corporate-wage-slave

If that's somewhat cheaper than Bankside / PL then it's worth further consideration. It will offer a reasonable breakfast spread and is a modern hotel. Most rooms are on the smaller side but not outrageously so. The location is good, in terms of the Tube and other transport options but not really a tourist area, but the central areas are within easy reach. That said it's got a big range of non tourist shops, pubs and restaurants very close by. Another option is the Metropole since that's had a big refurbishment during COVID and that's now completed. Very good breakfast there and a good lounge.

brp

Coming back to seek thoughts for a new trip. We are planning a trip to Europe at the end of the year to get in my BA 4 segments for status requalification. I booked LAX-LHR and back on AA and going to Granada (GRX) for a few days.

Well, it seems that the flights to GRX don't coordinate well with the incoming/outgoing flights to/from LHR. No worries as we just have one night in London on either end. For the arrival we get in on 29 December at 14:20, leave 30 December at 12:55. I was thinking of Hilton Paddington since the time is not long and it's convenient to HEX...and a new Hilton for us. Makes less sense, I think, to go further afield.

Thoughts on this as a location/choice?

For the outbound we're thinking to try a Hyatt option since we're Globalist and will need to get nights in the new year. So just looking at a Hilton for that one night in December.

Cheers.

jzafar

I agree that Hilton Paddington would be the best choice given the shortness of time. You will be able to get to your room quickly and walk around from there.

corporate-wage-slave

For one night then it's a good choice. Due to HEX you can get to this hotel pretty much as fast as any of the numerous hotels on the Heathrow estate, though the HGIs at T2 and Hatton Cross as well as Hilton T4 are a bit quicker. Once at the Paddington Hilton you nevertheless have all the options of London for eating out and sightseeing, options even if you choose to stay in. If you don't have a lot of luggage then the Metropole is a few minutes walk further on from Paddington. Other options would be the Hilton Park Lane due to the proximity to Hyde Park Corner, and the DoubleTree Kensington by Gloucester Road, both stations being on the Piccadilly line.

brp

Thanks. We recently stayed at the PL in May and, overall, were not impressed. The location is great, the hotel was "meh."

Any thoughts on Paddington vs. Metropole (just a rollaboard and small shoulder bag each)?

Cheers.

The _Banking_Scot

HI

The metropole is a larger hotel but a lot of rooms have recently been renovated and comments on the hotel rooms and lounge have been positive.
the aelling point of the paddington hilton is the location to the station for hex etc but as mentioned above it is a short walk from Paddington

Regards

Tbs

brp

Thanks. With two viable options, now I have decisions to make

Which has better lounge?
better breakfast?

For a short stay those may be the most important aspects. Distance seems not an issue. A few yards one way or another

Cheers.

corporate-wage-slave

Metropole has the better lounge, better breakfast (though obviously make sure you have the time for it in terms of your flight). Personally I would go for the Metropole, particularly if it was the cheaper of the two. The other advantage it has is some better retail and restaurant options on the door step, though Paddington isn't badly provided for there either.

brp

Thanks. Metropole it is. Flight is at 12:55PM, so we should be able to do this with an early breakfast. First Wing at T5 is pretty quick. It was cheaper. Still GBP 303, but 60K vs. 70K points. If the non-refundable rate gets cheaper as we get closer, I may jump to that.

Cheers.

Dr Jabadski

I’ve stayed at Paddington a dozen times, most recently a month ago when (in anticipation of possibly changing preferred London hotel) I visited Metropole and asked to be shown “typical” rooms, lounge, and fitness center. I was shown a “typical” room and a “typical” executive room (being told as a Diamond I would invariably be upgraded). The typical rooms at Metropole, both regular and executive, and their bathrooms, were all significantly smaller than Paddington. Metropole rooms also more modern, more recently renovated, less worn out and both had a mini-fridge. I was told that Metropole has larger family rooms in another wing which have not been renovated recently. Metropole lounge and fitness center both significantly larger and more modern looking than Paddington.

Walk between the 2 is about 8-12 minutes depending on walking speed and route taken (sidewalk directly along the street or slight 2 minute detour for more interesting walk along the canal). Metropole has a modern big hotel business vibe, Paddington has old big hotel character vibe. Convenience of Paddington, time and lack of weather exposure, has always been the key factor for me. It’s often been written that one can get from LHR to Paddington or vice versa in time to be sleeping in a hotel room or sitting in an airport lounge while others are still riding a train or bus to get to a hotel or the airport.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned that Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and Hilton London Heathrow Airport (Terminal 4) are both walking distance from the terminals in their name, usually significantly less expensive than city hotels, might be options depending on your plans between check-in and check-out.

I also made a couple of trips to London several years ago while pursuing Hyatt status before Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport opened, stayed at Andaz Liverpool and Hyatt Place West London Hayes (formerly Hyatt Place London Heathrow Hayes). At the time arguably the 2 Hyatt properties nearest to LHR, neither was “convenient”; Andaz Liverpool was about an hour by tube or HEX + tube, HP Hayes was about 30 minutes by expensive taxi.

corporate-wage-slave

There are 3 wings in the Metropole, East, West and in between the Tower wing. The Tower wing rooms are generally smaller than Paddington, though Paddington does have some small rooms on one side. The East Wing is about the same as Paddington, the West Wing has the so-called Family rooms, which is a fairly large collection of rooms - several hundred of them - which are generous by London standards, though perhaps average by general USA standards. Solo and coupled Diamonds can generally negotiate to get one of these rooms, particulary when kids should be at school. It's true these rooms were not renovated during the big Covid refurbishment as happened in Tower and East, but that was because there were refurbished a few years before. So while not necessarily in pristine state these rooms are generally in very good condition. There are a few exceptions, I recall one room with a deep split mark across the bathroom sink, which I don't think anyone would want to look at if staying there for a week, so by all means swap rooms if you get a dud one.

andimilk

To add to what CWS has said, here are some photos of the Metropole. The first two are of a newly refurbished Deluxe King room in the Tower Wing and the second two are of a larger, less smart/modern Family Room in the West Wing. These photos were taken a week after what turned out to be my last visit to the Hilton Paddington where I had a very dated room. It was indeed large, with high ceilings and double windows but there was a mix of broken wardrobes, sockets and minifridge coupled with poor service for the third stay in a row. The new public areas of the Metropole - the restaurant, bar, Executive Lounge and gym are all way ahead of the Paddington and I timed it as a 6 minute walk back to PAD station. The Metropole is now my hotel of choice in the Paddington area and I won't be staying at the Hilton Paddington again unless there is a complete overhaul, including of staff training policies.

Tower Wing:



West Wing Room:

brp

This is brilliant, thanks! It sounds like, other than the room size, Metropole is a winner. And we care less about room size than other things. The walk is very short and the detour sounds much more interesting.

On the return, we arrive into LHR at 16:20 and leave at 13:50 the next day. The Hyatt Place LHR may be our best bet given that we'd have little real time in London. Our stay would be 5000 points. At current valuation estimates, this is even better than the low cash rate available.

Cheers.

Dr Jabadski

For comparison purposes, photos of 4 different Paddington rooms below, each line of photos is a different room. Every room relatively large, particularly compared to typical London hotel room. Room on third line of photos was the smallest I’ve been assigned. Every time booked least expensive room and then (usually) Diamond upgraded room upon check-in. Many rooms with different unique floorplan layouts; it’s an old building, not a new cookie cutter building.

Small frig in each room but it’s a minibar and during my last stay a month ago it was locked and I was told they aren’t being used anymore. Would make a lot of sense to empty and unlock and allow guests to use as refrigerators.

pauleeepaul

i go to London 3-4 times a year for work. The office is in Uxbridge. My settled routine is to stay in central London and take the GWR out of Paddington then a short uber. Under 45 minutes door to door. Usually i stay at the Hilton Paddington, but for my next trip in Sept i am going to give the Metropole a whirl. From the comments above i am looking forward to it (i do like the Paddo, just looking for something new.) Doubtless there will be one morning where i am regretting the decision in the rain .

As a younger, less savvy business traveler i did stay at the Hyatt Place Hayes in 2016 shortly after it opened and the location is awful, not unsafe, just nothing to do and no access to transport.