HOTEL REVIEW: THE ROYAL LANCASTER, LONDON
FOR A Room With a View, our Twin on the 17th Floor of the Royal Lancaster Hotel overlooking Hyde Park took some beating.
It was a clear, mild, spring day and beyond the greenery, South Kensington and Knightsbridge could be deciphered, and further away the unmistakeable outline of the Big Wheel, the Shard and even the cluster of international finance houses at Canary Wharf were visible shimmering on the horizon.
What an introduction to the capital on a short stay over the Easter Holidays!
Sometimes – in fact quite often – when it’s a business trip, London can be a bit of a chore, an absolute pain in fact, the traffic, the people, the standing on the Tube, the rushing around but never being able to quite keep to your proposed schedule.
More than once I have slumped on the seat of the Gatwick Express leaving Victoria, and said to myself ‘thank god I don’t have to do this every day.’
However, within a few minutes of stretching out on the bed at this stylish oasis on the edge of Hyde Park, a completely different mood descended. This was London alright, but it was not quite London…. if you know what I mean.
Hyde Park just across the road offered numerous walking options, and not only to explore the park and its many attractions including the Princess Diana Memorial Garden, the V&A Memorial, and Diana’s last residence, Kensington House… Indeed you could easily spend a whole day in the park alone. And walking across this green ‘lung’ of the capital in 20 minutes or so you can be in South Kensington or Knightsbridge with its museums – including retail icon Harrods of course – and of course fashionable and oh so popular with the ogliarchs, Belgravia, all under your own steam.
No matter how often you go to London first impressions are important and tend to set the tone and enjoyment plateau for your whole trip. So there could not be a better first impression of the city with the spacious reception area of the Royal Lancaster – a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts group – and the welcoming staff, indeed it was the employees which made this stay so special.
The test of a good hotel is not how it copes when things are running smoothly, but how it manages matters and communicates with customers when there is a blip in service and how it deals with the fall-out. In our case we had a problem with housekeeping, not helped by an out of order room phone and being on the 17th floor, but when things were eventually sorted we were almost overwhelmed with apologies, offered an immediate room upgrade, even one of the receptionists appeared at the door of the room to almost beg our forgiveness and nearly everyone wanted to do their bit to make up for the inconvenience. Take a bow Guest Relations Manager Doreen Soltan and staff!
Our twin room was spacious, stylishly modern, airy and light with all the mod cons including a large flat screen TV and free use of a mobile. The bathroom too was roomy and just the place to relax and soak these aching limbs after a long day’s trekking round the sights. But what took my breath away was the panoramic view over the city – absolutely sensational.
The breakfast room – the Island Grill – looking across Hyde Park was a delight, and a great place to fortify yourself for the day ahead. Not only is it an attractive and relaxing place to start the day, there was a wide choice of fruit, cheeses and cereals as well as a really impressive selection of hot deals. These ranged from the Full English to Traditional, a wide choice of eggs in various guises, American pancakes, and grilled kippers, to name only a few options.
And while we’re on food I have to mention the hotel’s highly rated Thai restaurant Nipa Thai on the first floor…. We didn’t have time to try it out this time, but hopefully will be able to do so on a future visit.
Sitting right next door to Lancaster Gate Tube station, and only a few stops from Westminster or Piccadilly, the Royal Lancaster is not by any means a grand old lady, but she has been around a bit, for half a century in fact, and celebrated 50 years in 2017 after an extensive £89m renovation. Built in the swinging sixties, the hotel is Hyde Park’s commanding mid century architectural icon which has, believe it or not, bee hives on its roof to supply honey for consumption in the hotel’s dining rooms.
With 19 floors and more than 400 rooms and suites the Royal Lancaster ambience combines timeless classic style, sumptuous comfort and as I’ve already mentioned, really spectacular views of the London skyline.
If you want to get away from the city centre for a day Paddington Station is just five minutes walk away. From there you can take a short train journey to Windsor and explore the Castle where the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place last year.
BRIAN OGLE
FACTBOX
The Royal Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY. Tel: 0207 551 6000.
Website: royallancaster.com
Nearest Underground: Lancaster Gate (Central Line) tube station is adjacent to the hotel: Paddington tube and railway stations are six minutes walk from the hotel. The railway station connects London with Heathrow via Heathrow Express.
Getting there: easyJet flies from Belfast International to London Gatwick, up to seven times a day. Flights can be booked at easyjet.com
The 'Travel' Life of Brian 