Where to stay in London?
Jan 1, 2008, 5:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,945
Where to stay in London?
I normally stay at Claridge's but it is the new year so I'm hoping to spice up my life. 
Friends have recommended Brown's, the Halkin, and the Four Seasons and I'd like to hear:
a) your comments on their recommendations
b) your own recommendations
Please and thank you!
Friends have recommended Brown's, the Halkin, and the Four Seasons and I'd like to hear:
a) your comments on their recommendations
b) your own recommendations
Please and thank you!
Jan 1, 2008, 5:46 am
#2
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
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Try The Soho Hotel - top quality Firmdale property with substantially more life to it than Claridges! However, Claridges and One Aldwych tend to remain the standard bearers.
Difficult to recommend any of the three you mentoned. The FS is due a refurb this year but is currently stuck in a 1980's time warp. I can't even face going into it for a drink yet alone staying there. The Canary Wharf FS is very pleasant but a bit pointless unless you have a reason to be over there - although it is very cheap at weekends.
Difficult to recommend any of the three you mentoned. The FS is due a refurb this year but is currently stuck in a 1980's time warp. I can't even face going into it for a drink yet alone staying there. The Canary Wharf FS is very pleasant but a bit pointless unless you have a reason to be over there - although it is very cheap at weekends.
Jan 1, 2008, 6:16 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,945
Try The Soho Hotel - top quality Firmdale property with substantially more life to it than Claridges! However, Claridges and One Aldwych tend to remain the standard bearers.
Difficult to recommend any of the three you mentoned. The FS is due a refurb this year but is currently stuck in a 1980's time warp. I can't even face going into it for a drink yet alone staying there. The Canary Wharf FS is very pleasant but a bit pointless unless you have a reason to be over there - although it is very cheap at weekends.
Difficult to recommend any of the three you mentoned. The FS is due a refurb this year but is currently stuck in a 1980's time warp. I can't even face going into it for a drink yet alone staying there. The Canary Wharf FS is very pleasant but a bit pointless unless you have a reason to be over there - although it is very cheap at weekends.
Will consider the Soho Hotel, thank you. ^
Jan 1, 2008, 7:26 am
#4
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If you like Claridge's then I would suggest the Dorchester. Same classic London hotel but better done and a definite step up. However they tend to not treat all guests the same (which can either be to your benefit or work against you). For a first stay you needed Concorde baggage tags (in the old days) ...
Jan 1, 2008, 9:35 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,298
hairpeace
not sure about the SOHO hotel.......may look nice but the locale is way too hip for its own good......the days of XXXadult cinemas and sex shop still linger in my mind ..so i am biased..i am aware of the transformation of soho....but if you insist on a firmdale hotel then do try out the covent garden or the haymarket hotel which is in the area.
i would recommend rocco forte;s BROWN in mayfair or ......the lowndes by Jumeirah .in knightsbridge...wise to get a suite.
others that come to mind would be the smaller but newish Franklins.
i do like BROWNS which is well located esp if you had wanted to stay teh the 4 seasons
not sure about the SOHO hotel.......may look nice but the locale is way too hip for its own good......the days of XXXadult cinemas and sex shop still linger in my mind ..so i am biased..i am aware of the transformation of soho....but if you insist on a firmdale hotel then do try out the covent garden or the haymarket hotel which is in the area.
i would recommend rocco forte;s BROWN in mayfair or ......the lowndes by Jumeirah .in knightsbridge...wise to get a suite.
others that come to mind would be the smaller but newish Franklins.
i do like BROWNS which is well located esp if you had wanted to stay teh the 4 seasons
Jan 1, 2008, 11:52 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NW8 London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,065
Not even worth staying at!
Try the MO great location and nice staff.
The dorchester you cant go wrong and even if you dont stay make sure you pay China Tang a visit for dinner!
The Mandeville hotel penthouse suite its about the same price as a room at Claridges and the service is always as good if not better than that of the SOHO which i find overrated TBH!
The Mayfair is worth looking at if you can get a suite at decent price!
But from your list i like the Halkin its nice restful and has a superb restaurant!
Im anti hotel room as you can see
Try the MO great location and nice staff.
The dorchester you cant go wrong and even if you dont stay make sure you pay China Tang a visit for dinner!
The Mandeville hotel penthouse suite its about the same price as a room at Claridges and the service is always as good if not better than that of the SOHO which i find overrated TBH!
The Mayfair is worth looking at if you can get a suite at decent price!
But from your list i like the Halkin its nice restful and has a superb restaurant!
Im anti hotel room as you can see
Last edited by moonbeam; Jan 1, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Jan 1, 2008, 12:54 pm
#11
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http://www.departures.com/articles/haymarket-hotel
(login - john smith / password - 371909)
rates from $500, but hmm, i wonder if tablet plus ($195/yr) can get you upgrade from 47m2 dlx jr suite ($910) > 85m2 1BR suite ($3500)
One Aldwych seems the best regarded here.
the upper suites @ the Metropolitan seem a lot better than Halkin, not sure how property compares. both are Como.
you might also consider the Connaught and the Berkeley, perhaps booking through someone you know at Claridges, since you are a regular there. (all Maybourne)
(login - john smith / password - 371909)
Four Seasons used to be the one hotel brand that routinely got service right from the very month it opened a new property. Now the boutiquelike Firmdale Hotels can claim the same accolade: The London-based company (Charlotte Street, The Soho, and Covent Garden Hotels) unveiled the 50-room Haymarket this spring. We stayed there incognito, just four weeks into the debut, and wow—what charm, what attention to detail.
Shigeru, the Japanese German concierge, not only saved us $82 on valet parking by indicating a ticket-free Sunday spot but he also arranged for the parking meter to be fed the following morning before we awoke. My son, a Marmite fan, was given extra minipots to stuff into his pockets by a waiter who noticed his addiction. And my children's nanny, exhausted from her charges, was delivered tea when we arrived, all unasked for.
Shigeru, the Japanese German concierge, not only saved us $82 on valet parking by indicating a ticket-free Sunday spot but he also arranged for the parking meter to be fed the following morning before we awoke. My son, a Marmite fan, was given extra minipots to stuff into his pockets by a waiter who noticed his addiction. And my children's nanny, exhausted from her charges, was delivered tea when we arrived, all unasked for.
One Aldwych seems the best regarded here.
the upper suites @ the Metropolitan seem a lot better than Halkin, not sure how property compares. both are Como.
you might also consider the Connaught and the Berkeley, perhaps booking through someone you know at Claridges, since you are a regular there. (all Maybourne)
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jan 18, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Jan 1, 2008, 1:25 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 264
Moonbeam, I was just "testing the waters a bit," or being slightly coy. I have only stayed in London once and it was at the Langham. I was not impressed. I also realize its not a top tier hotel. I went with several family members, so multiple rooms were needed, so I could not justify some of the outlandish prices at some of the higher-end hotels.
I just wanted to see if my gut or barometer regarding London hotels was set correctly.
I just wanted to see if my gut or barometer regarding London hotels was set correctly.
Jan 1, 2008, 1:28 pm
#13
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