Howard Winchester Hotel, London

9-10 Argyle Sq, London, WC1H 8AS

This 73 room bed & breakfast is set in a quiet garden square in central London. The Howard Winchester is near the Kings Cross station, ideal for business and le... more

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6/10 Overall rating

Category Average Rating
7/10 Check-in process
6/10 Your room
7/10 Working order of facilities / equipment
7/10 Order and cleanliness of the hotel
6/10 Performance of staff
6/10 Overall experience
7/10 Overall value for money
  • 7/10 Alexander ( Mature couple) 

    from Vienna , AT  on  August 25, 2008

    "good value for money" (97531879)

    convinient near railroad stations and public transport

    very narrow staircases, no lift

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 4/10 Anonymous ( Young couple) 

    on  September 29, 2008

    "Upon arrival I was hopeful and thought everything seemed lovely. Until I saw the disaster of the bathroom. When we checked out, I told the lady on reception that the light in the bathroom was broken (she said ok, did not apologise) and I was going to tell her about the huge hole in the ceiling with wires coming out, but she disappeared back into the back room to continue her phone call, which was not a business call." (107841746)

    The gentleman who checked us in was extremely friendly, the outside of the hotel and the reception looked lovely.

    Our bathroom door did not have a lock, there was a hole in the bathroom ceiling, and the bathroom light did not work.

  • 5/10 John ( Family with older children) 

    from Moulton , GB  on  August 21, 2008

    "Considering that I paid much less to stay in a hotel overlooking Sydney Harbour recently (about £50 per night ) the small room and lack of even a jug and facilities to make tea , was very disappoiting. Small things, such as the cupboard having insufficient height to hang a pair of trousers ,and that we could hear the sexual activities of the people in the room above at 1 am made the stay memorable for the wrong reasons" (108058475)

    Check-in and check out staff were friendly and efficient.

    We had room at front on ground floor, and when the window was opened to allow fresh air in, we were instead treated to cigarette smoke from people sitting on the entrance steps to the hotel, and to their mobile phone conversations. Could hear floor and bed creaking from room above.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 4/10 Patricia ( Solo business traveller) 

    from Basildon , GB  on  September 22, 2008

    "I am a frequent hotel user, and as I knew this was a budget hotel I was pleased with the cleaniness. But as the staff kept me awake most of the night it was not a good experience." (107262135)

    Room was basic but clean.

    This was the noisiest hotel I've stayed at - I hardly got any sleep and won't book there again. Also, I booked for an early departure but was not offered any food or a discount in lieu of breakfast.

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  September 20, 2008

    "Good budget hotel." (107144189)

    Comfortable bed.

    Shower was a bit dribbly, but temperature was good.

  • 9/10 Patricia ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    from Whitley bay , GB  on  September 18, 2008

    "Splendid as always." (108055264)

    Staff could not be more helpful - or more friendly! U have tried various small hotels aropund Kings Cross and this is by far the best. The breakfast is cooked to order, as is the toast, which in most places including large hotels is left lying around to go tough.

    There ARE none! Well, the sink plug was faulty - wouldn't stay up - but that is trivial compared with all the good points.

  • 3/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  September 16, 2008

    "Probably the worst accommodation we have had in a hotel in the U.K. or abroad.The experience spoilt a very enjoyable few days abroad." (108019675)

    No means of fastening shower/toilet door or to pull it closed from inside.Toilet dangerously close to edge of shower tray- shower curtain had to be opened to sit on toilet.One of twin beds had poor mattress well past it's use-by date.No tea-making facilities.Breakfast service quick but decline "full english breakfast"and the alternative was a bowl of cornflakes,orange juice,cold toast and tea .

  • 8/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  September 15, 2008

    "very satisfactory" (107165477)

    Very handy for St. Pancras; excellent price for central London; small friendly hotel; pleasant breakfast room + service

    small room might feel a bit cramped for a longer stay but suited our purpose very well

  • 3/10 Anonymous ( Solo business traveller) 

    on  September 15, 2008

    The receptionist was reasonably plesant

  • 9/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  September 10, 2008

    "Excellent for a stop-over." (107163966)

    Staff extremely friendly and helpful. Everything clean. Bed comfortable.

    Some facilities a little basic e.g. only one open plastic bucket in bathroom for waste.

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  September 9, 2008

    "good" (107140230)

    kindly staff , easy booking, very near to kings cross

    limitted breakfast time , small room but reasonable

  • 8/10 Maurice ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    from Scarborough , GB  on  September 6, 2008

    very central,near to kingscross station ,and help ful staff ,good value for the money paid .

  • 8/10 Anonymous ( Group of work colleagues) 

    on  September 2, 2008

    "Very Good." (107176296)

    Cheap, easily accessible.

    Not a great room but suited our purposes. see above.

  • 8/10 Konrad ( Group of adult friends) 

    from Weiz , AT  on  August 31, 2008

    very conveniant location

    no chairs in room; no atmosphere

  • 8/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  August 31, 2008

    Good reception man late at night. Good breakfast. Dining clean area. Bedding clean.

    Light over sink broken.

  • 8/10 Janet ( Group of adult friends) 

    from Sheffield , GB  on  August 21, 2008

    "would come back again" (108074485)

    staff on reception always courteous and very helpful

  • 8/10 Simon ( Young couple) 

    from Tiverton , GB  on  August 19, 2008

    "Good value for money, one of the cheapest in the area." (97766193)

    Reasonable quality cooked breakfast- a rare treat in a London B+B. The receptionist (and owner, I think) is a Londoner with a London accent and good local knowledge- another rare treat !

    Quite a bit of noise from guests late at night, not directly the fault of the hotel you might say. Also, the door to the breakfast room slams every time someone uses it- very noisy if your room is on the ground or basement floors. I hope they get this fixed.

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Group of adult friends) 

    on  August 18, 2008

    Nice staff, good breakfast, friendly ambiance.

    The moquette of our room had a bad smell.

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  August 18, 2008

    "The hotel very adequately served its purpose." (97611497)

    Cleanliness, friendliness, location.

    Very little pressure in shower - I was on the top floor!

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  August 17, 2008

    "Good value for money." (108073072)

    Helpfull staff, excelent location near St.Pancras station

    Entrance to bathroom almost too narrow for average built person, No warning that oversized persons cannot use the ensuite facilities. Shower a mere trickle.

  • 3/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  August 14, 2008

    "Another bad experience in the same street of london really a bad reflection of what you get for your money in london." (107290217)

    Room to small, toilet and bathroom in a wardrobe. shower head didnt work properly.

  • 8/10 Tracey ( Family with older children) 

    from Lee-on-solent , GB  on  August 5, 2008

    "Great hotel for stop over, we were going on Eurostar early next morning and was easy transfer even with large suitcases and small children!" (97372470)

    Excellent location 2 mins walk to St Pancreas train station on quiet street opposite a park, clean quiet room, fast check in and out, welcoming for children who enjoyed complimentary sweets! Breakfast served quickly.

    Expensive for us but average for London. Breakfast portions small, we all got the same which was fine for kids but small for us!

  • 4/10 Gregory ( Group of adult friends) 

    from Bury st edmunds , GB  on  July 3, 2008

    "The hotel is obviously being improved, but the cellar rooms are not particularly value for money. Three of us shared the room which was adequate for our purpose." (108001037)

    Handy for the tube station

    We were put in the cellar room at front, the smoke alarm was broken, the extractor in the bathroom did work, the downstairs hall way had a damp smell. The front was being refurbished so messy, lots of builders, and chaos. The floor above has no soundproofing, we listened most of the night to people above us.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful:

  • 9/10 Anonymous ( Group of adult friends) 

    on  August 4, 2008

    "comfortable" (108013381)

    reception and breakfast services

  • 8/10 Anonymous ( Group of adult friends) 

    on  July 31, 2008

    "comfortable" (97304786)

    easy access from kings cross station and heathrow

    no tea making facility

  • 8/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  July 31, 2008

    "Reasonably comfortable and convenient. Value for money" (108022523)

    Well situated in a leafy square and very near to trains and buses.Welcoming and helpful reception staff. Very clean linen and towels. Substantial cooked breakfast

    No lifts. Difficult to get to the top floor with luggage Breakfast finishes a bit too early.

  • 8/10 Suzanne ( Group of adult friends) 

    from Middlesbrough , GB  on  August 28, 2008

    "i would recommend this hotel as an excellent base to stay at.e.g. sleep have breakfast,go out for the day come back get ready go out again then sleep etc." (99321679)

    well run hotel opposite small park in a quiet road.excellent to use as a base for travelling via tube or rail from kings cross.

    rooms are small with no chairs to sit on or tea ,coffee making fascilities so you can't relax in your room in between sightseeing etc.

    1 of 2 people found this review helpful:

  • 5/10 Anonymous ( Solo business traveller) 

    on  July 29, 2008

    courtesy and cleanliness - newly refurbished bathroom

    room too small, in the basement - poor breakfast room

  • 9/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  July 28, 2008

    "The room satisfied my need for somewhere to sleep for two nights in London at a reasonable price. It was not somewhere I would have liked to spend any time or for any other purpose other than sleeping." (108003930)

    Exterior, reception and stairways undergoing refurb. Attebtiveness of staff and service at b/fast. Breakfast was well cooked.

    No lift. Second electricity point in room did not work. No seating in the room other than the bed. Radiator behind bed was very dirty. Shower could have been more powerful. Builders began using powerdrill in adjoining room at 9am. No chance of long lie.

  • 9/10 William ( Mature couple) 

    from Manchester , GB  on  July 26, 2008

    "Met our needs. We were satisfied with the hotel" (97822236)

    Clean, good location and more than adequate breakfast (which was served to us); reception staff friendly.

    room had no , or very little, natural light.

  • 9/10 Jerry ( Group of adult friends) 

    from Kirkland , US  on  July 14, 2008

    "Very good location and value for London, I've been visiting for 30 years and this was a nice surprise." (97212719)

    1) Great location! Very quiet, but just 2 blocks from Kings Cross rail and underground connections. 2) Excellent family room for the price, bath has just been redone to a high standard.

    Some renovation in progress, but results were well worth any inconvenience.

  • 10/10 Danielle ( Young couple) 

    from Theddlethorpe , GB  on  July 13, 2008

    Very friendly staff.

  • 6/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  July 13, 2008

    "Our second night was very much better in a room on 2nd floor and the woman on the desk in the morning apologised for the first night, was efficient and reasonable. They were decorating the reception area it was a bit of an obstacle course. I wish we had known that. A lift would be such an improvement." (97511298)

    Our first room was, as asked on first floor. When we asked for a change on second night it was immediately dealt with.

    Our first room was tiny, the TV was at top of wardrobe which meant we had to really stretch our necks upward, I have a problem with my neck. The fire alarm went off twice during the first night and we could hear the receptionist complaining on the phone, and people coming into the hotel at night. We were also next door to the loo, which meant we heard everyone come and go. The fire beep was on all night, for safety reasons, I do understand that, but sleep was elusive and uncomfortable. Bed smaller than we were used to, but we were assured it was 4'6''

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  July 13, 2008

    "overall quite good" (97593581)

    easy accsess to train station

    for our age over 60 to many stairs to climb and no evening meal service

  • 9/10 Cyril ( Mature couple) 

    from Nr oldham , GB  on  July 12, 2008

    "good" (97296977)

    was very clean.breakfast excellent.staff very helpful even to the point of handing out maps and pointing out best way on the underground.

    no bad points.Even though work was being carried out it did not effect us at all

  • 10/10 Barbara ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    from Cupar , GB  on  July 12, 2008

    Friendly staff, spotlessly clean room, efficiently served breakfast

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  July 12, 2008

    "A good cheap stopover near kings Cross" (97834338)

    Excellent breakfast. Clean comfortable bed and a good shower.

    Steep staircase no lift

  • 10/10 Richard ( Young couple) 

    from Chesterfield , GB  on  July 8, 2008

    Very Very kind helpful staff.

    Nothing really just a little messy in the enterance, but that cannot be helped when having having internal work done. Very happy with the prices and every thing else. We have already recommended people.

  • 8/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  July 7, 2008

    "Giood hotel, value for money. " (97783979)

    We found this hotel very good value for money. Clean room and sheets. Excellant breakfast. Pleasant owners. ideal locality for the show we went to see.

    We were woken up at 5 oclock in the morning by an argument between some people outside and the police arrived to late to sort the mater out. i believe the night porter sorted everything out and we had an apoligy from the owner.

  • 9/10 Martin ( Solo business traveller) 

    from Monmouth , GB  on  July 6, 2008

    "good experience and value for money" (97548809)

    Friendly staff clean updated room

    No lift

  • 8/10 Linda ( Group of work colleagues) 

    from Burton-on-trent , GB  on  July 4, 2008

    "The hotel, with room and breakfast, was good value for money and the staff were all friendly - we had a very enjoyable break in London." (97560536)

    Hotel in excellent position for King's Cross tube station, a 5 minute walk to subway with access to King's Cross and St.Pancras stations and the tube - where there are 6 different lines that go through it.

    There was some building and renovation work being done when we stayed, although this was not too intrusive to our stay.

  • 7/10 Helen ( Same sex couple) 

    from Boston , GB  on  July 3, 2008

    "Good, cheap, cheerful & clean hotel with friendly staff & good breakfast included. Excellent location convenient for tube & mainline stations, ideal as a base for sight seeing break. Good value for money." (97267249)

    Room was clean, airy & comfortable. Adjoining bathroom also very clean. Stayed 4 nights - clean towels each day, room & bathroom cleaned each day. Friendly staff, breakfast good, plenty of tea or coffee & prompt service. Good location, 5 minutes Kings Cross mainline & tube, 10 minutes walk to Euston Station

    Room small & in need of painting! Refurbishment underway during visit - may be on" to do" list. Shower like hose pipe stream not shower! Noise from creaking floors above & loud humming of extractor fans from other bathrooms. Stair carpet ripped & threadbare (also on to do list ? )No tea/coffee making facilities in room.

  • 9/10 Claire ( Same sex couple) 

    from Goole , GB  on  July 2, 2008

    "Would definatly recommend to anyone" (97795773)

    Clean, tidy, good location for Kings Cross Station and value for money.

    For the price and in London there were no bad points.

  • 9/10 Glenda ( Group of work colleagues) 

    from Lowestoft , GB  on  July 1, 2008

    "Overall stay was good." (97264954)

    Very friendly staff, breakfast good.

    We would have liked a kettle to make a drink, workmen woke us quite early in the morning, but the hotel is being improve, and will be great when finished.

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Same sex couple) 

    on  July 1, 2008

    the rooms were adequate but very clean. Building work was going on but disruption was kept to a minimum. Showers were new and clean but very small. we were very surprised at breakfast how many people were staying in the hotel as there was no noise at all.

    Breakfast wasn't very large and not a lot of choice for vegetarians. Tea making equipment in the rooms would have been appreciated to be able to make a drink first thing on a morning and last thing at night. Room was on the small size I don't know how two people would cope if it was let as a double room. Drawers were difficult to open. There was no toilet paper in the rooms but we were given some when we asked.

  • 6/10 Anonymous ( Solo business traveller) 

    on  July 14, 2008

    "The room was very cramped and it would have been better to provide a kettle and tea-bags than a TV (with no remote!) But it was clean, the bed was reasonably comfortable (except the bed-head) and the curtains kept the light out well. Not 100% sure I wouldn't stay again - reasonable value for money and very convenient for Kings Cross, but I would think twice." (108094899)

    Some of the staff at breakfast were really cheery, which made a good start to the day. The tea was excellent - how nice to find somewhere serving real tea (though a strainer might be a good idea).

    Bit of a shock after the spanking new doorstep and (in progress but potentially nice) reception to find rather gloomy and slightly smelly stairwell and especially the corridor outside the room.

    1 of 2 people found this review helpful:

  • 8/10 Anonymous ( Mature couple) 

    on  June 30, 2008

    "On balance the good points outweighed the bad and we would consider staying there again." (97349323)

    Perfect location, good service, good price, fairly quiet street, good breakfast.

    The hotel was being renovated during our stay. The curtains in our room were very dusty, the toilet seat was broken

  • 7/10 Anonymous ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    on  June 30, 2008

    excellent location at check-in the staff person was helpful and carried my bag upstairs.

    the clenliness could have been better and no elevator i had asked for coffe at 6 am, whih ws apparently possible, but when i checked out, it was not redy and not remembered......

  • 10/10 Bernard ( Mature couple) 

    from Near filey , GB  on  June 29, 2008

    "Excellent value for for money in an ideal locacion for visiting all the attractions. Very friendly staff and owners , clean and comfortable rooms and an excellent breakfast. Will be staying again." (97239657)

    Friendly , clean and comfortable . Everything as described on web site.

  • 6/10 Anita ( Solo leisure traveller) 

    from Hull , GB  on  August 4, 2008

    The room was clean and the practical. Bed was confortable and clean

    There were no tea and coffee facilities in the room. The room felt a bit cramped with little room to move and put luggage.

    0 of 1 people found this review helpful:

The views expressed on this page are the personal opinions of guests and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of Active Hotels, Active Reservations or our distribution partners (About our hotel reviews).

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