City Sleeper at Royal National Hotel is located in central London, offering a convenient base for visitors exploring the city. This hotel features comfortable rooms equipped with modern amenities, catering to both leisure and business travelers. Guests can enjoy on-site dining options, ideal for a hearty breakfast or casual meal. The hotel's central location allows easy access to various attractions, including the British Museum and Russell Square. With its welcoming atmosphere and practical facilities, it provides an excellent choice for those looking to experience the best of London.
What each source says
Bar length is review volume, so you can see how much weight sits behind each score. Captured 2026-08-26.
What visitors single out
Liked
- Attentive, Friendly Staff The service team is repeatedly commended for being welcoming, responsive, and genuinely helpful with local recommendations and guest requests, creating a positive overall service experience.
- Clean, Modern Rooms Guests consistently report that rooms are spotlessly clean, well-maintained, and feature modern decor and bathroom facilities that feel fresh, updated, and high-quality.
- Comfortable Bedding Many reviewers highlight the high comfort levels of the beds and pillows, which are frequently cited as key contributors to a restful and high-quality night's sleep.
- Excellent Buffet Breakfast The breakfast service is widely praised, offering a vast, high-quality selection of hot and cold items that provide great value and a strong start to the day.
- Prime Central Location Perfectly situated near the Russell Square tube station and the British Museum, making it incredibly easy to walk to major attractions, shops, and various transport links across London.
Criticised
- Inadequate Ventilation Beyond the lack of A/C, many guests note that windows often do not open wide enough to allow for proper airflow, significantly exacerbating the heat and stuffiness inside guest rooms.
- Inefficient Check-in Queues The hotel is large and very busy, often leading to long, frustrating waits at reception, complicated further by confusing signage that makes navigating between different building sections difficult.
- Limited Room Amenities Rooms lack convenient features such as mini-fridges, microwaves, or sufficient space for luggage, which can feel cramped and inconvenient for longer stays or those requiring extra storage.
- No Air Conditioning The lack of A/C is the most common complaint, as rooms can become unbearably stuffy and hot during warmer months, with the provided fans often failing to provide sufficient relief.
- Significant Noise Disturbances Due to thin walls and single-glazed windows, guests often report being kept awake by street traffic, courtyard noise, or sounds from adjacent rooms, which is difficult for light sleepers.
The longer read
City Sleeper at the Royal National Hotel is an upgraded section of a larger complex, offering a distinct experience characterized by modern, clean, and well-maintained rooms. Multiple reviewers consistently praise the hotel's prime location, which is a significant advantage for tourists. Situated within a 5-minute walk of the Russell Square Underground station (Piccadilly Line), guests benefit from direct transit access to Heathrow Airport and key London attractions like the British Museum, Covent Garden, and Oxford Street. The hotel is surrounded by numerous local restaurants and coffee shops, making it a highly convenient base for city exploration. Guests frequently highlight the cleanliness of the rooms, the comfort of the beds, and the efficiency of the staff, many of whom are described as friendly and accommodating.
However, potential guests must be aware of significant drawbacks that appear in numerous accounts, particularly regarding climate and soundproofing. A recurring and dominant complaint is the total lack of air conditioning. Even when provided with a portable fan, many guests found rooms unbearable during warm weather or heatwaves, as windows often have restricted opening capabilities, preventing adequate cross-ventilation. Furthermore, the hotel suffers from poor sound insulation. Rooms facing the street or the internal courtyard often experience significant noise from traffic, delivery trucks, or patrons at the on-site pub and cafe, which can persist late into the night. While some guests were provided with earplugs, light sleepers may find this environment disruptive.
Operational aspects draw mixed feedback. The check-in and luggage storage processes are frequent points of frustration due to long queues and occasional disorganization, as the hotel serves a very high volume of guests. While the breakfast buffet is generally considered excellent, offering a wide selection and good value, some travelers noted that the dining area can get crowded and hectic. Amenities in the rooms are functional but basic; several guests expressed disappointment at the absence of a mini-fridge, microwave, or more substantial hanging space. The bathrooms are modern, yet some guests found the layout, particularly the half-glass shower doors, leads to water spilling onto the floor.
Ultimately, City Sleeper offers a solid value-for-money proposition for travelers prioritizing a central, well-connected location and clean, modern sleeping quarters over luxury or quiet. It is well-suited for those who plan to spend their days exploring London and just need a reliable, safe place to sleep. However, those sensitive to noise, heat, or lacking in-room creature comforts like air conditioning and refrigerators should carefully weigh these factors before booking, particularly during the summer months.
A synthesis of published third-party reviews. Not written by Breaks.
Getting there
- Phone
- +442076372488
- Website
- imperialhotels.co.uk/hotels/city-sleeper/?utm_source=mybusiness&utm_medium=organic
- Check in
- 14:00 · out 11:00
Facilities
- 24 Hours
- Accepts Credit Cards
- Accessible
- Air Conditioning
- Bar
- Cafe
- Concierge
- Convenience Store
- Dining Area
- Electric Kettle
- Family Rooms
- Heating
- Housekeeping
- Internet
- Laundry
- Non Smoking Rooms
Against the neighbourhood
Rated 3.9 against a median of 3.9 across the 36 venues we hold for Bloomsbury, where the most-reviewed is President Hotel.
Booking
Still deciding?
- What amenities are available in the rooms at City Sleeper?
- Is breakfast included in the room rate?
- What are the check-in and check-out times?
- How far is the hotel from public transportation and key attractions?
- What is the cancellation policy for bookings?
What this page cannot tell you
- Descriptions and review summaries are supplied by the source index and are reproduced as published; they are not independently verified by Breaks.
- Ratings and review counts are point-in-time snapshots and drift constantly. Check the venue's own site or the rating provider for the current figure.
- Opening hours change seasonally and at short notice. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
- Category labels come from the source index and are occasionally wrong — a venue may be filed under a type that does not match how it trades.
- Straight-line distances understate real walking distance, especially where a river or railway sits between two points.