0bsidian

Ok, then I take my comment back - I was also talking about those bathrooms.
Sounds / looks like they have taken a beating.

MacMyDay

I decided to stay in Hotel Cafe Royal last week, as I spotted that (yet another) Connaught reception staff had left, and she had been joined as their Reception Manager. A quick email and it was all booked. The hotel has on my list for a while now due to how amazing their spa looks. In short summary, I was very fond of it, although I do not like the location. I'm not saying I hated it, but I would have rather been in the middle of the London riots.

Loved the spa, the surprisingly modern rooms and the entire feeling of the hotel. Even when the jacuzzi decided to empty itself and then attack one of the other guests with water cannons, like it detected a fire and wanted to do everything possible to extinguish her, it did not deter me from enjoying myself. It may not have the peaceful atmosphere of The Connaught's Aman spa, but it's overall got much better facilities.

I was also treated ridiculously well, with everyone from the Restaurant Manager to the GM giving me their business card and wanting to spend time talking to me and receiving my feedback. No one cares what I think, so I'm not sure if I should be impressed or worried for them. They are clearly looking for more clientele like myself though. Lord help them.

SanDiego1K

You make me laugh, MacMyDay. I love your flare.

Kagehitokiri

agreed, MacMyDay's posts and trip reports are somehow incredibly detailed while being enjoyable

ex connaught staff know of your business with connaught. regardless of amount, hotels/businesses always 'compete'

you also have varied experience with good hotel service and are willing to give feedback. many guests do not give feedback, some do not even complain.

wonder if hotels would do custom 'corporate rate' for a group of individuals, who all simultaneously prepaid certain amount for certain number of nights.

Pausanias

Me too, even if it's his flair, unless he's lit the Olympic Torch.

MacMyDay

Here's some photos. All the suites were sold out, so we stayed in a Deluxe King, but it still felt really spacious and excellent value for money compared to the broom closets you get for a similar price elsewhere.


Bedroom


Bedroom


Bedroom


Bathroom


Really easy to use lighting system. Horrah


Hallway


3rd floor lobby and elevator doors


Hallway, which could be mistaken for Aman Tokyo


Pool


Jacuzzi


Sauna



Main entrance. Kindof. As they have 2 and the second one makes no sense.


Turndown gift

MacMyDay

Proof that spending countless hours on FlyerTalk and writing reviews can help your life, kids.

I am trying out multiple hotels at the moment, just to understand the London landscape again. Tomorrow we're staying at The Goring.

If you search for "Connaught" in these forums, most of the replies are mostly me talking it up (bit hard not to, having stayed in every single room), but there is definitely some issues taking place there. The service has not dropped, but the feeling of being in what they call my "London home" has definitely diminished. In the last 18 months, every single senior member of staff has left. GM, Hotel Manager, Director of Rooms, F&B Director, Front Office Manager, Restaurant Manager and it goes on. The current Hotel Manager is leaving in a few weeks to go back to Claridges, so that will be 3 Hotel Managers in around 18 months. Almost the entire Esplette Room (their restaurant) team has been replaced, as has the reception team.

The staff at The Connaught believe they are being sold from Maybourne, yet you also have The Berkeley team thinking the same thing. Both think they're going to be sold to finance the redevelopment of the other one. Whether that's a management tactic or any truth in the matter is another thing, but The Connaught is due a refurb at it being nearly 9 years old since its last one. To date, it seems the Qatari takeover has resulted in cost cutting and additional staff pressure, rather than any client benefits.

Pausanias

Obviously a weirdly schizophrenic hotel, this revamped Cafe Royal. That gorgeous period entrance with the 'Napoleon' stained glass, asserting its Frenchiness to Londoners back in the day, to Macmyday's weird room, with padded cell walls and gigantic TV set that clearly doesn't know where to put itself.

Nice to have someone like Macmyday going to all these places to enable us to eliminate them from our enquiries!

offerendum

Cafe Royal was never on my list. I must say I´m surprised by it and can imagain to have a look at my next stay.

vuittonsofstyle

I have stayed at Café Royal twice - once in a large room and once in a vast, conference-syle suite that did not work in any respect, apart from its lovely marble bathroom.

The rooms and suites are the least appealing aspect of the hotel, but I do like the Bar, which serves proper Absinthe from silver antique 'dripping' gizmos.

I also like the Spa, but as the rest of the hotel feels so like a designer prison, I will not be staying a third time.

QPRfan

I stayed last month and thought the room was great. Still trying to find a hotel in London that fits like a glove, but it has been my favourite so far. This weekend I will be trying the Milestone.

The Lanesborough will be joining the LHW collection from September so hope to try that after the Milestone.

Kagehitokiri

so you might be looking for a new home? ex staff may have guessed that might happen even before you started to notice it.

16 months ago qatar finished their acquisition of connaught, berkeley, claridges
there is mar 2016 article saying they may sell berkeley (could be demolished)
also claims connaught is not something they plan to hold long term (how long?)

connaught has always had positive comments here, some are regulars
(most consistent here were one aldwych, then maybe firmdale, then FS)

2008/2009 article on connaught renovations >

forgot about this (discussion of connaught in thread) >

MickV

So in the last two weekends I stayed in Cafe Royale and then the Savoy.

Cafe Royale. Third time staying there and last. Checked me into a disabled access room. Didn't tell me. I don't like this because I am quite tall and always find the sinks too low for my liking. Food was mediocre. Bar service was good but I think the thing that sells it is the amazing spa.

The Savoy. The room was obviously more old school and the bathroom wasn't the same standard as Cafe Royale but the atmosphere around the Beaufort bar and the service was fantastic. Service from the front desk. Door men. Bar staff and waiting staff was excellent. I like the area a little more as well.

MacMyDay

I frequently go to The Lanesborough for breakfast when staying at The Connaught, as I think they offer the best breakfast in London. Amazing setting, excellent service and crêpes that are divine, but unfortunately I'm allergic to them, as every time I eat 30 of them I feel ill. Celeste is also a very good restaurant.

I last stayed 3 years ago, but decided about 2-3 weeks ago to ask for a look around. Funny story: the receptionist showing us around used to work at the Park Hyatt Sydney, which is where we'll be on Friday, so she's told us to ask for some staff and tell them that she said hello, as it will freak them out. Ok, that was a rubbish story, apologies. Anyway, we got to see about 5 different rooms including a few suites and I really was not impressed by it. The decor is absolutely not my thing and the overuse of yellow was blinding. I left thinking that I'll likely never stay there again.

BENLEE

I think I will have a problem with those "wall tiles"....