Hilton London Paddington

This was the first hotel I stayed at on my arrival in the UK. I checked in around 11 PM after a delayed flight, feeling incredibly tired due to jet lag and the cold weather, all while traveling with young children aged three and four. To my dismay, the air conditioning in the room they assigned me was broken, making the duvet far too thin – it felt like a summer quilt! When I asked the staff for a thicker duvet, they refused. They fiddled with the AC, saying they'd check back later. It was indeed broken, so they brought a small space heater, which also turned out to be faulty! I called them again, and they replaced the space heater and finally provided an additional 1.2m duvet. This whole ordeal took quite a while. I really had no other demands for the hotel, just that it shouldn't be cold; I absolutely dread the cold! The upside is its proximity to Paddington Station – it's right next to it.

Ten years ago, I stayed on a street right next to the Hilton and always told myself I had to stay at the hotel one day. Ten years later, that dream came true, and it was during the Christmas holidays! What a historic, cultured, and unique hotel.