It's high time I got on with these two, if I've done the first one before then accept my apologies. Before I launch into them, be aware I'm a fan of easyHotel in general, although I think I've mentioned that previously. Even so, I'll try and be fair:
easyHotel Earls Court
This was my first easyHotel that wasn't in Croydon for a fair while, and despite hearing less than positive things about it beforehand I'd already booked it. The choice was this hotel or a night on 700s, getting up every 30 minutes or so. I can't say that I was strongly considering leaving the hotel during the night to do just that...
Check in took forever, then the stairs were absolutely evil to climb to the third floor, no lift available. I was glad to find my room when I got up there (I think it was 309), although that opinion soon changed when I discovered I had booked one of the small rooms. Think boxroom for the size. How they got a double bed in there when the rooms were fitted out I'll never know!
Uncomfortable bed, pillows not much better. The bathroom was tiny, as expected in a room this size, but at least smelt clean. The shower wasn't the best, but still better than some I've had since then. Actually, it was dozens of times better! For reference, the best shower I've used this year was the one in Ibis Budget, Cardiff. I don't think I've yet reviewed that one either...
This hotel was also a nightmare to get to from Earls Court station, unless you went the right way there were no easy access routes and I'd crossed the busy A4 at a thankfully quiet time. Still, easier to get to than my next one...
easyHotel South Kensington
I stayed here only a few days ago, and if it had been my first easyHotel I'd have not bothered with any of the other outlets. However, it was a required easyHotel and I am on a relentless mission to stay at all of them in the UK. I really am looking forward to Manchester's one opening, and I wonder how long it will take me to get Birmingham done!
Check in was with a rather disinterested receptionist (who would have been a perfect fit with the miserable checkout operators in M&S Simply Food), and I had room LG1. Finding Lower Ground 1 was not a simple operation, signage was very poor and it was only by chance I found it. I wasn't going back to ask Mr. Grumpy.
First impressions were bad, as my room had exceptionally poor signal. To send a message I had to do so by the staff room, not ideal. I had it reported on my phone I had signal, but it was so weak it wasn't worth trying to use.
The bathroom was small and smelt horrid, very much unimpressed with that. I discovered in the morning that the shower was basically a trickle, and it took forever and an age to get hot water out of it. It could well be a shared water supply around the hotel, but bear in mind I was having a shower around 0450. So it should not have been an issue!
The bed and pillows in the standard size room, a couple of square metres bigger than the small rooms, were however comfortable and a very good sleep was had unlike at Earls Court.
Reception is not open 24 hours a day, unlike most hotels, so to check out around 0500 I had to push my keycard under the door!
I'm not coming back here either, the same policy I have for Victoria and Earls Court. In terms of Central London, it's just the Old Street and Paddington outlets to visit. Heathrow's one will probably be the last one to do in the UK, not far behind Luton.
Even so, it will take some doing to beat Brussels' easyHotel. I don't know if I ever reviewed that one, if I haven't and you want to know what I thought of my favourite easyHotel in the world so far let me know.
Ibis Budget, Cardiff
Me and Blindtraveller stayed here the night before our ALR in June 2017. I know he's already touched upon some thoughts on it, but here's mine:
Check in was nice and easy, and we were soon in our room (number 2 I believe), a very spacious twin bed room. The bathroom was enormous, although it was very easy to nearly flood the bedroom floor with the shower. On which note, that shower was my best one all year, especially welcome after a hard day at work!
Free WiFi was incredibly welcome and handy too, allowing chance to catch up on various things. It worked surprisingly well, an uncommon feature in hotels in my past experience. The hotel is about a 10 minute walk with a heavy piece of luggage on your back from Cardiff Central, and that's at a fairly brisk pace.
As is the norm in Ibis Budget hotels, no tea/coffee or kettle is in the room but there is free tea and coffee in the lobby which we did take a little bit of advantage of upon departure. Checkout was nice and easy with friendly staff again.
The beds then, they are about standard around the Ibis Budget world but they are, in my opinion, still superior to Travelodge beds. Same for the pillows. OK so they're not as good as the beds in easyHotel Croydon or Brussels, but compared to Travelodge they are luxury! Oh, and on a warm night the air conditioning was fantastic too.
I'll use it again, but then I've said the same about Ibis Budget Birmingham city centre and Ibis Budget Birmingham Airport before too.
Right, time for a quick break then I'll come back for some more!