If you're looking for a hotel to visit London, this is not the one. To give you an idea : Piccadilly Circus is about 1.5 hours to walk and about 45 minutes by taxi (expensive) and, if you're lucky, about the same by public transport (a mixture of walking, bus and tube... and a pain!) That said, if you need a hotel in this particlar area – which is actually nearer to Fulham than Sloane Square, then you could do much worse. The welcome was genuinely warm and we were made to feel appreciated. Despite checking in the previous day via the Hilton app., no room could be allocated, so we had to check in again at the front desk. The check in staff was charming and efficient and her trainee status was not evident. Our 6th floor room, well away from the renovation noise on the 1st floor felt, however, like a downgrade from the 'Queen' room we'd booked, as it had a double bed in it (150cm) – like Hampton Inns, which Hilton class as 2 categories below Doubletree. For Diamond members – who can expect room upgrades “up to a one bedroom suite” - this could be a disappointment. Queen beds are usually 160cm, doubles 150cm. If this hotel is selling doubles as queens, then I personally think this is a bit naughty of them. Also, despite the hotel stating that their 1st floor renovation work does not start before 9 a.m., they do not mention that the massive building project which half-encircles the hotel, starts well before this time and is constant throughout the day and, by the look of things, is destined to last for a long time yet. The room was clean, the bed comfortable although narrow and, apart from a few stains, the room was adequat for a one or two night stay. I wouldn't like to stay longer, as the bathroom is even smaller than a Hampton Inn – there's nowhere to put a toilet bag and nowhere to hang used towels. The shower unit is the same style as in Hamptons but much smaller than most. The toilet seat was loose and so was 'interesting' when using it, several plug sockets in the room did not work and the a/c and TV turned themseves off several times during our stay. Otherwise the room was well designed, with enough mirrors, work surface, chair, safe etc. and fridge that gets things cold enough – if you are willing to wait about 18 hours, that is! Don't expect a good sleep – the doors are not sound-proofed and are paper-thin. Room doors are also constantly 'banging' shut due to the spring mechanism. The lobby bar is well stocked but has slighly frightening prices. We didn't try the restaurant – choosing a Middle-Eastern restaurant 5 minutes' walk away – but the food we saw looked to be well-presented and seemed to be of the fast food type. The breakfast was, to be totally frank, extremely disappointing. The quality was good but the choice was extremely poor for a Doubletree and, in comparison to the maybe 30 or 40 Doubletrees I've stayed in, is by far the worst breakfast 'spread' I've seen to date. No ham, no smoked salmon, not even any utensils for the
42 Reviews