have stayed at the lear 3 times...great location...extreemly helpful staff, great english breakfast....rooms are small, but we're only in them for sleeping, (don't go to london to stay in my room)..they we're renovating during our last trip, but recomended another fine little hotel...i'm sure i'll stay there again...bob white...canada

I have been staying at Edward Lear on numerous occasions since 2005 and the experience has been pleasant every single time.

The location simply can’t get any better – it’s on the quiet street behind Marble Arch, which guarantees you a good night sleep and at the same time it’s literally seconds away from Oxford Street. Bus stop is right across the street. When out of Marble Arch tube station take right and in about a minute there will be a mini market and a pharmacy.

I’ve been to few different single rooms. The bed is very very comfortable, even more so the pillows are too, which is a total plus for me with my neck. They clean the room every day, there’s always a change of towels. In the single room there are a bed, a wardrobe, TVset (lots of channels), 2 drawer units, a kettle, tea bags and all sorts of tea/coffee making stuff. Simple? Yes! But what more do you need? Someone said about cracks on the walls, I saw it in one of the rooms, but it wasn’t big and there was nothing falling off. You have to be reasonable, it’s not 5 stars plus if you’re coming to London to sit in the hotel and look at the walls then there’s something wrong there. Having said that I did notice some improvements and repairs done in one of the room between my 2 trips, so they do some work. Single rooms are not en-suite, the bathroom and a shower are on the floor. I do have to say that bathroom / shower on the first floor is much better than one on the higher floor, where there’s a bathtub instead of a shower cabin and the shower is handheld – that is inconvenient, but you manage. Also it is less modern, but both were always very clean, there was always hot water, very strong pressure. I usually didn’t have to wait, maybe once for about 10 minutes because it was occupied

There is little cozy lounge with free Internet, very convenient and also rarely you have to wait for long since there’s a 15 minutes rule, if no one’s waiting you can use it for longer.
The breakfast room is small but very cozy, there might be some waiting involved when they’re fully booked and everyone goes for breakfast at the same time, but you never have to wait longer than 5-10 minutes. The breakfast itself smells so good, that if you’re staying in the room on the first floor it’ll get you out of the bed :) There’s apple/orange juice, coffee, milk, lots of choice of cereals, the [very well] cooked breakfast of your choice out of menu (sausages, tomatoes, beans, eggs, bacon).

The staff and ladies at the reception are very friendly, very helpful, always there, always greet you with a smile, even when you arrive after midnight. There a safe and I felt very safe leaving my documents with them. There’s a book shelf and you can help yourself out, just don’t forget to put it back :) I once had mail delivered to hotel like weeks before arrival and they kept it for me with no problem.

I travel a lot and always on a budget and there are 4 main things that count for me when I choose my accommodation: clean sheets/towels (comfy bed is always a plus), hot water, location and affordable price and at Edward Lear you get that plus a delicious breakfast and friendly people who work there. I stay only there every time I’m in London.

An inexpensive hotel, but price isn't enough to offset the issues. Hotel is still under renovation and apparently from other reviews it has been for some time. No evidence of any work taking place. Having lived in Europe for 3 years now, we're accustomed to small rooms, but our room was small, the carpet was extremely dirty, not a single chair to sit on or place to put luggage. We were there over a very cold weekend and the cold draft came thru the window like it wasn't fully closed. Made worse by the fact that the bed was directly underneath the window. Also, the heater in the room didn't work, though the one in the bathroom did (thus our only source of heat). The water pressure in the shower was so weak that it was basically a trickle. Many other issues with the hotel as well. Staff was friendly and helpful, however. Maybe the only positive other than it's a pretty good location. Would not stay here again.

There was guest house called lear
that wouldn't win hotel of the year
yet it's qirky, quaint and expensive it ain't
with staff that deserve a big cheer.