Wilde Cambridge City Centre

I saw recommendations on Xiaohongshu saying this hotel brand was great and even allowed for simple cooking. So, I booked six nights in Paddington, and then another night in Cambridge the day before yesterday. That's when things started to go sideways. For the six nights in Paddington, I specifically requested no corner room when I booked two months in advance, but I still ended up in one. When I got in, the table was broken, and there was only one chair, tied with a rope, also broken. Following the 'since I'm already here' mantra, I put up with it. (My mom said she saw other rooms with three chairs.) Then came Cambridge's Wilde. We arrived yesterday and tried to check in at 1 PM, but didn't get our room key until 7 PM. We had three large suitcases, and they told us there was no elevator. A white male staff member was told to carry our luggage up. He left before even getting the luggage to our door, saying "you are welcome" three times as he walked away. At the time, I thought, 'I didn't even thank him,' but then I realized he was hinting at a tip. Because there was a Chinese girl in the lobby who told me there was an elevator in their section of rooms, I went downstairs to inquire at the front desk, and also to mention the room, because it was *another* corner room! The white female receptionist rolled her eyes at me impatiently and told me there was no elevator in this building and that I hadn't requested 'no corner room.' Fine, I immediately contacted Ctrip. Ctrip called me and emphasized repeatedly that they *had* included my request, but the front desk wouldn't admit it. Ctrip then offered a solution: a 150 voucher. But wait, the hotel was clearly discriminating against Chinese people, why should Ctrip compensate me on their behalf? I decisively refused. Then came today. Check-out was at 11 AM. I asked the front desk to help me with my luggage. This time, a Filipino girl told me there was an elevator in the corner that I could use to go down. (Me? The white female staff yesterday swore there was no elevator!) At that moment, a Ctrip customer service representative was on the phone with me, so the three parties discussed the situation over the phone. The front desk staff said they would report it to the manager and offered us a three-hour late check-out and three drink vouchers... (When the Ctrip agent called the front desk, they said it was impossible to discriminate against Chinese guests, as 90% of their hotel guests were Chinese. I truly scoffed at that; they probably thought they could get away with it again and maybe even get a tip to keep us happy.) This morning, the Ctrip customer service manager contacted me, saying they'd emailed the hotel manager but received no reply. So, they called again to negotiate. I can summarize the hotel manager's response as: "That's completely false, the customer is lying, and the surveillance footage isn't clear." (Even abroad, they have excuses like 'missing surveillance footage' [doge].)

The room was incredibly dirty and unhygienic. As soon as I walked in, I saw short and long hairs and debris all over the floor! Worse yet, there were hairs and sandy grit all over the bed, which was disgusting! The breakfast was also terrible, so I didn't even eat it before checking out! This quality simply doesn't justify the nearly 4000 price tag! I will not be booking here again!

After checking out, I mistakenly thought I'd left my Apple Watch at the hotel. Arthur, a hotel staff member, was incredibly kind and helpful, searching for it for a long time. It turned out to be my own mistake, as I found the watch in my luggage. I'm so, so grateful to that staff member. The hotel room was very clean, with new and luxurious facilities, and the location was excellent. Plus, they offer complimentary sparkling water! This was the most satisfying hotel I booked in the UK.

The environment is great and cozy. The facilities are modern, comprehensive, and very user-friendly. The food is also delicious. We even cooked some of our own meals. It's a very satisfying hotel. However, it's a bit tough for guests arriving by train with large luggage because you have to walk through the entire Cambridge campus, and the path is quite difficult.

Environment: I didn't have high expectations for this hotel initially, as the room size is quite small and the price isn't high. However, after checking in, I found it to be much better than I imagined. I even managed to fully open my two large suitcases! Facilities: There's even a small kitchenette, although we didn't use it. They also have a heated clothes hanger. The only thing I found a bit inconvenient was the small bathroom sink, which wasn't very practical for applying makeup. Hygiene: Decent. Service: I believe there wasn't complimentary drinking water or slippers, but since I brought my own, I didn't bother to ask.

The room was great, with a well-equipped kitchen perfect for making breakfast. The bathroom had a heated towel rack, and the shower was spacious with excellent drainage. The lobby restaurant also served good food.