Leman Locke, Aldgate

I stayed at this hotel for two weeks, and while the room itself was decent — clean and equipped with basic kitchen appliances — my overall experience was frustrating and disappointing due to multiple issues with management, housekeeping, and customer service. Early in my stay, a sentimental stuffed animal went missing after housekeeping cleaned the room. I believe it was accidentally taken away with the bed sheets. This item held great personal value, and its loss was deeply upsetting. I reported the issue immediately and followed up persistently — going to reception in person and messaging them multiple times a day — but I was met with vague responses, no clear explanation, and no sign that the matter was being taken seriously. Despite staying two full weeks, I had to leave without ever recovering my teddy bear. What made the situation worse was the complete lack of initiative from the hotel: no sincere apology, no updates unless I chased them, and no visible effort to resolve the matter. To add to this, I also noticed that a measuring cup I had personally purchased and left in the room had gone missing, likely taken during one of the housekeeping visits. While not as emotionally significant, it’s yet another example of the lack of care and attention from staff. Another major concern was security. After one of the cleanings, I returned from work to find that my room had been left unlocked — the lock had been turned in a way that prevented the door from latching shut. It wasn’t wide open, but anyone could have walked in while I was away for hours. There’s no reason why a cleaner should be interfering with the lock in that way, and forgetting to check that the door is fully closed shows serious carelessness. The quality of cleaning was also lacking. Even after I raised concerns the first time, vacuuming still wasn’t done during the second visit. After the first day, one of our towels was taken and never replaced, leaving two guests with just one towel for the remainder of the stay. Despite requesting a replacement, it was never brought. There is a clear pattern here — lack of care, poor communication, and no accountability. Based on other reviews I’ve read, it seems my experience was far from unique. One final downside: the room has no window, which was uncomfortable — especially after cooking — as there was no way to bring in fresh air or ventilation. For a supposed 4-star hotel charging over £200 a night, this experience was truly disappointing. I expected far better service, basic professionalism, and at the very least, a sincere apology when things went wrong. Sadly, I received none of those.