I'm booked at the JW Grosvenor for Sept. 3-8 but am also considering the London Edition. Was in the Miami Edition and it was very nice. It might come down to Concierge Lounge access, breakfast for Platinum, etc. but location is also a consideration. What do Insiders suggest?
Thanks!
great endorsement. Thanks.
JW Grosvenor House is a great hotel with an excellent lounge. I can't speak for the EDITION but there's no lounge and no free breakfast benefit. It is however a well regarded property and I do plan to try out, though it's rates are such it's likely to be a short stay!
jw99,
My stays at The JW have been fabulous. A great staff, location and CL! You will find places like this within walking distance:
Wonderful property!
A short walk to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace!
Another short walk to Harrods, don't miss the food halls and the tribute area to Princess DI!
This the way to explore London and there is a stop in front of the JW!
This a fine food and wonderful pub just outside the door of The JW Enjoy London!
thanks!
I'd support the JW as well as all others did.
No reason to pay more for less, where the difference is minimal (if at all).
Oh Hi, um I'm booked in for May 18th to 24th at the JW Marriott....
Oh wow! the day you leave is the day I arrive!
Oh darn, it would have been cool to meet up...you'll really enjoy this property. The Executive Lounge is fab fab, normally you can count on having your supper in the lounge and they change the food selections every night. Comp wines (red, white & sparkling), beer and coolers, plus a very nice setting.
Me, I'm intio super cars so I enjoy walking around this part of London looking at all the Lambo's, Ferrari's, Bently's, RR's, Buggati (only saw one Buggati a Veyron: the holy grail of super cars). Oh and that pub that jerrycoin posted has the best fish & chips on the planet..LOL, just a block from the JW
What's the name of the Pub?
We were so close! I don't think I will get to the hotel until around 1:30 or 2pm that day. Definitely going to try out the pub!
Slightly off-topic, but if you get an upgrade at the Marriott County Hall, it outdoes both the hotels you mentioned. I debated these exact hotels last year for a 5 night stay with the family, but a complimentary upgrade to a suite on the top floor with a balcony overlooking the Thames , WB and the London Eye will make you forgot all other options.
IF your travel plans are still flexible, I recommend emailing their head concierge, Nic to see how he can help. I've never had a more pleasant Marriott exp.
Great idea. would you have Nic's email address?
Hi, I'm leaving for London next week. Can I have Nic's email address, too?
I'm staying there in 2 weeks time so would be grateful for Nic's email address too, thanks
Never underestimate St. Pancras / Kings Cross. I've stayed at Grosvenor House, and St. Pancras might be more your cup of tea. The private lounge / brunch is much better, and it's more centrally located. Park Lane is nice also - you really can't go wrong with Marriott in London. I stay at St. Pancras for work every time, as it's one of 3 hotels near our office which are approved (the others are garbage, which is a total contrast). Cheers!
The St Pancras Ren is one of my favourite hotels in the world! Great lounge and I love the Eurostar transfer service which takes international travel back to a day when it was a relaxed experience to be savoured. Couple the stay with a Standard Premier (Biz class seat with basic food, typically £200pp cheaper than Biz) Eurostar trip to Paris redeeming points for the beautifully positioned Champs Elysees Marriott and youll have an unforgettable vacation!
However I'm not sure I'd recommend the St Pan Ren for a London leisure stay generally, there are far more central Marriott's at County Hall, St Ermins, Park Lane, Grosvenor Sq, JW Grosvenor House, EDITION and Threadneedle's, but the Ren St Pancras is generally cheaper than most of those and is sat on top of Kings Cross tube meaning the whole of London is very easily navigable.
I've stayed at the JW Grosvenor House & it is a solid property. I've been pondering a future stay in London, and my top two properties that are on my wishlist are the St. Pancras, London Hotel - King's Cross | St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London
as well as the St. Ermin's Hotel, Autograph Collection: London Unique Hotels
No lounge at St. Ermin's or I would have stayed there. And there were reviews saying no upgrades on points.
Hi all,
I hope I'm not exactly "hijacking" this thread, but I'm also shopping around for a hotel for the beginning of July and there is already some great advice out here.
For my case, I'm looking to burn some points (got 210k+ in the bank), but may pay for the first night if it increases my chances for a suite upgrade (I need to spoil my lady ). Definitely looking for CL access to cut down the cost over there, since the CAD is weak as.... well, imagine something really weak.
We want to be close to the tourist attractions. Tickets for the Phantom on West End are already booked! We'd like to do much by foot, but we don't mind jumping in the tube neither.
Here's a summing up of what I've found:
Not sure we want to look at properties located further away than this.
So, unless there are better motivations, we're doubting between JW Grosvenor House and Marriott County Hall.
Any last advice to add to all of this?
I'll continue to scout other threads though and update my summery here if necessary.
145k points and 438 GBP later, I have 2 nights at County Hall and 2 nights at St-Pancras reserved. An email is underway to Nic at CH, although he might have swapped positions with a certain James Elliott last January.
I'll circle back with experiences when I'm back.
I'm still looking for a stop-over in Paris on the way back, but that will make the train tickets 4x the price. So will need to contact EuroStar directly to figure this one out.
Sorry I didn't spotnthis question, orbrespond, but you know what his sites like now, since the "enhancements" - if you can get the balcony suite upgrade at CH then you've done a good thing. It's a hike (or the tube) to Phantom, but then like all big cities you're never within walking distance of anything.
If you're travelling on Eurostar departing St Pancras then the Ren (as a Plat) is a real experience, the excellent exec loungecand smooth-as-butter VIP Hotel-Train transfer is a great experience. If you're a regular visitor to London or just looking to splurge a classic British 5* stay then booking one of the Chambers rooms there is a great idea. It is however a tube ride to anywhere and everywhere and the local area is not attractive, not dangerous, just low-rent commercial.
Hi,
I'm leaving for London next week and would like to know how it went.
Hi wjdtn1070,
During my vacation I tried to disconnect from social media as much as possible to make the most of the actual time over there. Right now I'm working 13h a day for a huge event and will stay incredibly busy for at least the next 2 weeks, so I can't write huge reviews. (On top of it all, my laptop got crushed by heavy machinery last Monday, so dealing with insurances and shopping for a new laptop.)
What I can say for now: the London County Hall was definitely our favorite Marriott. We were put up in a 'junior suite' (not a suite for north american standards, but spacious enough room for a couple of nights). The hotel was very tastefully decorated, the high tea is a must(!) and the Executive Lounge is a true delight. Front desk staff learned our names very fast and knew our profile without looking at the computer by the time we checked out. Yes, I did hear Big Ben ring the whole hours at night, but I had one night that I slept not very well (not anything caused by the hotel though). But the most unbeatable aspect is that you can walk to virtually any tourist attraction from here. During our time here, we didn't take the public transit at all (except from the airport to the hotel and from the County Hall to St-Pancras).
St Pancras is a whole different experience. While upgraded, we had a room overlooking the station hall (Barstow wing, 2nd floor). We heard the Eurostars arrive and leave, but hardly over the background noise of the ventilation. We got a room smaller than at the County Hall, not sure if we got "upgraded" (a lot), but I was already happy we didn't have to switch rooms. The lounge (Chambers Club) is only accessible to Plat members (Gold elites will get a breakfast offered in the regular restaurant) and condo owners in the building that pay a hefty membership. Although the offering in the lounge was great and the staff was very helpful, the tables are not suitable for eating a full meal. Bigger tables are only for 3 people or more. Plus, it's pretty crowded, however still quiet. Staff will offer to show you around upon checking in, we did it later because we feared running late for the theatre. Later that evening we asked another staff member to show us around, which turned out to be the night manager, Sam. He took us for a real treat, showing us many of the gems of the architecture of the building, even showed some of the meeting rooms and the ballroom. The restaurant/bar, although not the most efficient service, makes great drinks! I'd definitely recommend this for travellers using the Eurostar for a quick work-related visit.
We did also visit the St Ermins for a drink on their 2nd-floor terrace. The architecture is amazing all over, from the outside, through the lobby, throughout their meeting rooms (we peaked around a bit). Can't say anything about the rooms though.
Thank you for taking your time to write 'not-so-huge' review.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time at both hotels and they do have uniqueness and charm.
Did you use VIP Eurostar transfer service by the way?
I heard its complementary but exclusive to whom staying at Chamber Wing Suite.
BTW, Could you please let me know the email addresses of Nic and James Elliot at CH?
Wonder if email strategy got you into a Jr. suite or not but think it's worth taking a shot.
Again, good to know that you had such a wonderful time there and I can't wait for my visit next week.
No, we didn't use the Eurostar check-in service. We booked travel so late, that the train had gotten more expensive than flying. We did ask about the Eurostar service and it's available to any guest staying at St Pancras.
Although it can't hurt to try for a junior suite upgrade by schmoozing the email you're really unlikely to get one at the St Pancras Ren as all suites are in the pricey Chambers wing and hotel policy is to upgrade Gold and Plats to the biggest Barlow rooms (with just Plats getting club access) but only upgrade PPs to the Chambers wing.
As for the free VIP Eurostar transfer, that is not available to all hotel guests, only to guests with club lounge access. Hence Golds can't access it. As I've repeatedly said, this is probably the best Plat treatment you'll find, but the worst Gold!
I luv the JW Grosvenor, great staff, great lounge, High Tea, etc etc...plus the location is fab...to me this property is a 7 star. I'm book for 6 nights in May, looking forward to this stay..