Lost in London.... I have stayed at the Ascot Hotel in 11 Craven Road, London/U.K. the past weekend. I am writing this review because I want to prevent other London touristis from messing up their well deserved vacation. The hotel is located right near Paddington Station which is convenient - but his is the only advantage of this place. We had booked the hotel online, it was rated a 3 star hotel, the pictures looked alright. We did not expect a lot, it is London and I have been there several times. Upon arrival the hotel could not provide the booked room even if we had a confirmation. They said they had a leak but I personally think they were overbooked. We were sent to their sister hotel down the road, the receptionist told us it was the same standard and we would love it! We were given a room in the basement, we could not even see what the weather was like. The bathroom was tiny, maybe 1m x 1,5m. There was a tiny sink in which you could not even wahs your hands without making a huge mess. When you took a shower the whole floor as well as toilet were wet because the bathroom was so small and the shower was in the room itself and not seperated as usual. The bedroom florr was filthy, we did not dare walking on it without shoes. One of the beds was ripped, the wallpaper came off. I guess I do not have to mention we did not sleep very well. When we complained at teh reception of the Ascot Hotel the same night, we were told to wait to see the hotel manager the next morning. We wanted to leave right away, unfurtunately all other hotels in the are were fully booked and it was midnight...So we stayed and went to see the manager the next day. Unfortunately he could not help, he said he does not have time and that we interfere with his work. He did not provide any customer service. We were sent to eat breakfast and come back. The breakfast facility, Maxim's Restaurant next door (same manager), was another nightmare. There was food waste outside and even rats - disgusting. A lady complaining about it, was yelled at by the manager and told to leave his hotel. He did the same with us. We insisted on a refund and were finally given a claim sheet when we told the manager we could call the cops. This hotel is not very well run, guests are yelled at, there is no customer service but they charge your credit card right away. I can only warn you - do not stay there, do not book this hotel!!! They rip you off! They will leave you in a disgusting room and take your money. We spent half a day arguing with a nasty manager and looking for other accomodation. Luckily we found a great hotel with nice staff and people that are willing to make your stay a good one. There are plenty of hotels in London, it's not like you have to stay at the Ascot in 11 Craven Road. I have travelled around the world, I have been to cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna etc. I never experienced anything like this. I have also stayed at two different London hostels - they were both better than this one and they were only hostels and did not rate themselves as a three star place.