Day One : 24th March 2012 – Paddington, London.
Arrivals are preferable to departures in my view. And my pre Maldives weekend in London proves the point. Albeit via the Ascot Hotel near Paddington Station.
Now since I’m on holiday I figure the laws of libel and defamation don’t apply. However, since my employers may be reading this, I’ll stick to honest facts.
Fact : I can honestly say I’ve never stayed in a worse hotel than the Ascot Hyde Park in London. Actually, I should correct that. I didn’t stay. The phrase “not enough room to swing a cat in” could well have been invented here. I’m not all that fussy when it comes to space but this was something else. What’s more, the unhelpful man on reception informed me that I’d have to pay a £20 deposit for a TV remote control!
“We have lots of problems with people stealing them. But if you just want to use your fingers the TV will still work.” It didn’t.
Fortunately the bluetooth connection on my phone did work, allowing me to go straight online and find another hotel. The room rate at the Ascot wasn’t refundable, though my email to Trading Standards might end up costing them more.
NewsMutt 