sophialite

I actually think the Cafe Royale is surprisingly underrated compared to its competition in the area. The Hamyard, for instance, while having a very good hard product, stinks with soft skills (common thing with their hotels). One time I had rented one of their apartments and was paying well over 3k a night for about 20 nights there. The staff supplied the room with bottled water during turndown. When I asked the front desk for more to be stocked regularly, they told me how much it would cost me. I told them to shove it.

Similarly during breakfast, I was charged for the toast that I ordered with my eggs. What??

The Connaught is meh for me. I've stayed in the suites in the main building as well as a suite that requires walking down that separate hall (and it's a bit more contemporary). The latter was very nice but the xeioijts were a bit too low. The former... well...
1) the room layouts are horrible, but it's an older building so don't know what they can do about it
2) the furnishings and design are drab.i just didn't care for either.
3) the soft touches in the room aren't great. for example the toilet seat doesn't soft close. Always surprises me when a 5 star hotel makes this basic mistake.

The service at the Connaught is otherwise very good. Miles ahead of the Hamyard. But then again not hard to beat the Firmdale Group. When you drop 60k on them in a month they still eagerly try to squeeze every last penny out of you. Unbecoming and unattractive.

offerendum

Stayed recently at FS Trinity. Beautiful SPA, good rooms (but dark) with very nice bathrooms and average breakfast. Location ist not convenient for most. I see no reason to stay again, but hardware wise (if you slide out the darkness) I think it's on par with the top. Service is solid.

bhrubin

For the prices charged and deals sometimes offered, it isn't bad...almost as if they know they have deficiencies compared to the other best hotels in town.

But I gotta say that there's nothing about this hotel or the many reviews of it that makes me want to even bother to try it in the first place.

GetSetJetSet

Just booked The Savoy for next month to give it a go. Will I be very disappointed? Managed by Fairmont makes me quite nervous.

bhrubin

Probably. It's not that the Savoy is bad, it's just that for the money there are so many better hotels with more relaxed and better service. The F&B is quite good, though.

The biggest problem here as I can tell: formality seems to be pushed in the mistaken belief that more formality automatically makes things better and obviates other shortcomings. Formality doesn't matter as much as attention to detail and ease of experience, and the Savoy seems to fail more than it succeeds in those regards. It's a less extreme version of using sugar to hide all the reasons why a white zinfandel wine is crap.

And the decor is...dowdy and dated at best.

Yahtzee

Savoy might be a bit stuffy for your demographic.

Would you consider Beaumont or Corinthia (for the spa if nothing else)? I'd also recommend 45 Park Lane but it's been really pricey lately.

KatW

Be certain to get Thames view, one of the larger rooms or suites, on a higher floor. I am a rara avis here in that I love the Savoy.

GetSetJetSet

We are booked in a Jr.Suite, I am fairly confident we will be upgraded from there. I see a lot of comments about the hotel being stuffy or overly formal? Can anyone elaborate on that or perhaps suggest similar hotels in other places to explicate? I can't think of any hotels that really felt oppressively haughty.

bhrubin

Think the Ritz. Or the Lanesborough. Trying too hard to bring back the class distinctions of the late 19th/early 20th century. Think Brideshead Revisited.

GetSetJetSet

I stay at The Lanesborough almost every time I visit London and quite like it. This was meant to be a "change" to see what else is out there. If I like The Lanesborough I should enjoy The Savoy?

bhrubin

Haha, I think you might! @KatW, what do you think?

KatW

I don’t find The Savoy stuffy and those Thames views are amazing.

bhrubin

I’ve never found river views to be particularly stunning or compelling in any city: London, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Cairo, Bangkok, Melbourne, Paris, even NYC. Perhaps an exception for Shanghai (but more the cityscape then water).

mike_la_jolla

Not sure. We're had long discussions here about 'stuffiness' at London hotels and Savoy tries to win that contest. Without starting a flame war, there are people here that imply everybody should be wearing a Brioni suit before they even THINK about stepping onto a London sidewalk. As an ugly American, I don't have that level of sn*t.

I've never had any trouble at the Lanesborough and I quite like the hotel. I couldn't get through the lobby at the Savoy without attracting security and I wasn't allowed to eat in any of the restaurants or bars. I promptly checked out and went over to the Lanesborough -- and had no such problems.

There is a chance you will hate the Savoy. It has a *very* different vibe from the Lanesborough.

bhrubin

Yikes, I'm not a fan of either. But to hear from one who likes the Lanesborough but thinks the Savoy too stuffy speaks volumes to me, at least. Yikes again.