Great location; across street from Hyde Park and close to transit stations. Beautiful old building and rooms were adequately sized, but the decor needs attention. I understand that they are going for a retro ‘70’s vibe, but it just looks shabby and old and needs some refreshing. Smells a bit musty too. It could be really beautiful on the inside if some updating was done. Overall, it’s a decent place to stay.

Love the service and how nice the staff is; perfect location , easy to walk - beautiful property. I highly recommend.

Our check-in was seamless, and our stay was perfect. Biscuits and tea bags were provided in our room each day, which made for a lovely start to the day. Easy walk to several tube stops. Would stay again and highly recommend.

A wonderful hotel that never disappoints

Staff are so friendly

Liked the old school style of building and that the rooms were very clean yet very small. Would be good to have a proper coffee machine in the room and mini bar fridge.

The stay was pretty good, the room was ok but the bathroom was clearly out of date. There was also a very strange layout of the rooms on the floor but it wasnt too big of a deal. It also had a large elevator so even if several people were in there with large luggage it was not an issue.

Place with character.

The property is across from Hyde park and Kensington Palace and close to two tube stations. Plenty of restaurants close by.

Not bad but I won't return.

The location is great, however the hotel is old. A few problems. Only two towels were provided. Haven't they heard of hand towels? The WiFi is terrible... especially on the 4th floor. But the worst was a lack of a coffee machine and a fridge. This is an expected aspect of most hotels these days. The staff was friendly and the shower was good but a bit low.

Overnight stay

Friendly welcome, bed comfortable,quiet room with view of Kensington Gardens. Bathroom slightly dated.Breakfast limited but still enjoyable,.

Great price , super convenient, I would highly recommend the property

Great hotel and great service. Hotel isn’t modern but full of character! Lacks food service after breakfast which would have beneficial for me. Five minutes from Tube so excellent location Will definitely stay again.

The staff were very friendly and helpful. When we reported our TV wasn't working, they came quickly to see the problem, tried to sort it while we were out in the evening and when they couldn't, offered us another room and a free breakfast as compensation. I thought this was excellent customer service. The only downside of our room was that it was an adjoining room (for families to share two rooms together). Unfortunately that meant that the shared door was quite thin and the two young men next door were quite talkative so that at 12.30am I had to say we were trying to get to sleep!

Staff went above and beyond! Great location near Central Line tube, Kensington Garden and Hyde Park across the street.

Great staff and comfortable room!

Outside was definitely older than the pristine white portrayed in the picture. If you need to be in the area this is a good location. Breakfast ( £10 Continental was good) Corridors a bit creeky (which you notice in your room)

Great affordable find

Fabulous location, close to Lancaster Gate tube and 15 mins from Paddington tube station. Across the road to the beautiful Kensington Gardens. Room was very clean, bed was comfortable and great shower with super water pressure. The staff were super friendly. I had some lovely chats with some of the women cleaning the rooms. I felt very welcome. Like the website says, no mod cons.. but everything I needed for a great affordable stay in London.

If you're in the area for visiting or business, this place is perfect. Nice room with everything you need. If you wish to visit London, no. No shops or places to see except close to the train back to the airport. Everything else is at least a half hour away.

A very functional hotel at a good price, its was all you coukd expect. The bed was comfy, room was spacious. Could all do with a bit of a facelift (and fixing the creaky floors).

Great location, Hyde park across the street, plenty of restaurants and coffee shops in walking distance, transit stop right in front of the hotel.

We enjoyed our stay. Hyde Park is right across the street. It was very convenient and easy to get around.

Third time staying at this hotel. Clean. Across from the park.

Well located hotel in atmospheric building. Decor a bit tired. They were filming a TV series (apparently the hotel is often used for shoots) and it was quite annoying as a paying guest to be shunted around and have to go in and out of back entrances rather than use the main entrance. We were not i

The Columbia is a classic, charming building and super close to public transport and amenities.

Great place and staff.

Cute little hotel and very walkable to Paddington station and restaurants.

Nothing to complain. I enjoyed my stays

The hotel was a beautiful building in a very nice walkable area. No air conditioning wasn’t great, but I knew that beforehand. The staff were very nice and helpful. My only complaint was the height of the bathtub and lack of washcloths, which maybe that’s an American thing because the front desk didn’t seem to understand what that was!

The hotel is conveniently located near multiple metro lines and directly across from Hyde Park. The bathroom is a bit outdated and small. If A/C was available, I would rate the hotel higher because my trip occurred during a bit of a hot spell. The beautiful fall weather was wonderful, but my room was stuffy even with the window open at night and a fan running on high.

Very well run hotel. Very clean and everything is working as to be expected. Has an older elegant feel to it. It’s located next to Hyde Park, which I find to be an ideal place to be in London. The rooms are small, at least the one I had. The breakfast is somewhat limited. So so in what it offers. Front desk people are friendly, generous with their time and very helpful. I believe it to be good value for London.

older hotel, friendly staff, great location

Breakfast is good in the hotel, and space in the room is fine. Staff is kind and helpful. Bathroom deserve a little improvement.

Good stay would recommend

I travel to London frequently and have a list of hotels that are my preferred places for £156 or under. I have added this hotel to that list. The hotel is about 5 minutes' walk to Lancaster Gate underground station (Central Line). There is also a bus stop outside the hotel for a bus into Piccadilly (number 94). Hyde Park is across the street. Restaurants are about 5 - 10 minutes walk. My room was a triple, with a double and a single bed and a large two-seater sofa. There was an ensuite shower over bath and a large cupboard. The room was big and I would think plenty of room even for three with luggage (see photos). The only thing I struggled with was the height of the showerhead. It is quite low, about neck height, and I am 5' 7". Breakfast was a help yourself continental. (If you are looking at booking breakfast through Hotels, Expedia, or the like, breakfast booked at the hotel on the day is only £10 per person. Hotels.com wanted to charge me £14.) Staff were great, friendly, and helpful. The hotel is having a bit of a refurbishment and looks good. The building is impressive with high ceilings and looks quite grand. As a thing to look for, the lift indicator on the ground floor is an old-fashioned mechanical arrow indicator.

The room was very big, which was good. I was surprised to find a large crack in one of the windows. When I reported it the staff said they were unaware and carried out an initial repair wih cellotape. Additionally, in order to use the televsion I had to unravel the lead and plug behind the televsion and connect the aerial lead.

Loved being close to Paddington for ease from the airport and trains. Also loved being across from the park

Great location , just across from Hyde park and close to the Lancaster Gate station , heritage building with lots of character , staff were great as well

The bed was so comfy! The atmosphere was superb! The coffee was not drinkable and overpriced. The positives far outweighed the coffee. Thank you! I recommend it for sure classic and comfortable!

The service was great but the floor of the hotel not make too much noise

The Columbia was such a nice place to stay for a night in London. The staff couldn’t do enough for you we will definitely be returning.

Nice.

When I booked, I didn't realise how important air-conditioning might be. Could have done with a room fridge, too. Room was quiet and tidy. TV very basic. Location is the real winner.

This is a very old fashioned hotel, so a lot of the modern luxuries including a modern bathroom and refrigerator are non-accessible. However, the staff is very nice and welcoming.

the staff was very helpful and amazing. So nice. The rooms were very clean and bigger than I thought they would be. I enjoyed staying there with my young kids. So close to Hyde park as well and easy to get to all the places.

Over heated bedrooms, that’s with the windows open 500mm all day. Decor is tired, the bathrooms are remnants of the 1970s - they need replaced. The entrance garden area looks like the entrance of a hostel, it doesn’t resemble the photo on the Expedia website. This Hotel could be charging higher prices if it had a good make over!

Room was clean and neat. However, due to no fault of the hotel it was very hot! The hotel has no AC. There was a fan and a tiny window, which was not enough to cool the room. However, we talked to the hotel staff, who were very accommodating. We were able to move rooms to one with larger windows and were able to enjoy the rest of our stay. The staff were very nice and helpful.

Friendly staff and good cleaning. The room was too warm.

The place was just around Hide Park and the underground was 7 minutes away.

Elevator and bathrooms not working properly but great location. Staff was always very friendly and helpful.

Thank you for a good stay, great staff!

Friendly staff, lovely olf building and functional comfortable rooms but decor is dated and refurbishment needed

Excellent service and great location. Only one slight criticism - no fridge in room to put any drinks and it can get warm

My room hadn't been cleaned when I requested. "Service room card" didn't work in spite of hanging on to the room door.But when got back to my room late at night I understood that someone had entered my room and left a pillow case on the floor without cleaning the room. I informed reception and manager in charge just to get a clarification.I didn't get an answer that who was the person got into my room? That was strange and suspicious thing to happen.Fortunately I had used safety box service from reception.I hadn't left any valuable thing in my room while I was out. Secondly izolation between hotel rooms is not very well because you can hear noise. The best thing was the breakfast service.

A pleasant stay, will book again.

Staff is very friendly and helpful. The hotel is not ultra modern, but I would return since it is very clean, the area is very centric, and the staff are so very nice.

Great Hotel by Hyde Park

Good sized room in a charming hotel. Stayed here many times before. Never disappointed

Good location.Convenient .

Charming hotel

The staff were really helpful. On arrival I went to reception and they helped with car parking as you have to have a space unlocked before pulling in. The room was ready early which we really appreciated as we wanted to get ready to attend our event. We had a room on the 4th floor but the lift was working fine for us each time we used it. Hotel was really clean, no faults there. The beds were so comfortable. The room decor is old but I think it adds to the charm of the hotel. There was also a television in the room. Hairdryer was available in the room. Would say that I was really hot in the room overnight but there was a fan provided so not a problem :) Location was perfect for attending an event in Hyde Park. We have no complaints at all, thank you for a comfortable stay.

This was a well maintained, incredibly unique hotel. Staff was friendly and courteous. Great location to walk to sites and close to public transportation. We would definitely stay there again.

Friendly and helpful staff. Large room but a bit tired and needing some paint.

Great location, lovely room and staff. Was a treat to stay here and would definitely stay here again.

Stayed as a solo traveller. Place is quiet, yet close to transportation. Directly opposite to Hyde Park. Walk through the park and you’ll get to most of the attractions like museums.

Was everything we expected

Was good for a few nights to start our vacation. Close to Hyde park and morning walks. Easy transportation right out front. It was not the 4 seasons but didn’t expect to be. Nice little hotel that seems to attract good people not wanting to spend a fortune and stay in room for a week. Good place to sleep and sight see from.

Convenient

Location is great, very convenient. The hotel staff is friendly and helpful. In general, the rooms are outdated, but confortable. Elevator wasn’t working and had to use an old one…

Lovely location next to Hyde Park. Comfortable stay and friendly service. Would return!

We had a wonderful stay here. This hotel is full of charm and character of a bygone era. Our room was spotlessly clean and had sweet touches like biscuits on the coffee tray. It was very well located close to many areas of interest and transit. Would definitely stay here again.

Very old and outdated property but Kind staff great location.

Great location and room rate. Property is older and as expected. Close to restaurants, Hyde psrk, and transportation.

First London visit

Great location, friendly staff, and comfortable beds.

The Columbia is across the street from Hyde Park, 2 blocks from the red Central line of the tube, and has a bus/taxi stop. There are several lovely pubs within a few blocks and a variety other options closer to Paddington. The hotel has character and lively breakfast. They held our luggage since we arrived before check-in, and thankfully had a (small) elevator because our bags were heavy!

The Staff was very friendly and helpful.

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It was centrally located with hop on hop off in hotel door. Staff was execlent. Elevator was broken & room was a little cold during day.

The location of the hotel, immediately opposite Kensington Gardens and within easy walking distance of the V&A museum, is excellent. As for the interior of the hotel itself: it clearly needs a lot of money spending in order to effect much needed renovation of a potentially splendid environment. Staff were excellent.

Clean, friendly staff

The location is excellent, near Paddington Station and access to Kensington And Hyde Parks. Easy access to stores and restaurants. The hotel appears not to have changed since the fifties. It is shabby, the furniture and room amenities are old and dilapidated. The room ventilation is poor and would be extremely uncomfortable in the summer months. I stayed there over 20 years ago and not one thing has changed. I would not stay there again.

Unfortunately was completely not what we were expecting, very old building, floors cracking when you walk, douche was all rusty, drawers of the cabinet broken, lift was forcing to go move. We needed to cancel the stay and look for another place to stay. Front desk lady was very friendly and give us the refund without a problem

We loved the old style splendour of the building. Our room was bright and airy, beds very clean and comfortable. Our room looked out over Hyde park. The staircase and rooms were spectacular! Shabby chic at its best. In easy reach of all transport modes. We will definitely stay here again.

Week away in London

Great location, excellent comfort and friendly staff. Look forward to come back

Beautiful old building, great location

Comfortable beds, room size was really good for London, walkable to various points of interest and very close to Lancaster Gate tube station (which unfortunately was closed for all 6 days we were there), street of affordable restaurants just a 2 min walk around the back (you have to try Les Filles' breakfast!). The style of the hotel is old, but it also feels old. Could use a bit of maintenance. I didn't trust the elevator personnaly and one was broken. Quite a maze to get to your room but didn't think it was a problem. Staff was super helpful getting out the sim card of our cellphone.

Great location & really good for the price

Sure it could do with a bit of a revamp but then the price would go sky high. The location is great an easy walk to two underground stations & several busses stop right outside. If you want luxury then pay 3-4 times as much to stay just down the road but if you just want a clean room & a comfortable bed then this is the place for you & you can use what you saved enjoying yourself somewhere else. The lift is a bit small if there are 2-3 of you but you can always split up & do it that way. This place has one of the best wi-fi's I've ever found & I have yet to find a blind spot though I've been there 8-9 times.

Very good location Very old building but delivery what you need.

Comfortable stay for 4 of us in a quadruple family room. Near to underground subway and bus stop and walkable to Paddington station to take Heathrow express to airport. Best part is it is just opposite the Hyde park and Kensington gardens. Near to cafes, restaurants and supermarkets

The Columbia: This hotel is quite aged, almost to the point of being unnerving. The prison-like avocado bathroom included a temperamental shower and a sink with two separate faucets, one for hot and one for cold. The toilet needed a rest between flushes of about 15 minutes before it would do another full flush. The decor was straight out of the Victorian era it seemed. HOWEVER. It was impeccably clean, and that was very comforting. The hotel is very conveniently located close to Paddington Station and several excellent restaurants. Breakfast was a normal European continental that consisted of pastries, cheese, cold cuts and cereal. Was not awful, but was not anything to write home about either. It filled the stomach gaps! We appreciate the cleanliness here, and the friendliness of staff, but we may find something more updated next time.

The hotel staff were lovely, even held our bags after checking out so we could move about the day. Hotel is in good condition, it is an old hotel, but quaint and full of character. Room was small but good for one night, bed comfy, bathroom fine. The only downside is with it being an old property, the floors creak terribly and you can hear the water moving through the pipes, so light sleepers beware. Also the lift is an old service lift so small and has a large step out. Altogether nice hotel for a couple of nights but beware that is an old (well maintained) building and has the quirks that come with that

Lovely stay, all staff-- from front desk to janitorial to the breakfast server-- were very nice and welcoming. Location was super convenient for exploring London.

I have a short stay in The Columbia which is a wonderful holiday. From the moment I arrived, I was impressed by the warm hospitality and attentive staff. The underground is nearby making exploring the area a breeze, adding a layer of convenience to my stay. The proximity to Hype Park added a lovely touch, allowing me to unwind in a serene environment steps away.

This hotel is very outdated. Security is lacking. Checking our bags on our last day they didn’t put tags on them. We just placed them with many other bags. And we were told the hotel is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Outdated

Nice staff, great location, good parking although limited, but outdated and low quality bathroom facilities. Breakfast limited options.

Lovely staff

I have been staying at the Columbia since about 2000. The hotel is still clean enough to eat off the floor and is a great bargain, but there have been some disappointments. The hotel is in dire need of renovation with the floors in the reception area and breakfast area looking very worn and poorly maintained. The floor in my bathroom was covered with vinyl flooring, but the wood underneath was rotten to the point that each step you took felt squishy and actually concerning about collapsing. What used to be a full English breakfast is now a very basic continental breakfast. The bed was comfortable but the newish furniture in the room was bargain basement quality and the quality of the carpet was dated at best with stains and damage all over. The lift that was broken15 years ago is still broken. I will stay again, but I have greatly reduced my expectations.

Housekeepers ignore “do not disturb” sign and still enter the room. Walls are really thin and you can hear everything. Really really old hotel, needs renovation. The only good thing about this hotel is the location

I thought the place was great - the accommodations were comfortable and clean, the location was convenient to transportation, etc. The only suggestion I would make is some of the male staff behind the desk could have been a little nicer - such as greeting us as we came in, asking how are rooms were, etc., instead of ignoring us, treating us as if we did not exist and did not matter. The rest of the staff acted appropriately. The staff members attending to our rooms were very nice and thorough.

Loved the huge common rooms with their quirky architectural details. Beautiful old building, rooms big for the price.

Beautiful hotel. Bathroom was clean but could use an update.

The good: location - near tube stops, restaurants and right across from Hyde Park. Walkable to so many things. Room size was good. Staff were great. Great value. My only negative comments are that the wifi was weak (couldn't even load simple websites on iPad) and the room, especially the bath room was extremely dated.

I loved, loved, loved this large, quirky and totally atmospheric hotel. The floorboards creaked and the elevator was so tiny and slow that I usually used the stairs instead. My room (a standard double on the top floor) was simply furnished but quite spacious for a London hotel in this price range. The windows overlooked Kensington Gardens (mostly trees from up that high). Surprisingly, traffic noise from Bayswater Road below wasn't a problem, even with the windows open. My entire stay occurred during a heat wave (90 degrees farenheit most days), but the room's oscillator fan -- and the park across the street -- kept thing very comfortable. I'd love to stay at this hotel again on my next visit.

Great hotel, but outdated

I have loved this hotel since I first stayed there in 1992. It has always been a bit quirky, but that was part of the charm! The location is perfect, right across from the park, and very convenient to public transportation. The staff is amazing, and two of them recognized me even though it had been four years since I last visited. However, some things disappointed me. The delicious English breakfast is gone, replaced by a Continental breakfast which was quite sparse even by Continental standards. This was served in the bar rather than the spacious dining room. Extra tables have been placed in the parlor, greatly detracting from that beautiful room. Other new furniture in that room is not in keeping with the style of the room. My bedroom seemed much the same as I remembered - dated, but very comfortable with a great bed. The main elevator is out of order, so one must use a tiny service elevator. I still love this hotel, but it is in desperate need of renovation. Please bring back the English breakfast!

Excellent central location. However, you get what you pay for. The rooms are very simple and old, as is the lift. They also get quite warm and there is no AC or fridge. It's fairly clean. However, on our last night the cleaning staff came in and threw away a few items they presumed were trash we wanted to keep. They also broke my friend's ornament she bought from Harrods (presumably while cleaning) and just put it back - they didn't leave a note or anything. So I would say this place is fine for the price, but if you have other options stay elsewhere.

Pleasant staff, nice location, needs a bit of updating.

The staff was wonderful and helpful with all of our questions. They were so kind pack us a bag lunch for our tour day. The room was small by American standards but it was kind and comfortable.