DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Tower of London

Very close to the Tower of London

This time, we booked connecting rooms with three beds on Ctrip, booked long in advance. We landed in London after a 12-hour flight from China at noon, carried our luggage, and took a bumpy subway ride to the hotel. When checking in, I realized my booking didn't match the room type I'd reserved in China. The hotel receptionist's mobile booking details showed an executive room with only a double bed and a sofa, while I'd booked connecting rooms with three beds in China. I was completely stunned. It was 5:00 AM in China, almost 10:00 PM in London? I was completely exhausted. I contacted the hotel receptionist, who said they only had this room available and there were no other rooms. I suppressed my confusion, and the three of us, crammed into a 20-square-meter room with no room for our six pieces of luggage, barely managed a night's sleep. I was too exhausted to talk any more. I contacted Ctrip customer service the next morning, but they arrived at 6:00 AM, a little after 1:00 PM Beijing time. Customer service said the hotel had agreed to change me to connecting rooms. We got up that morning and packed all our luggage and left it at the front desk. They said check-in was only possible at 3 p.m. I returned my room card and checked my luggage. Around 5 p.m., Ctrip called to say the room change wasn't possible; the hotel was fully booked for the day. I was completely devastated and didn't know what to say. The Ctrip representative kept urging me to endure one more night, saying they were limited and offering me 888 RMB in compensation. I immediately lost my temper and demanded a refund, saying I couldn't stay there. They demanded I leave and cancel my reservation, saying we had booked connecting rooms for five nights. They offered me a very basic executive room. Customer service said it was almost midnight and they couldn't reach the manager. I demanded a cancellation. A short while later, the customer service manager contacted me to discuss the situation and agreed to work with the hotel. They located the manager and informed me an hour later that they could arrange connecting rooms. The room issue was finally resolved. Even as I write this, I still don't understand why my domestic reservation and the one I checked in with the foreign front desk at check-in are completely different. Was it a mismatch? I'm still perplexed. The connecting rooms we ended up with were comfortable, and the hotel itself is nice, mostly frequented by foreigners. It's conveniently located, with Tower Bridge and London Bridge just steps away. But Ctrip's handling of the situation leaves me speechless. While they offered some compensation, I'd rather not have it. I'd rather have a quiet, pleasant, and positive stay. I'm writing these comments from the quiet of Cambridgeshire, hoping everyone will avoid these missteps. I also hope Ctrip will reflect on where the problem lies in the order mismatch.

Better than the Novotel next door

The hotel facilities are a bit old and the hotel service is of normal standard, but the advantage is the location. Tower Hill subway station is right at the door, and you can walk to the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, etc., and you can also walk to the other side.