Thursday 23rd July Have I told you about the Paddington Hotel? It is located in Bayswater on Gloucester Terrace and is about a 10 minute walk to Paddington Station and a 5 minute walk to Lancaster Gate Tube Station. Hyde Park and Kensington Park are also only a 5 minute walk away.

The hotel has 17 rooms and is a four story walk up. Meaning that there is no lift. Our room 709 in on the second floor and 43 steps from the lobby, 49 steps to the street and 60 steps to the breakfast room in the basement. The basement is below ground level but there is a window onto a court yard so is not a dark hole of a room.

Our room is very spacious about 4m by 5m but our ensuite is only a one person at a time room. It's 8 by 7 - 200mm tiles and has a toilet, shower and a basin! It's very adequate. We have lots of storage in drawers and a wardrobe. We have an opening window on the corner of the road that looks out down the street towards the park.

Continental breakfasts come with the price of the room and are similar to what we have had previously. Very good value but it's 60 steps down and 60 steps back to the room afterwards to clean your teeth. I wouldn't like to be on the 4th floor though.

The owners have applied to the council to put in a lift each of the past three years but have not had permission.