TRAVELSIG

FS is a very good location if you happen to need to be near/around Canary Wharf.

In other circumstances I would stay somewhere else more convenient.

Fortunately today there are so many good hotels in London you can choose to stay where your agenda suggests you should be close to.

Shangri-La

Paris seems to be going strong.

robyng

For an average leisure traveler who's going here - there and everywhere - perhaps the precise location isn't that important? FWIW - FS Canary Wharf seems to offer pretty good value compared to many properties in London today:

http://www.fourseasons.com/canarywha...&_s_icmp=mmenu

Robyn

P.S. One property that hasn't been mentioned is the Athenaeum:

http://www.athenaeumhotel.com/

We stayed in an apartment there for a week perhaps a decade ago - and enjoyed our stay. Can't comment on what the property is like today.

vuittonsofstyle

A decade ago it was rather good, but no longer unfortunately!

TRAVELSIG

Canary Wharf is very out of the way for the average leisure traveler and particularly on weekends and near holidays the area is extremely quiet as in no one at all around and most things closed. Canary Wharf also does not feel like London and rather like what it is which is a large international financial campus which works very well although it could be located absolutely anywhere. The commute to the more leisure oriented areas of London are about an hour each way each time so I wouldn't really steer a leisure visitor here unless they had family working at Canary Wharf.

Goodmorning2U

It takes about 20 minutes (25 max) on the Tube or DLR to the center of the city and the about the same for the Thames Clipper, which is so wonderful to be able to see London and all of the monuments from the water...

Canary Wharf might have been soulless when it was first built but it has become filled with one off coffee shops, high end restaurants with views of the Thames, and a great neighborhood to bike around. It is certainly quiet in the evenings and weekends but I love to be able to leave the crowds the come home to the Four Seasons.

robyng

Since you said it first/second - perhaps I can chime in a bit. I recall our last 2 trips to London now (our 4th and 5th IIRC - we've stayed at places like the Dorchester in much earlier decades). Athenaeum in 1997 about a week after Princess Diana died. It did a great job of a birthday bouquet for me when my husband thought all the flowers in the UK were strewn at the palace gate in her memory.

We stayed at the Marriott Park Lane in 2004 (free stay on points):

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...tel-park-lane/

Not exactly luxury - because the rooms - although very nice and elegantly appointed with Molton Brown toiletries and the like - were small (OTOH - the hotel florist serviced the royal family - and the flowers around the hotel were exquisite). It was kind of like staying in a very nice boat cabin .

Anyway - I digress. In 2004 - we spent a day at Canary Wharf. There was some kind of arts/music festival going on. We had lunch at an excellent Asian restaurant there (which doesn't seem to exist today). And then enjoyed the festivities. And it wasn't that hard to get there and back. No harder than getting to the Tate/that part of London or similar from Park Lane.

Now perhaps I will utter that terrible word - value. I'm starting to plan our 2014 travel. And - well over $1k/night for a < 400 sf room is totally stupid IMO for an average discretionary traveler. Especially if you're been to that travel destination before. And that seems to be the case for a lot of Europe these days (especially places like London). Now I realize some people in Europe can take advantage of short trip weekend discounts - but there aren't too many people in north America who go to Europe for a weekend. Anyway - looking at current prices today - FS Canary Wharf is good value for a luxury hotel in London - at least IMO. Robyn

Pausanias

As an out-of-towner, I think the FS Canary Wharf has several advantages - effortless parking, value, a stunning swimming pool. While it's not traditional London in that you can't walk to Bond Street shops or the National Gallery in five minutes, you can take the boat and sail up the Thames through Tower Bridge etc. It makes me feel like a tourist. I love it.

Kettering Northants QC

At the weekend the tube and DLR are Much more likely to have planned maintenance and if your weekend stay coincides with one of these and you need to get to the west end I think this could be a problem.

If you envisage travelling to and from the hotel a couple of times each day to the West End you'll spend a significant portion of the day commuting

MikeFromTokyo

I agree FS Canary Wharf does provide excellent value, but since I am not a frequent visitor to London staying there is not a compromise I am willing to make. I would rather target high value upgrades and occasional promotions (e.g. third night free) at top hotels, such as FS Park Lane, the upcoming Peninsula, The Connaught, and Covent Garden Hotel.

In cities I visit infrequently that have great hotels, I want perfection every time. I am more likely to focus on value in cities that I either visit frequently, or cities in which the best hotels aren't that great to begin with.

robyng

If you wind up criss-crossing *any* big city a couple of times a day (or more) during a leisure stay - then you haven't planned your activities very well . Robyn

robyng

I do the same in terms of looking at promotions and the like. But they seem to be few and far between when it comes to London today (although that of course is subject to change - many properties haven't loaded their 2014 promos at this point). Perhaps it's a supply/demand thing. OTOH - there seem to be a lot of new hotels in the pipeline for London - including a new Four Seasons:

http://www.londontown.com/London/New-Hotels-in-London

So perhaps more supply will loosen things up a bit. Especially when it comes to older often outdated properties. Like the FS Park Lane. Where all the rooms are < 400 sf and entry level rooms are < 300 sf - very 70's. I don't care how you renovate these rooms - they're still small. OTOH - perhaps FS will do with this property what it did with the old FS Toronto - turn it into condos (just rank speculation on my part). I imagine condos in this area would fetch a mighty pretty penny - especially in London's current real estate market. Robyn

quitecontrary

I think the FS CW is in quite a good location even for a first time visitor to London. Like Pausanias I feel like a tourist when I go on the river busses and it is a great way to see the city. Regardless of where you stay you're going to have to use some sort of transport as not everywhere in London is in the 'centre' wherever that is? Also CW is very convenient if you want to visit say Greenwich or the Tower of London. Also easy access by the Jubilee Line to Waterloo train station for visits to towns to the West and south west of London such as Windsor. I've eaten there and the food was very good - I haven't of course stayed as it's not that far from me!

MikeFromTokyo

As I am sure you're aware FS Park Lane reopened in 2011 after a complete refurbishment, and is in no way outdated. Of course the smaller rooms are to be avoided, especially for double occupancy or longer stays. The Executive Conservatories and all higher categories are very spacious. In my opinion this is the best hotel in London, although I fully expect The Peninsula to rival FS Park Lane.

Pierre&Cédric

Conservatories at FSPL are great, very light and airy.
For larger rooms/suites I like Westminster, Ambassador, and best of all Park suites!

But thanks to its Spa and incredible pool my favorite is now Bvlgari. Location is great, suites lay-out is really well thought with a residential feeling. More masculine, with strong personnality. I just love it!