Inside hotel with 'death stairs' where guests 'stretch over dangerous drop' to use loo

Visitors to St Athans Hotel successful Camden, London, person said they person to navigate a "dangerous" driblet requiring "acrobatic skills" connected stairs conscionable to get to the toilet

Rattled guests assertion they had to agelong implicit "death stairs" astatine a London hotel that you should lone enactment astatine "if you aren't acrophobic of heights and similar a small danger".

Photos person been shared of St Athans Hotel successful Camden wherever visitors person said they request to measurement implicit a unsafe driblet conscionable to spell to the toilet. The images posted connected Facebook and TripAdvisor from the Georgian townhouse amusement the spread betwixt a third-floor country and a shared bath that 1 impermanent said required 'acrobatic skills' to debar falling down.

Its bladed and twisting steps starring from each country articulation unneurotic earlier a steep driblet of 9 much travel down to the 2nd floor. 'Curtain rod-like' bannisters tin beryllium seen lining the partition to assistance visitors' descents with Facebook users joking the assistance is useful to 'avoid definite doom'.

One impermanent warned tourists to debar the edifice 'unless you person a bully grip, aren't acrophobic of heights and similar a small danger' arsenic the stairs are a 'serious information issue'. But the Tripadvisor reappraisal was slammed by a antheral claiming to beryllium the edifice proprietor who said the stairs 'have handrails, which seems to beryllium capable for our overzealous Health & Safety Executive'.

However the UK Government's Health and Safety Executive person said they don't cheque the information of hotels arsenic it's Camden Council's responsibility. Council information bosses person reacted to the online complaints by pledging to motorboat an 'immediate investigation' to 'take immoderate indispensable enactment to guarantee that everyone is protected from harm'.

The Tripadvisor response, claiming to beryllium penned by the edifice owner, described the steep steps arsenic 1 of the Georgian townhouse's 'many quirks' and claimed the impermanent could person booked a little country instead. In the aggravated rant helium blasts complaining guests who 'often take the cheapest edifice and the cheapest country and wonderment wherefore they haven't gotten everything they'd expect'.

A viral Facebook station made by different visitant describes them arsenic 'death stairs' with users imagining however hard negotiating the stairs astatine nighttime oregon aft a fewer drinks. The poster joked that other assurance from a fewer alcoholic drinks helped tackle them but horrified observers slammed the stairs arsenic a 'death trap'.

The Tripadvisor reappraisal said: "Maybe this edifice is for young people, not arsenic overmuch for 2 middle-aged pudgy radical and their 2 teenage kids. Our country was connected the apical level - 3 flights of precise steep stairs - but we had nary occupation with that, though it wasn't amusive aft a agelong time of sightseeing.

"The country accommodated each 4 of america good capable due to the fact that we were conscionable sleeping determination for 2 nights truthful we didn't truly attraction excessively overmuch astir country to determination astir oregon amenities. There was nary bath successful the room. Ok, I tin bash that, nary large deal. But the bathrooms were either down the stairs to the landing (fun astatine 3am) oregon crossed this brainsick staircase setup that required definite acrobatic skills.

"The showers were lone disposable crossed the super-dangerous step setup! It is hard to describe, truthful I've attached a picture. Unless you person a bully grip, aren't acrophobic of heights and similar a small information successful your edifice stay, don't enactment here. Or astatine slightest don't enactment connected the apical level (I person nary thought of the acceptable up connected the different floors).

"The radical were precise bully and the country itself was conscionable fine, but I cannot urge this edifice to anyone owed to the superior information issues." The afloat effect claiming to beryllium from the edifice proprietor reads: "Thanks for the review, it seems that galore of your points could person been dealt with earlier you booked arsenic we bash person ensuite and little level rooms, you conscionable request to inquire for those erstwhile booking.

"It seems that radical often take the cheapest edifice and the cheapest country and wonderment wherefore they haven't gotten everything they'd expect. The St Athans is situated successful an historical Georgian townhouse which has galore quirks, including immoderate steep steps from the 2nd to 3rd floor.

"All staircases person handrails, which seems to beryllium capable for our overzealous Health & Safety Executive, and astir people, though intelligibly from the review, not all. Please cheque retired our website earlier you book, truthful you cognize what benignant of spot we are, and if you person immoderate requests, conscionable fto america cognize and we'll effort and accommodate you. If we can't connection you what you request past we'll beryllium blessed to urge different hotels successful the area."

One visitant who posted astir the stairs connected Facebook was flooded with replies baffled by the arguable set-up. The Facebook post, which has much than 1,000 likes, said: "I recovered these beauties astatine a edifice successful London. Shared bathrooms, the arrow shows the mode I had to spell from our country to the bathroom. There was a doorway either broadside arsenic well, conscionable to marque it that small spot much fun!"

One idiosyncratic commented: "Imagine having a hard nighttime connected the beers and getting up for your 3am p**s to stumble crossed this beauty." Another jokingly replied: "I deliberation I could navigate these amended if I was p**s drunk." The poster added: "That small spot of other assurance truly helped!" A 2nd commented: "Not wheelchair affable then!"

The poster replied: "Admittedly they did accidental that connected the website." A 3rd joked: "Hey, astatine slightest you person those ablution curtain rods bolted to the partition to clasp onto to debar definite doom." The poster replied: "They truly were a bully touch!" Another idiosyncratic commented: "I person been to loads of properties with staircases similar these. They are a decease trap." Another joked: "I'd inquire for a bucket." One added: "Ask for a tray and descent down them."

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “The information of each radical visiting and moving successful hotels successful the borough is highly important to us. We are carrying retired an contiguous probe into the information and compliance of this staircase and volition instrumentality immoderate indispensable enactment to guarantee that everyone is protected from harm.” The Mirror has contacted St Athans Hotel for comment.