The Crystal Lodge Hotel

Everything is very good

parking 🅿️😀

Everything was okay

Parking

Very clean, welcoming staff who went out of the way to help.

The rooms are slightly small and if you were staying for any length of time there is no storage but for one or even two nights is was fine. This is being very picky.

The highlight of our stay was the friendly gentleman at reception. We had originally booked a triple room and a twin room, but upon arrival he kindly upgraded us to a four-bed room and a three-bed room. Both rooms were located on the ground floor and right next to each other, which was extremely convenient for our family. This was a very thoughtful gesture, certainly not something we expected, and it was much appreciated. The location is also good. The hotel is within short walking distance of a Southern Line railway station, with direct connections to London Bridge in around 30 minutes. Free parking is another major advantage, especially for those travelling by car.

Unfortunately, the property itself is very dated and in need of significant refurbishment. Both the building and the rooms felt run-down. There was also a strange smell in the rooms when we arrived. An incense stick was burning, which did not exactly inspire confidence and left us wondering what smell it was trying to mask. The biggest issue was cleanliness. While our rooms were just about acceptable (but only barely), the shared facilities (bathrooms, toilets and kitchen areas) were frankly disgusting. My wife and children actually chose not to use the showers because they felt uncomfortable with the level of cleanliness. For this reason, we do not believe the property is particularly suitable for families with children. One point that future guests should be aware of: there was a notice at reception offering guests £5 cash in exchange for leaving a 5-star Google review during their stay. This may explain why some of the online ratings (google ratings) appear significantly more positive than our own experience.