Hilton London Olympia, London

I stayed at the Hilton London Olympia for three days. While the location is excellent, right on High Street Kensington with easy access to transport and shops, the overall experience was disappointing. Upon arrival, the front desk didn’t acknowledge my Diamond membership and insisted I wait until 3 p.m. for check-in, despite room availability. Only after mentioning it in a review context did another staff member step in and offer a room. The hotel itself is in urgent need of renovation. The room felt cramped, with a low ceiling even for someone of average height. There was no dedicated lounge for Diamond members, just a small restaurant corner offering minimal snacks. On the positive side, the towels were clean. However, the bathroom was outdated, and overall, the property is clearly in need of a refresh. In summary, while the location is ideal, the service and condition did not meet expectations. I won’t be returning until significant improvements are made.

This was, without exaggeration, one of the worst stays we have ever experienced with Hilton. Even giving a one star is generous. We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton London – Olympia on January 3rd, booking three rooms (two King rooms with sofa beds and one Deluxe room). We are Hilton Diamond members, and yet the experience was shockingly poor from start to finish. First, the hotel itself feels severely outdated. The rooms are old, worn, and in desperate need of renovation—but that alone would not have prompted this review. The real and serious issue was that the heating in ALL of our rooms did not work at all. It was extremely cold that night. According to widely accepted standards, London hotels must provide adequate heating for guest comfort and safety, generally aiming for a minimum temperature of around 18°C (64°F) in bedrooms during cold weather. Our rooms were nowhere near that temperature. Sleeping conditions were completely unacceptable. When we called the front desk to report the freezing rooms, staff did come to “check,” but nothing was resolved. We were told that only maintenance could adjust the heating, and unbelievably, maintenance would not arrive until 8:00 AM the next morning. Does that seriously make sense for a hotel operating overnight especially in January? We were staying for one night only, so waiting until morning was not an option. Despite booking three rooms and being Diamond members, we were not offered alternative rooms, not even smaller ones. The hotel simply said there was nothing they could do. As a weak attempt to calm our frustration, they brought one tiny space heater, clearly insufficient for a larger room such as the ones we booked. Later, when we reported that the third room was also freezing, we were told they were out of space heaters and the only solution was to offer an extra duvet. That was it. No room change, no proper heating, no meaningful solution. The consequences of this negligence were real. Our entire family became sick. We had to fly back home the next day after sleeping all night in freezing rooms. At breakfast, everyone was coughing. We continued coughing throughout the entire plane ride home. This illness lasted about a week, which is why this review is being written later than intended. What makes this even more frustrating is that the staff appeared to try to be polite, but politeness does not replace basic hotel standards. Attempting but failing to accommodate guests (especially Diamond members paying for multiple rooms) is not acceptable. A hotel failing to provide working heat in winter is not a minor inconvenience. It is a serious failure in guest safety and comfort. This experience completely contradicted Hilton’s brand promise and expectations for elite members. We will never stay at this location again, and I strongly warn others especially families and winter travelers to think twice before booking here. Cold rooms, outdated facilities, no overnight maintenance, no real solutions, and no accountability. Absolutely unacceptable.