Comfort Inn Westminster – Review of the cheap 3-star hotel in Pimlico

Photo: Craig Cross

Craig’s review… If you want a cheap 3-star then this is the kind of place you’re going to end up with. It’s not amazing, but it’s not rubbish either. It’s a perfectly decent little cheapo hotel.

They call it the Comfort Inn Westminster but it feels more like Pimlico to me. ‘Westminster’ makes it sound like it’s next-door to Big Ben, but it’s actually five-minutes walk away from Lambeth Bridge and a ten-minute walk to Victoria. Ideally you want to be staying a bit closer to the centre of town to save on bus fares, but this will do if it’s just for a few days.

The surrounding area is nice enough with big white columns out the front of the houses. You’re not going to bump into anyone famous, but you’re not going to bump into any muggers or murderers either – it’s a perfectly nice part of London.

Room facilities and ensuite bathroom

Photo: Craig Cross

Photo: Craig Cross

The room is small, but not as small as some of the 4-stars I’ve stayed at. The view is all right if you don’t mind staring at bricks. You get a shower and hairdryer, a kettle and three teabags, plus a couple of bottles of mineral water.

If this were a 4-star hotel then you can bet your life they’d be charging an extra three quid for each of those bottles because that’s how hotels operate: the more you pay for a room the more expensive everything else becomes. The more money you have, the more money they want. At a 3-star hotel you get complimentary teabags but at The Ritz you don’t even get a kettle – you have to order it in from room service for £6.50 a go! We all eat and drink the same stuff, but rich people pay five times the price for it. But they can afford it I suppose.

Photo: Craig Cross

Breakfast at the hotel restaurant

The breakfast is just a piece of toast and some of those fun-size cereal boxes, plus a pot of yoghurt and a croissant. But the breakfast room is cheerful enough.

To sum it all up then… it’s not the kind of place that you’re going to rave about, but it’s a perfectly decent little 3-star hotel that will keep you happy for a few nights.

Worth a stay? ★★☆Value for money? ★★☆Nice rooms? ★★☆Good location? ★★☆

The author Craig Cross owns city-guide.london and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon. This review was updated on 1st September 2023