We have recently come back from a weekend away down in London. The trip was not purely a leisure break - although we did of course make the most of our time by perusing some of the sights in the capital. The main reason, however, for us going to London was so that my mum could attend a hospital appointment which was arranged for early on the Monday morning. Rather than travel down on the day and risk being late, we decided to travel down by train on the Saturday and make a long weekend of it. The hospital my mum attends is near Harrow, in Middlesex.
After searching online for hotels in the local area, we came across the Comfort Inn hotel, which is located 5-10 minutes walk from Northwick Park underground station (on the Metropolitan Line). This was ideal as it was just a short walk away from the hospital, Northwick Park and St. Marks.
** THE HOTEL **
The Comfort Inn hotel in Harrow belongs to a larger chain of hotels, called 'Crimson Hotels'. Crimson Hotels also own the 'Quality hotel' group which is quite well-known in the UK. Overall, the Crimson group is a relatively small company, with hotels in Heathrow, Gatwick, Reading, Coventry and Harrow. But they also have some hotels abroad, in Portugal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
My review will be specifically of the Comfort Inn hotel in Harrow, as this is where we stayed. As I said at the outset, this hotel is ideally situated, not only for people having to visit the nearby hospital, but also for people on business, those visiting London or even people attending sports fixtures at the nearby Wembley stadium.
The hotel itself is rated three star. It has 73 en-suite bedrooms all of which offer modern facilities such as TV with satellite, internet access points, direct dial telephone and, of course, tea and coffee making facitilies. As well as standard single and double rooms, there are some family rooms available in the hotel and these are suitable for up to 2 adults and 2 children. The majority of the rooms are non-smoking only.
** MAKING A RESERVATION **
My parents booked a double room online through the hotel's website several months prior to our stay, and paid at the end of their stay. I, on the other hand, booked a single room online a few weeks beforehand and paid upfront because I got a special reduction in the price of the room. You know me - always looking out for a bargain!
Making a reservation online was very easy and only took a few minutes. All you have to do is go onto the online reservation system to check room and date availability, and fill out your personal details. Shortly after the booking was made, I received a confirmation e-mail, detailing my reservation.
Alternatively, if you don't want to book online, there is always the option of booked over the phone.
** FRIENDLINESS OF STAFF **
This is an area where the hotel scored very highly. All members of staff seemed well trained and very friendly. From the moment we checked in to the day we left, I could not fault any of the staff I met. They all seemed genuinely happy to help.
On the first night, we decided to eat in the hotel bar (we didn't want the à la Carte menu). I ordered omelette and chips, which was supposed to come with side salad. I enjoyed the meal very much and hadn't realised that a side salad was included with the meal. Later on, upon discovering that I hadn't had my salad, the waitress was very apologetic and insisted that I have a free dessert to make up for it. Although this was a simple gesture on her part, it made my day! (I'm very easily pleased, you know!)
** CLEANLINESS **
Although the hotel building was fairly old, it was generally well maintained and the public areas of the hotel were indeed spotless.
However, I personally felt that other areas of the hotel were not quite so clean. My room, for example, was not as clean as my parents' room. The curtains seemed a bit grubby and because it had rained a lot, one of the windows was leaking rain from an overflowing pipe outside! That said, the en-suite bathroom was very clean and a cleaner did come in each day to clean the room and replace any used towels.
** HOTEL FACILITIES **
Aside from the usual bar and restaurant, the Comfort Inn has an impressive conference and banqueting suite, ideal for weddings and other private functions. Funnily enough, the banquetting suite was being used for a wedding party on the very night that we arrived, but fortunately it is conveniently located away from guests' bedrooms, so noise was not an issue. The Sheridan Suite as it is known can accommodate up to 200 guests at a time. The hotel also boasts a decent sized car park to the rear.
Another aspect of the hotel which impressed me was the provision of internet connections in the bedrooms. Although I did not take advantage of this facility personally, I can see that it would be extremely useful for people on business. Furthermore, for those wishing to use a computer, there were two computer terminals available for use near the main reception area. I think you could buy £1 tokens at reception and get internet access for about an hour.
** PRICES **
Considering this is a hotel on the edge of London, I was rather surprised at how reasonably priced the rooms actually were. I paid a special advance rate of £45 per night (the usual rate is £49 per night) excluding breakfast. If you wanted breakfast, you could purchase breakfast vouchers from reception the night before for just £6.95.
Prices for twin, double and family rooms are available on the hotel's website (see below).
** WHAT I THOUGHT **
Although this isn't the best hotel I have ever stayed in, it is certainly one of the best and I am sure I shall return there at some point in the future. I would particularly recommend it for the hospitality and friendliness of the staff, and believe that what we paid was very good value overall.
***************************
Comfort Inn Hotel 2-12 Northwick Park Road, Harrow, Middlesex. HA1 2NT.
Harrow. The hotel lounge and bar provides a comfortable and informal atmosphere in which guests can relax and unwind.All bedrooms and public areas have WiFi connec...
Featured merchant
