The Rookery Hotel

My husband and I just spent a week at this little hotel, and it is a find. If you aren’t into nonstop sightseeing and want a space to kick back and relax, this is a cosy convenient spot. Staff are very pleasant people, and there is not one but two self-serve bars on the honor system for payment. Two cautions: if you have mobility challenges, our room was up two flights of stairs, and the shower was in an old fashioned and somewhat slippery bath. Second, if you are allergic to cats, there is a lovely one on the premises. I miss my pets when traveling, so I was happy to see a tolerant cat around at the end of a busy day! We had breakfast in our room on two mornings and it was delicious and substantial. The hotel’s location is great too, very close to a tube station for the Elizabeth Line going to Heathrow. Good restaurants are also fairly close by. We will stay here again!

I got the worst room. I couldn't sleep because of the noise from the street, pick up vans, perhaps train (?), all sorts of noise until morning. The room was so hot. I kept waiting up. Nightmare. The room was very dark. Felt like dungeon. Pillows didn't smell nice at all. I would not stay here again.

Quintessentially British old world charm, but apparently quality service is reserved only for those who deemed ‘worthy’. Unfortunately I was treated differently compared to other guests. I can't say whether this was a case of racial profiling, or an assumption that I couldn't possibly belong at this hotel. I am a black british male, and all other guests were caucasian or of east asian decent. This includes the combative energy with which I was greeted upon check-in. No warm welcome, as I saw other guests receive. Just suspicion, with cold demands for me to produce my name, my passport. Odd for a hotel of this caliber, I thought. Before check-in was completed, the staff found reason to argue with me in an incredibly condescending tone - he would not accept that I had pre-paid for the room. His computer eventually proved me right (when he bothered to check). Mistakes happen, but why lecture me ("you are wrong, you've made a mistake") before checking? Another incident with different staff - I was asked to prove my identity after returning to the hotel one evening. The hotel insists that guests deposit room keys with front desk before exiting the hotel. Upon return, all other guests simply have to state the name of the room they have. During my 4 day stay I saw countless guests come and go without issue. But for some reason, it was only me who had to prove that the room belonged to me? Rather humiliating. This treatment left a sour taste in my mouth. So much so that I wrote to the hotel via WhatsApp upon checkout, requesting to discuss with the hotel manager and making my allegation very clear. The duty manager (worryingly) thanked me for not sharing my feedback via Booking.com, and after empty promises of a swift reply - I had to followup again 5 full days later before this matter was deemed deserving of a response. And that response was unsatisfactory - explaining my experience away ("security is of the upmost importance to us") without explaining why no other guests were subject to this treatment. The offer of a complimentary upgrade for a future booking, is certainly not enough to remedy this. And the statement from the manager that the hotel employs a diverse group of staff, only serves to rub salt into an open wound. Does that then justify my treatment? And does that mean there is no requirement for accountability when things evidently go wrong? Photos added purely to prove that I actually stayed at the hotel. For the record, the property itself and the rooms truly are great.