Location was fair to reasonable - its a good 10 minute walk to the tube station, but apart from that, its well sited for walks in Hyde Park.. Rooms were well decorated and of a very good quality, and bathroom was fantastic! No views as such, we had a rear-facing room into a courtyard but its only a room to plant your head so not that fussed. The whole complex is a bit cramped, small lift, small reception but not too bothered about that either. Well priced but in March, its not that busy for trade i'd think..

March 2007, a friend and I (two single girls 20-somethings) stayed at the Craven Gardens Hotel in London's Bayswater neighborhood. The hotel has some ok reviews from other travelers, was affordable and in a great area... BUT... please do not be tempted by these things to stay here. The reception area was small as I expected, but clean, so my first impression was ok. We checked in and were able to check in early, so I thought we had made a good choice... but then we went up to the room... It was extremely small and reminded me of a hospital room for some reason. We went to take a nap and noticed that we were missing one half of our window curtains. We went downstairs to ask them what could be done about this and they sent up the "housekeepers" in their stilleto boots who then climbed on one of our beds to replace one half of the curtain with another half that didnt match the first half. Basically, in the basement is a hostel and even the hotel guests are treated just like hostel guests. The customer service was minimal and borderline rude, getting extra towels was like pulling teeth, the shower hardly worked and when it did would be scalding hot or freezing cold, but no where in between.
So, dont say you havent been warned - i know this hotel is a good deal, but you might as well stay at a hostel for less money...

This was our first trip to London. We traveled on a United Airlines Vacation package. I would almost rather have stayed home! The smoke was horrible; I would imagine some people have left even though they prepaid for their room. As for the food, go for coffee and toast only. The room was so hot it was unbearable, even though it was cool outside and we left the window open all night. I will say the bathroom was more forgiving. It was clean and there was lots of hot water. All in all I would not return again. In fairness to the facility, I think they should advertise themselves as a youth hostel, but not as a hotel for the general public.

Before this trip I had stayed at 3 other London budget hotels and didn't like any of them, so I know how hard it is to find a good value in London - But Craven Gardens is one. I stayed there in March 2005, in a single for £39 a night. The hotel's location is fabulous, just a block from Kensington Gardens, two minute walk to a bus stop, 5 minutes to two tube stations and to lots of cheap eats on Queensway. The building and lobby are clean and nicely decorated, there's a lift. The breakfast (included in the price) was great - eggs, toast, bacon, juice, coffee. The room itself was small (but no smaller than any other room I've stayed in in London). There was just a double bed and essentially no other furniture (or room for any). But there was an alcove with space to hang clothes, lay your suitcase,etc. There was tea/coffee maker, TV, huge window, and very clean modern bathroom. I will most definitly stay there again.