FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Hilton London Metropole {GBR}

Sep 1, 2021 | 8:29 am

#679

andimilk

Join Date: Apr 2018

Location: UK (LHR)

Programs: BA & Accor Gold | Hilton Diamond

Posts: 262

I also stayed this weekend and only one lift was working in my wing! I ended up using the fire stairs most of the time because the wait for the lift was so long as well as the lifts being crowded. I declined an upgrade in order to make sure I got a refurbished room (the upgrade offered was a large family room in the west wing, which I've posted about before). I was given a very recently refurbished a King Deluxe room. It was so new the plastic protective sheeting was still on the TV, fridge and the ironing board! The overall aesthetic of the new rooms is very smart. There were plugs with USB sockets built in on both sides of the bed and by the desk - a big improvement on the older rooms in this hotel. The brand new TV however had absolutely no connectivity which was disappointing.

I was here for leisure for once so did not use the desk (!) but I'm not 100% sure the desk chair would have been ideal for a long work session. Both chairs in the room were comfortable enough for lounging around. There is a multi-use shelf under the TV which is very useful for suitcases. It fit my personal (carry-on size) suitcase fine but I think you would struggle with a large case to balance it on there. No other suitcase rack is provided.

The bed was firm but not hard and was comfortable enough. It seemed firmer than most Serenity beds so I did ask the management but apparently it is the Hilton standard bed. Perhaps because it was brand new, it was firmer than I'm used to.

An empty mini fridge is provided, as are 2 750ml bottles of water. Why neither of them are put in the fridge by housekeeping, I never understand. The fridge seemed to be very efficient (something I've found is often not the case in hotel fridges). I put the water in the fridge before heading down to the gym, followed by a visit to 'happy hour' and the water was near ice-cold 2 hours later.

I noticed S_W_S mentioned having issues with the new air-con shutting off but mine never did. I had it on all evening and all night and it kept the room a decent cool temperature. I like a cold room when I sleep and was slightly annoyed that the unit only went down to 20 celcius, where the majority of other units in hotels tend to go down to at least 18 if not 16! This may be an eco thing. Ultimately, even though I would usually have the room slightly cooler for sleeping, it was cold enough all night that I slept well.

In line with recent reviews, the executive lounge replacement service in the Tyburn bar was good. Staff always happy to provide soft drinks and between 6 and 8pm I was able this time to participate in the happy hour offering - a plate of assorted canapes was provided with my beer, which was very welcome.

CWS has expanded on my previous breakfast comments and I must echo everything he said. Unlike my last visit, they had opened the restaurant area up into the bar area, where there was a second serving area with exactly the same offering as the other end of the restaurant, including a coffee station. I am pleased to confirm that since the pandemic restrictions were properly lifted, the cheese selection has significantly expanded from just Babybels!

Overall, this hotel has improved significantly in terms of its hard and soft-product offering thanks to this latest refurb. I have finished a 3-month project in the Paddington area now but hopefully I will have reason to stay here again later in the year and will be able to report on the new executive lounge when it opens. I have included a few pictures below of the room and the breakfast. My picture of the breakfast bread offering was a carbon copy of CWS's so I've left it out.