Review of Ruskin Hotel 3*

This is a lovely hotel with modern, clean facilities. At first glance we were confused about what we had stepped into, being as we'd inadvertently walked in to the pub facade of the hotel! (It is really lovely pub, by the way… more on that in a minute) A quick detour round the corner brought us to a modern glass fronted hotel reception that was clean, bright and nicely accommodated. The staff here are incredibly professional and helpful with excellent local knowledge. A ridiculously quick check in later and we were headed up to our room in the lift (insert lift music here… there wasn't any in the actual lift, thankfully! ) We entered our room and were genuinely surprised at how fresh and stylish it was. Well lit, with a large safe (the with jiggling, took a 17inch laptop), a good sized TV, spacious bathroom with large shower cubicle and two single beds… wait, what the… (This is where I admit to the better half that I wasn't paying attention when booking this happy accident). A quick push together later and an episode of "When spouses turn killer" was avoided… phew. The window afforded views across wider London and was nicer than many views in London hotels I've stayed in, over the past. We decided to do a reconnoitre of the facility we would be at the next day and learn the route so we were stress free in the morning and the reception staff were like transport ninjas, with prices, times, alternate routes… So off we went. When we returned we were greeted with a busy little pub in a bustling community, wondering if we'd struggle with sleeping. We needn't have worried as the room was quiet and cool with the Air Con on. Fast forward 7 hours and we're figuring out the shower (which is bloody brilliant) after one of the best nights sleep we've had in a hotel. Its worth noting my better half is a terrible sleeper, but she slept like the dead (still no episode of spouses turning killer… the mumbling showed she was still with us). Showered, dressed and up to date with local news, we were off to breakfast which is staged in the pub downstairs. A wonderful array of food was on offer including sausage, scrambled eggs, beans and a daily assortment of potatoes based options (hah browns, croquet etc). Not to mention a range of cereals, toastable items and fruits, with hams and cheeses. Tea, coffee orange juice and milk were there too… you get the idea, they were fattening us up for a sacrifice to the hotel gods. It really was a lovely breakfast in a well spaced out, quite environment. This same space transforms in to a fun, reasonably priced, quirky pub by night with 2 pool tables and a great bar staff, surrounded by friendly locals who offered to take us out partying (had we not had 4x 18 hr days, we'd have been all over that offer). There was a couple (I assume, though could be wrong, often am! ) Overseeing the breakfast arena that were truely lovely people and so happy to help, who worked quietly to keep the place tidy and tables available quickly… they were unsung heros. This high standard continued for our 5 day visit without fail and our room was beautifully turned out each morning. All in, The Ruskin Arms was a very happy accident to have found, and so well priced for the unobtrusive way we were looked after. Would we stay here again? Yes, going so far as to say I'd be inclined to only stay here on visits to London as it was a wonderful place, in an eclectic little community of lovely people. I hope this helps inform your decision.