I had to go to London for work, and ended up at the Inhabit Southwick because of price and super easy access from Paddington station and Heathrow Express. And the location was extremely convenient for getting in and out of London easily. The rest was fairly sub-par.

Hotel Stay Experience

• It took 30 minutes to check in. How this is possible when you book online so they already have your data, is beyond me. There was nobody else checking at the same time.
• The rooms look nice in pictures, but are so tiny, I felt like I had to go out in the hallway only to change my opinion.
• Bathrooms were also impossibly small. I left the door open merely not to get too claustrophobic.
• The hallways were similarly tight, and with all the linoleum and subdued color scene, it felt mostly like a youth hostel or an assisted living facility (though if you really needed assistance, there probably wouldn't be enough space to provide it).
• Roughly 50% of my useable space was taken up by a long hallway that led into my tiny single bed (with really hard pillows).
• When I asked to borrow a plug adapter, and the request was granted by the front desk, an employee standing by the front desk insisted on knowing what I would use it for since they already had USB ports in the room. Hello? This is 2024, if you don't have USB ports in the room, your missing something significant about being a hospitality provider. (Also, the outlets were USB-B.)
• There was no welcome amenity of any sort for Titaniums. Absolutely not breakfast, I was explained. And then they failed to tell me that breakfast was already included in my rate.
• They have a gym, but it is so small, you have to reserve it. Sadly, they seemed to have no interest in doing so, and didn't return emails on the subject.
• Emails are answered at most once a day. Even if shooting back an email immediately when receiving one - you guessed it - you'll wait for 24 hours. And I highly doubt many people stay there long enough for this to make sense.
• I had booked two consecutive reservations because my trip got extended before I even left. I contacted Southwick before I traveled from the US, and again mentioned it when I checked in, so as to ensure I wouldn't have to change rooms. Not a problem! However, at noon on the day my first reservation ended, my phone rang. It was Inhabit Southwick wanting to know why my clothes were still in my room...

It's not like I expected the Ritz, but for GBP 300 per night, even with crazy London pricing, I was expecting more. I had also expected to have my folio invoice when leaving, but they only sent it for one of my three nights. And despite emailing them (all four email addresses) every other day for a week, I still don't have my full invoice (which I need to submit my expenses). What I did not expect, was to have to defend my room in he middle of a stay.