3 /5 Juan Cabrera: We stayed for three nights at The Black Lion in Kilburn, near West Hampstead, as our niece lives very close by and recommended that we stay there. The location itself was not necessarily our first choice, but it was convenient for visiting family.
There were several positive aspects to our stay. The staff were consistently friendly and respectful, and we appreciated their welcoming attitude throughout our visit. Our room was very nice—well maintained, clean, and spacious. We had a double bed as well as a sofa bed, which gave our family of four plenty of room and made the stay comfortable from a space perspective.
However, there were a few issues that significantly affected our experience.
First, there was very little noise insulation in the room. We were on the second floor, and each morning around 5 or 6 a.m., we could clearly hear cars, trucks, and even music playing outside the window. The street noise was loud enough to wake us up daily, which made it difficult to get proper rest.
Second, some maintenance details could be handled more carefully. For example, the bathroom door had a lock, but it came loose and fell off during our stay, and we were unable to reattach it. Small issues like this give the impression that certain details are not being fully checked.
Finally, the breakfast was disappointing. Given the pricing—over £300 per night in our case—the breakfast experience could be significantly improved, especially considering that the pub has a full kitchen that it uses for lunch, dinner, and Sunday roast. The offering felt quite basic relative to the overall cost of the stay.
Overall, while the room itself and the staff were strong positives, the noise levels, maintenance issue, and breakfast quality made the stay less comfortable than we had hoped.
