“A really comfortable place to stay”
We selected this hotel after looking through Expedia's flight and hotel combos. It was an incredible value for a 5-star hotel. We were very satisfied with our stay, with only one quibble. Our room was very cold, and when a request to the front desk resulted in no change by the time we returned that evening, we chalked it up to the fact that London is not built for cold weather. But when we asked again, that produced an almost instant response and the heat was fixed within 20 minutes. Somehow the first request must have been lost or forgotten, but once the right people knew of the problem, no one could fault the speed or concern with which they responded.
Special mention should be made of the comfortable bed and linens - it was a pleasure to snuggle up and sleep better than is often the case when travelling. The sheets were amazing. The room was large and the bathroom luxurious.
Staff we encountered were friendly and greeted us, or returned greetings. We didn't eat in the hotel, and spent most of the days out touristing.
This hotel does charge an extremely high rate for internet service, as many European hotels do. We stayed earlier in a Best Western property near the Gloucester Road tube station, and one reason for selecting it was the free wireless internet.
The nearby underground mall at Canary Wharf offers a wide range of shopping and eating, including a Byron Proper Hamburger restaurant.
Transit via Docklands Light Rail or the Jubilee tube line was very convenient.
Area recommendations
We enjoyed the area of Kensington a great deal (lots of restaurants, Royal Albert Hall, V&A Museum, Kensington Palace, the Orangery), and also the area surrounding the Westminster tube station (Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the Churchill War Rooms, the London Eye, the river cruises). We also spent time in the theatre district, seeing Covent Gardens, the Transport Museum (very well done), and the general sights and sounds. Once the renovations are complete, it would be great to see the museum at Greenwich. The part that was open was imaginative, interactive, and intriguing for kids and adults.
You can't get bored in London - shopping at Harrods is an experience in itself, as is strolling along Oxford Street or through Notting Hill.
Getting around
An Oyster card for use on the tubes, buses and Docklands Light Rail is a great bargain. It's an automatic day pass; once you reach the set level of between six and seven pounds, no further amounts are deducted. It's a smart card - you can top it up in varying amounts - 5, 10, 20 pounds, for example, and then use it as you need it. Top-up machines are easy to use, or you can queue for the live people to help you in most stations.
Frankly, riding around on the tube and the buses, and the DLR, is a great way to see the city and get a feel for the people. The level of politeness is gratifying and adds to the experience.
Not all tube stations are accessible, so if you have mobility issues it is a good idea to base yourself near an accessible station and use the Transport for London website to plan your routes to minimize stairs. For example, on an earlier trip we stayed very near the Gloucester Road tube station, but used the #74 bus to go to Earls Court station, which is accessible, and vice versa. London buses don't have steps - they're "walk on, walk off". People were almost without exception very cognizant of anyone with a cane, and seats were offered on tube trains, or vacated in buses where several seats in the lower deck are reserved for people with disabilities.
Dining
On an earlier trip to London, we discovered the Byron "proper hamburgers" restaurant chain. There are several in London, and the hamburgers they serve are just about the best anywhere. They also offer floats (soft drink poured over vanilla ice cream), which are delicious. The side dishes - macaroni and cheese especially - are tasty. We never had room for dessert!
For a steak dinner, the Green Door restaurant about fifty feet from the Gloucester Road tube station was very good.
