"Close to Paddington" The Darlington Hyde Park Tip by hayward68

This small but comfortable hotel is supposedly quite popular from what I saw of reviews online, and I'd have no trouble recommending this place as long as you get a decent price.
It's located on Sussex Gardens which is a street filled with hotels. About a 5 to 10 minute walk to Paddington Station so handy if arriving from Heathrow and taking the Heathrow Express.
My room was on the 1st floor though actually it was half a floor up, which meant I took my suitcase up one flight on the lift, down the end of the hall and down half a flight of stairs. Realized later that I could have done past the lift, through the doors and drag suitcase up half a flight of stairs. The hotel takes up two Victorian townhouses which is why some rooms are not on the same level as the elevator.
However, my room was a decent size for a single and the bathroom was quite nice. What was great about the bathroom is that, although it only had a shower stall, there was a large ledge most of the way around the room which allowed me to spread my stuff out, always a plus. The towels could be hung over the heater, doubling as a towel warmer or drying rack if doing some laundry.
My room was a bit different in that you opened the door into a hallway which the bathroom was off of to the right, then at the end of this small hallway was another door leading to the room. It's a fire door so must remain closed. And the room and bathroom were bright as there were lots of windows, 3 in the bedroom alone.
The bed was a small single, a TV supplied along with tea and coffee making facilities, and biscuits!
The hotel was a lounge in the reception room if you feel like hanging out there and reading a paper, someone was doing this while I checked out.
Access to the hotel is either by your hotel room key (like a credit card) or by buzzer. When you first arrive you must buzz reception to get in until you receive your room key.

Unique Qualities: A great feature to this hotel is the rooms all come with a small refridgerator which makes it easier to eat cheaply in the city. I had a long bus ride the following day so was able to stock up on food and store them until I left for the bus.
Breakfast is included and is available in the basement of the hotel but this room is bright as there is a skylight. There's a buffet and a hot cooked breakfast is available as well. I helped myself to juice and buns until my breakfast arrived.

I managed to get a price of ?55 for my single room, rack rate is ?95, from www.londontown.com

UPDATE!!

I went back to this hotel Feb 2009, still pleased with it, rooms seem to have been updated. Had a tiny bathroom this time around, smallest sink I've ever seen! But it was very clean and updated. Reception was great when I showed up at 7am with my bags, sent me downstairs to the loo to freshen up and they stored my luggage until my room was ready. Prices higher, paid 65 for a single this time around.

Address: 111-117 Sussex Gardens
Comparison: about average
Directions: One block down and one block over from Paddington if you come out of the train station to Praed street via the alley like street near left luggage. Go down London St one block, cross the street and turn left, down a block.
Phone: (020) 7460 8800
Price: US$120-180
Theme: Hotel
Website: http://www.darlingtonhotel.com/