For the hampton park show this is ideally sited, being across the road from the gate. This is its only plus.
Parking is very tight and narrow.
The rooms are on the small side but are perfectly adquate for a place to sleep, BUT the decor of our room ( chocolate brown wallpaper with golden shapes with a brown carpet) felt chosen by a bloke in the mid 90s. It was shoddily kept ( where the white melomine had broken down around the bath was covered with large dabs of white emulsion; bits of wallpaper stuck over damaged areas on the walls,etc). Our bed wasn't especially small, but was lumpy, hard and uncomfortable.
The carpet around the bed wasn't hoovered during our 2 day stay.
The self service breakfast was completely average.
Overall, a fair hotel for a £60-70 room in any town. However here we were charged £175 a nightt!!

I arrived at the Liongate Hotel, Hampton Court Road, Hampton Court, London KT8 9DD, and when checking in, enquired as to whether I was too late for the dinner meal (indicated on the fax as having a value as not greater than £21.00) only to be told that the 'hotel' does not
cook or serve ANY meals at the weekend and the next available meal would be breakfast the following morning.

My room was room 7 which was 2 floors up and when I got there, I was to find that the fun was only beginning (and I mean that rather sarcastically believe me) as when I entered the room I found that all
was not as it perhaps should be.

A prison cell is 7 foot by 6 foot, and the room I was in including the bathroom was 9 foot by 8.5 foot, and now let me outline to you what was to be found therein...

BATHROOM

1. A ceiling crack which ran from one side of the ceiling to the other and some plasterwork fit to fall out of place;

2. Scum and milldew formed around the edge of the bath and a streak line of it from the base of the tap unit right down side of bath into plughole;

3. Brown water stain marks on the tiling around the area where sealant would normally be located;

4. Tiling pieces missing, replaced with milldew;

5. Towels provided were unclean.

I decided that I should make a mini-recording of the conditions and did so with my mobile phone recorder and sent the recording back to colleagues in Ireland so that they could see for themselves how I was
being 'looked after' and the bedroom was no better...

BEDROOM

1. Nail clippings near the right hand side of the bedside locker were
very evident to the naked eye;

2. Cushions alongside the pillows were filthy and white-stained, the natural hair oils of other guests was very evident on the cushions alone and that is saying nothing about the pillows themselves;

3. The bedthrow at the end of the bed was similarily stained;

4. Between the sheets which I pulled back was the remains of a moth or two (I was not going to dissect to count) and the sheet was also stained with body fluids;

5. The normal service of a kettle and cup/saucers with mini servings of tea and coffee was available - with one teabag and 2 mini-milk pots.

6. Only one staff member on at all times and it only came to light yesterday that they had not passed on at least 5 mesages to me from others looking for me.

I felt the best thing for me to do was to ensure a good night sleep for myself was return to Heathrow Airport and attempt to get some semblence of normality and sleep.

The Staff were very friendly and the food very good. The rooms were clean and pleasant.

We will definitely visit this hotel again.

This area of Kingston (SW London) is very popular with tourists given it's proximity to Hampton Court. Indeed The Liongate Hotel is literally next door.

The location generally commands a higher price than some others, but expect to get a double room for about £80 if you negotiate. (2006 price)

Bushey Park is also next door and offers beautiful walks. The spring daffodils have to be seen to be believed. Nearby are Thorpe Park and Chessington theme parks, Lego Land and Windsor Castle are 45 mintes away.

Although we haven't eaten an evening meal there, breakfast is good and the Italian restaraunt a couple of doors away is to be recommended. There is a pub across the road and a couple of others close by.