said 'many people' had complained, but the fault was with me (and the previous people) because we didn't use the dial. I did use the dial and it was scalding. Given that many people have complained, clearly the issue is the shower and not 'many people'. She later said this was 2 people. The owner was hostile at my complaint, which really is not unreasonable. The room is shabby (see pictures). The curtains don't fit, aren't hung properly (see pictures). The furniture is sparse and shabby (see pictures). Windows frame appears to have melted. Holes in the curtains (see pictures). The bed is squeaky as soon as it is touched. The owner, when I complained about the shower, said she isn't a 5 star hotel, she is a 0 star hotel. This really isn't good enough. The basics I expect is a bed which doesn't squeak and a shower which is usable.

This is a no frills hotel which is excellent value for money. It is in a great location and the room was clean and spacious.. The Wifi worked well. This is not fancy and there is no lounge area or bar but it absolutely does the job. I was very comfortable and it was quiet band warm and within a ten minute walk from good supermarket, restaurants and the tube. I enjoyed my runs around the neighbourhood. I will go there again.