Thistle Holborn

"Unfortunately, TripAdvisor won't allow me to give 4.5 stars. This hotel is the perfect location for a west end theatre trip, it was so nice just being able to walk back to the hotel after an evening performance rather than rushing for a tube hoping to catch the last train back. We had a warm, friendly welcome from Arty when we arrived, hoping to drop our bags off before going to the British museum. As our room was ready, he let us check in early. The double room was spacious, spotlessly clean with a lovely walk-in shower and very efficient air conditioning (much appreciated in this unexpected heatwave). Unfortunately, when freshening up before the theatre, the toilet flush failed to cut off, and the constant running water was not only noisy but seemed to effect the temperature in the shower. We reported this to the lady on reception (Yin?) on our way out at 5pm. My husband didn't think she believed him, whilst I thought that she just did not understand the problem. But she assured us that it would be sorted before our return. When we got back, we were disappointed to discover that the toilet was still running and went back to reception. The same lady then told us that the maintenance team had left before we'd reported the issue and would send somebody in the morning. We weren't happy with that as a solution as not only was it noisy but meant both the toilet and shower were unusable. So another lady on reception found us another room. Unfortunately there were no other double rooms available so were given a twin room. The twin room was definitely inferior to the double we'd moved out of. It was considerably smaller, and this wasn't helped by the twin beds being separated by a bedside table. The layout also meant that the fixed reading lamps shade's protruded almost a third of the way over the pillow. Instead of a walk-in shower the room had a bath with shower over. This would have benefitted with an additional grab rail to assist with getting in and out, along with a nonslip mat automatically being put down. I know there were signs up saying to ring down and a non slip mat would be brought up, but I didn't realise how slippy it was until I was halfway through showering. The USB charging ports in this room did not work, but when we went down for breakfast, Arty kindly took my husband's phone and charged it. Breakfast was excellent, a good choice of traditional cooked food, continental and pastries all well presented and kept restocked. The restaurant staff were good, efficiently clearing the tables without making you feel rushed. We would book a double room in this hotel next time we visit the West End and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to friends and family."

"OK I'm going to write a long review, and it's positive. You'll have to decide for yourself whether there are better options for the same price and neighborhood, it's never easy to choose. My stay was in the first half of April 2026. I traveled solo but still booked a double room to avoid the notoriouly tiny single rooms of London hotels in general. The room I ended up with was on the second floor (third floor to Americans) in the back, and was very quiet day and night. There was plenty of space, the perfect amount for me: drawers, closet, safe, good TV, comfortable and clean bed, and importantly an excellent bathroom with strong hot shower (rain shower as well as hand-held option), and problem-free toilet and sink with strong water pressure. High-end large towels (I stayed six nights and never even needed to use the second set of towels that had been laid out). So the room was a plus, in fact it was better than I had feared based on previous London visits to other hotels. As for the restaurant, I only used it once, the first night for dinner (fish n chips). Not inexpensive, but comparable to restaurants in London. The food was good, the service pleasant. I never used the breakfast (I didn't prepay for breakfast either), because I was not leaving my room until 10:30 AM each morning. Decor: some are saying it's dated, but to me that was a plus. It's not dated in a bad "this is dirty" way, it's dated in a "this is a classic London hotel" way, with a grand staircase and hallways that aren't some boring modern function-over-form variety. Staff: I had nothing but friendly banter with the reception staff and bartender. No rudeness detected at all. In fact, we shared some laughs. Location: very handy because about a 7-8 minute walk (less if you walk faster than I do, which is likely) to two differnt tube stations: (1) Tottingham Court Rd station (on two main tube lines in central London, and just two stops away from Paddington station, which I had to use several times during my 7-day, 6-night stay), and (2) Holborn station, on the Central Line, which was useful for getting back from certain locations. For walking from the hotel, you have the British Museum just 5 minutes away by foot, and Shaftesbury Avenue almost across the street, leading to Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Oxford Circus. The High Holburn area is also an easy walk. Now late at night, which is when I was aways returning after going out to concerts etc, while it was convenient to take the tube back, it was a mental adjustment to realize it's safe, because especially on Sunday night everything is shut, even the pubs, and virtually no one but you is walking the final five minutes to the hotel from either direction. But I made the mental adjustment, realizing that it was actually quite safe, and that all kinds of solo pedestrians were doing the same, albeit few of them. Then again, if you don't plan on strolling back close to midnight, you'll never have that sensation of empty-ish streets. I don't have enough experience to persuade you to choose this hotel and not another one in the same price category with the same star ranking, but I can let you rest assured that this will always be a worthy option. It felt good coming back to this place each night, and was just what I needed from a hotel room. One tip when arriving the first time from Tottenham Court tube station: don't accidentally turn left on Bloomsbury Street, as I did, because it's not the right street. You wan to continue straight on New Oxford St., and gently veer left later on, onto Bloomsbury Way (not Street). :-)"

"We stayed here for one night purely for a touch of nostalgia. As a child, we would often come to the Kingsley at New Year because of its fantastic location, so we decided to return and relive some of those memories. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The staff were welcoming and pleasant throughout, which made a real difference. We made sure to book a suite similar to the one we used to stay in, although back then, I think it was simply classed as a family room. One small disappointment was that it no longer has the spa bath, which we remembered fondly. Everything was clean, and there was something genuinely special about being back and reflecting on those childhood moments. Whilst the hotel has changed, there are still some parts that are the same, which made the experience feel warm and meaningful. While I’m giving this a 5-star rating for the nostalgia and the personal significance of the visit, taking a more objective view, it would probably be closer to 3 stars compared to many modern hotel offerings today that we stay in. That said, for us and the mindset we brought with us, it was absolutely a 5-star experience."