I had a stay at this hotel one week ago, and from what I have seen there is no thread for this hotel yet, other than general information on some of the brand's hotels here
Brand #19: Spark by Hilton so I decided to open a new thread.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Spark by Hilton London Romforf was the first Spark by Hilton to open in the UK and Europe. Officially announced around mid-May of this year, it was then opened shortly after, given that reviews on this hotel have been available online (also here on FT, see the link posted above) since the first week of June.
This is a rebranding of the previous Ibis Styles, used recently as accommodation for asylum seekers and then definitively closed in February this year for a few months of renovation work on the occasion of its reopening as Spark.
The hotel has 125 rooms, most of which are in the basic category (Queen Room), then there are some slightly more spacious King or Twin rooms and some Queen and King rooms with terrace.
LOCATION
The hotel is located next to the Romford station exit (Elizabeth Line, National Rail and Overground Liberty Line) and very close to numerous bus stops.
It is perhaps less than10 meters from the railway station door to the hotel door, and there are very few hotels in the London area that can boast this convenience. On the contrary, for those arriving by car there are no car parks near the hotel, and you need to use the city car parks about 5 minutes away on foot, not the best option for those with luggage in tow.
The hotel is in an excellent and central location. In the same building as the hotel, around the corner, there is an ASDA Express convenience store. Across the street is a Mc Donald's, and very close by there is an Ivy Tree restaurant and furthermore along South Street numerous restaurants, pubs and supermarkets, including a Tesco Express. And always within a 5 minute walk there are several shopping centers.
BOOKING AND CHECK-IN
The decision to stay here was due to the originally booked Doubletree by Hilton London Heathrow Airport cancelling my two bookings two weeks before my planned stay. Given my upcoming trip and the now very high prices of most of the hotels in London, by searching on hilton.com website I found the Spark by Hilton London Romford with the prepaid rate at 48 pounds, a real bargain, and so I decided to try a Spark for the first time.
I arrived around noon from Heathrow on the Elizabeth Line, very easy trip. I had called the hotel in the previous days for some information and on the occasion I asked if they offered upgrades to Gold or Diamond members, even though I knew that it is not a published benefit. They told me that, if conditions permitted, I would have a free upgrade to a King room (the original price of which was about 30 pounds higher). Only published benefit for Golds and Diamonds at Spark is 250 bonus points and/or a snack and drink.
The small reception desk is on the first floor, where there are also some armchairs and tables facing South Street and the station, the bar and the breakfast area. Some dispensers with water and apples are available to customers.
I was confirmed to be upgraded to a King Room. Also present at the reception was the assistant manager, a nice girl with whom I exchanged a few words about the hotel and the Spark brand. She told me that they usually try to give Gold and Diamond members upgrades to the best rooms even if it is not an expected benefit, but these are very few: almost all the rooms are in fact of the Queen type, and as far as I understand, the better rooms (King, Twin, Queen with balcony, King with balcony) are not more than ten in total.
ROOM
As I expected after reading the reviews, the rooms are very small, but have everything you need. My room was on the 4th floor, out of a total of 7 or 8 floors. To access the elevators it is necessary to touch the reader with the key card, the same procedure must also be done to access the corridors of the rooms.
The furnishings are recent, basic but very pleasant. Under the bed there is a shaped niche where you can store your luggage. A kettle with instant coffee and tea bags was also available. Large TV screen in front of the bed.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast is not a free benefit for Gold and Diamond members, but given the numerous and inexpensive options available just a few meters from the hotel this is absolutely not a problem, and in fact I would not recommend paying for breakfast in the hotel.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
One of the hotel's advantages is that it is located on the Elizabeth Line which allows you to directly reach central London in around 30 minutes (Liverpool Street) and Heathrow airport in just over an hour. The train journey to Liverpool Street (Greater Anglia service) is even quicker, taking just 15 minutes and making just one stop in Stratford. Romford is in zone 6, peak fare at £ 5,60 and off peak at £3,60. Oyster daily capping at £15,60.
For those who prefer to travel by bus, the stop for the numerous local bus lines is about 50 meters away, just after the railway underpass. Of particular interest are line 86 to Stratford Bus Station (1 hour journey) and line 5 to Canning Town (DLR and Jubilee Line, 1 hour journey).
CONCLUSIONS
It's a budget hotel that I definitely recommend, and I will certainly try to stay at other Sparks in Europe as soon as they open.
However, it is not a hotel for those who are used to spending many hours in the room (the spaces are very small) or for those who expect to find all the services of a large hotel. The only common space provided is the small bar, where there is also the breakfast area. A business center is also indicated but I didn't look where it is located. These inconveniences, however, are compensated by the excellent location of the hotel and by the fact of finding all the services that the city of Romford can offer (restaurants, bars, pubs, entertainment, shopping) in the space of a few tens of meters.
I was lucky enough to find a rate of 48 pounds thanks to the Hilton Sale, but it is not uncommon to find rates in the order of 60-80 pounds for a Queen room, which is the price I consider correct for this type of hotel, despite being aware that hotel prices in the London area are unpredictable.