This is a tough one to review. Staff were very helpful and polite, gave us a fan and extra toilet paper when needed. Check-in was a bit rough as it was a new employee and a language barrier, but we got it sorted, and he was very polite. We forgot to put the 'do not disturb' sign out and came back to bed made and fresh towels. With that said, the room absolutely needs a deep clean. The carpet is stained, the curtains are stained, the bathroom grout lines have black mold on them, and even the walls have stains all over. I understand that deep cleaning every time would defeat the point of a budget hotel, but there should be some sort of weekly or at least monthly deep clean. Also, being on the basement floor, in the front of the building, it would be a good idea to instruct the cleaning crew not to open the curtains. I appreciate the gesture, but the street is very busy, and literally everyone could see all of our belongings in an empty room. Security should always be a concern on the ground and especially basement levels.
On the 3rd day of our stay, we were verbally attacked by a vagrant on the front steps that told us tourists need to leave. We told him to move along, and he did. No fault to the hotel for the lack of effort by the London police and local government, though. Perhaps some no loitering signs and clear CCTV will help.
Overall, the savings weren't worth it for us, but it wasn't a bad stay. It got the job done and saved us a couple hundred pounds.