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Royal National Hotel: Traveler Reviews

3.0 of 5
38-51 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0DG, England (Bloomsbury / Holborn)
Hotel amenities
Royal National Hotel
Ranked #709 of 1,081 hotels in London
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2,855 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    131
    593
    1,052
    502
    577
See reviews for
Families
664
 
Couples
710
 
Solo
150
 
Business
200
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    4 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    3 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    2.5 of 5 stars
  • Service
    2.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    3 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    3 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Sydney, Australia
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
“Good and not so expensive”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed February 5, 2013

Location of this hotel is very good, underground station 3 min walking, and 1min walking from bus station - which is very big advantage. It is very easy to reach the Center. It is very simple hotel, no high society place, but excellent for the groups or people who spend all day out discovering London. Rooms simple, not so small, it was corectly cleaned.

Stayed December 2012, traveled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Lancashire
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Never again...”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed February 2, 2013

This hotel was only a stop gap for us for one night but it was such a disappointment. On first impressions the hotel appeared to be quite nice however, the room we stayed in was very pokey and the bed was extremely uncomfortable. I would never recommend this hotel unless it was a last resort. I have had better nights at a £19 p/n Premier Inn.

  • Stayed September 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
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“Perfect if you're just stopping through”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed February 2, 2013 via mobile

I usually stay with friends/family just outside of London but when I was expected to be on a coach by 5am I decided to get a hotel for the night before.

Room and service-wise, it's nothing special. I was in a room with another girl I didn't know but I decided to talk to her and we ended up getting supper. The two-bed rooms are quite cramped and god help you if you have multiple suitcases. We also couldn't figure out how to turn the lights off. They've got a TV with some pretty good channels which is nice.

The hotel is in a great location. I've taken buses, the tube, and walked to get there. It's really close to the British Museum and there's a lot of little restaurants. Covent Garden is very close by too.

There's a nice bar in the courtyard that is quite spacious and has tables outside as well. Most of the people staying here are quite young so expect noise. But given the price, I would have no issue staying here again if it was just for a short period of time.

  • Stayed May 2012
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Manchester, United Kingdom
1 review
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Awful dirty hotel do not stay here!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed February 1, 2013

This Hotel was a massive dissapointment, when entering reception the hotel seemed nice and clean but by the time we got on to the 3rd floor where we were staying you could notice stains on the carpet. When we entered our rooms there was poo in the toilet and stains on the bathroom floor. Also the bedroom was absolutely boiling with uncontrolable heating from the radiator and even when the window was opened it was still boiling. We was staying for 2 nights and 3 days at this hotel in a college group of about 70 and about half of the group complained about being bitten, I was bitten a multiple of times including once on my eyelid which was very sore. On the first night I went to have a shower and it was very slippy and I ended up falling as there was no bath mat of hand rail, I would say this hotels bedrooms are in desperate need for refurbishment. Also whilst staying here me and my roomate both had money stolen which we can not account for. Lastly the breakfast was awful and is a big no no if you are staying here, overall this hotel was an unpleasent experience and I would not consider returning.

  • Stayed January 2013, traveled on business
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
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Scarisbrick, Southport, England
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
15 hotel reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
172 helpful votes 172 helpful votes
“Almost a 3*”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed February 1, 2013

Massive hotel fairly close to Russell Square underground station has economy in its favour, we only paid £60 per night B&B which for London is very cheap.

We were told it was twin beds but when we asked, we were given a double bed which was appreciated.

Fairly basic room and bathroom was clean enough. Old style TV but it worked OK.

The room in the middle of January was roasting hot, even with the window open 24hours a day, outside temperature was -1.

Our room overlooked the courtyard which was fairly quiet and we had little road noise. The one thing that lost it an extra star was at around 6am, somebody decided to move tables and chairs around on a linoleum floor, when I say move, it was a screeching, dragging noise that we heard, this was a ridiculous time of the day to start to shift furniture, I can only assume it was a cleaning room or staff rest room somewhere, I went into the corridor to investigate but it must have been coming from the floor about.

Don't get me wrong, for the money, I would stay here again.

Don't expect gourmet breakfast, it is toast, bread rolls with butter and jam. Juice, tea, coffee and a choice of 3 cereals. A cooked breakfast is available for £5 extra. The dining room was reminiscent of a school dining hall being very noisy.

One bonus is that the tour buses stop right outside the door and the hotel is central enough for most people's needs.

Wifi is available by going to reception and picking up a slip of paper with the wifi details on it.

Room Tip: Ask for a room overlooking the courtyard if you want less traffic noise.
See more room tips
  • Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
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Additional Information about Royal National Hotel

Also Known As:
Royal National Hotel London
Royal National
Royal National London
Hotel Royal National
Hotel National Royal
National Hotel London
Royal National Hotel London, England
Address: 38-51 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0DG, England
Region: United Kingdom > England > London > Bloomsbury / Holborn
Amenities:
Free High-Speed Internet Restaurant Room Service Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
Ranked #709 of 1,081 hotels in London
Price Range: $$
Hotel Class:3 star (3*)
Reservation Options:
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Royal National Hotel
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