Heeton Concept Hotel - Kensington London

“The spoons were found, but the bitter aftertaste remains.” (This is a Russian saying that perfectly fits this situation: everything seems resolved on the surface, but the unpleasant feeling lingers.) Let me be clear — this review isn’t about the quality of the room or the hotel itself. It’s about the people behind the front desk. Somehow, they managed to charge me twice for one stay. No one likes that, right? Let’s start with the confusion. I originally booked a non-refundable stay, which means you can’t modify it in the app once it’s confirmed. When my plans changed and I only needed to stay one night instead of two, I informed the hotel in advance using the cancellation request form in the app — and left a comment explaining the situation. I’ve attached a screenshot. Was it perfect? No — I agree. But I couldn’t call, and this seemed like the most reasonable option. Later, I received a response: “Cancellation denied.” Which was totally fine — I didn’t want to cancel. I just wanted to make sure the booking remained valid. I had a feeling they might cancel it otherwise. My mistake was assuming someone would read my comment in the cancellation form. Don’t count on it — they don’t read anything. Then came the next step in the script: “We cancelled your booking because you didn’t show up.” But I messaged you through the app. “We didn’t keep the cancellation. We denied it.” But my comment was right there. “We didn’t read it. Didn’t see it.” Long story short: I had to pay again for another night. And now the most ironic part. At check-in, the front desk woman, wearing the most sympathetic face, tells me: “You had booked a standard room, but I upgraded you — it’s a better option for you now.” I’ve attached screenshots of the original room I booked through the app and the one I was actually given. If you can spot 10 differences, do let me know! As for the extra payment — I was willing to take some responsibility for the situation, even if I’m not entirely sure it was all my fault. But to pretend you’re doing me a favor with an “upgrade” and saying it’s to smooth things over? That’s just hypocrisy. A few words about customer support: Trip.com refunded me 30% of the total amount I paid for the three nights. They even called the hotel and tried to mediate. But the hotel hid behind its policies — and in the end, will get paid for three nights instead of two. (And no, I don’t count the night I didn’t stay — my plans simply changed, and I never asked for a refund. I just wanted to keep the booking active.) Conclusions: 1. If you have a non-refundable booking, you can’t modify it in the app. And submitting a change request through the cancellation form is pointless, because no one reads it. 2. This hotel has permanently lost a guest who spends two nights a week in London — because of its hypocrisy. 3. Trip.com support was far more helpful and insightful. I spend about £350 a week on their platform, and they actually made an effort to resolve the issue. Huge thanks to them!

Very small room. Perfect location, near tube station. Clean bathroom.

Room is spacious and place is tidy. Just that I could not control the temperature of my room, as there is no remote control.