Apr 28, 2018, 10:52 am
Last edit by: SanDiego1K
London hotels with a wealth of detailed posts, 2013 - 2017
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels-travel/1475602-london-luxury-hotel.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels-travel/1475602-london-luxury-hotel.html
London Hotel Recommendations (newer consolidated thread)
Jun 20, 2019, 3:54 pm
#196
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, IHG Spire, AMEX Plat
Posts: 595
ended up staying at ten trinity. I had a very good stay booked via a virtuoso agent. Still the lobby/rotunda didn’t really wow me but would stay again at some point.
Jun 20, 2019, 10:51 pm
#197
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,643
Those who follow the Michelin Guide around the world and use it as a culinary yardstick might be interested to know that The Goring has a new restaurant called Siren, masterminded by chef Nathan Outlaw whose place in Cornwall has two Michelin stars and is currently rated by The Good Food Guide as the best restaurant in the UK. Outlaw cooks fish, apparently brilliantly, and in Cornwall offers an 8 course tasting menu only, six courses of which are fishy. I'm relieved to say that the Siren offering appears to be a more traditional menu.
https://www.thegoring.com/food-drink/siren/
https://www.thegoring.com/food-drink/siren/
Jun 21, 2019, 6:12 am
#198
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jakarta
Programs: Krisflyer PPS, SPG, Hyatt GoldPassport, Shangri-la Golden Circle, British Airways ExecClub
Posts: 1,245
I will not get anywhere near the Rosewood even if it's free stay. Creepy hotel with room decor resembling a mental asylum but that's largely personal taste so YMMV.
As a side note, I recently stayed at Connaught and quite like it. F&B is very good.
Jul 11, 2019, 7:15 am
#199
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,844
In addition to the signs near Hyde Park corner announcing the Peninsula, there are now signs on one of the corners of Portman Square (near Marble Arch) saying that what used to be the Radisson Blu is under renovation to become a Nobu hotel, expected to open in 2020.. I've never even visited a Nobu hotel so I am just guessing it would be regarded as luxury.
Jul 11, 2019, 11:54 pm
#200
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,712
In addition to the signs near Hyde Park corner announcing the Peninsula, there are now signs on one of the corners of Portman Square (near Marble Arch) saying that what used to be the Radisson Blu is under renovation to become a Nobu hotel, expected to open in 2020.. I've never even visited a Nobu hotel so I am just guessing it would be regarded as luxury.
Jul 13, 2019, 6:59 am
#201
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, A3 Gold
Posts: 173
It will be London’s second Nobu hotel and would be the third Nobu within about a kilometre, which feels a bit ridiculous! Let’s hope it’s better than the one in Shoreditch. Given the location prices could be Ł450 or above, but I doubt it will count as a “luxury” hotel by the standards of this illustrious forum.
Surprisingly two very good (and picky) friends of mine stayed at the Nobu in Shoreditch a couple of months ago and they claimed that it was the best/most charming service that they have received in London (their last time here was in the Rosewood) in a long time. I thought that they were going to hate it but they couldn’t stop singing it’s praises.
I don’t have an opinion given I live in London but I prefer the Nobu there than the one in the Metropolitan (no atmosphere) and Berkeley Sq (horrible acoustics unless you are near the windows and the crowds at the bar). Also, it actually doesn’t feel like a hotel restaurant at all (which is important for me).
I do think that the game changer (if it lives up to its hype) is going to be the Standard. Hopefully it’s 24 hour bar/restaurant service would force some of the other places to follow suit and the location is one of the best in London imo. Granted it is not “luxury” as such term is defined in this forum, but it is in a great location which doesn’t suffer from the crassness of the Knightsbridge/Chelsea/Mayfair locales.
Jul 13, 2019, 9:37 am
#202
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,712
Let's hope the parties are as fun as the Chiltern Firehouse residents' bar used to be. I have never seen anything like it in my life.
Jul 13, 2019, 11:07 am
#203
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
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Any recent stays at the Bulgari London and/or thoughts on that compared with other top hotels? (Spa not a factor for me, but air con, great design, spacious rooms, F&B, a great bar, and excellent service are all major factors for me.)
Last edited by bhrubin; Jul 14, 2019 at 3:56 pm
Jul 14, 2019, 3:02 pm
#204
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 557
Those who follow the Michelin Guide around the world and use it as a culinary yardstick might be interested to know that The Goring has a new restaurant called Siren, masterminded by chef Nathan Outlaw whose place in Cornwall has two Michelin stars and is currently rated by The Good Food Guide as the best restaurant in the UK. Outlaw cooks fish, apparently brilliantly, and in Cornwall offers an 8 course tasting menu only, six courses of which are fishy. I'm relieved to say that the Siren offering appears to be a more traditional menu.
https://www.thegoring.com/food-drink/siren/
https://www.thegoring.com/food-drink/siren/
Jul 15, 2019, 8:25 pm
#206
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
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Posts: 8,712
I'd have honestly expected you to be more of a Mandarin Oriental or Connaught person in London, but if you do go to the Bulgari please do let us know what you think of the hotel which I can't seperate in my mind from the movies Men in Black (when you meet the staff you'll see what I mean).
Jul 15, 2019, 8:26 pm
#207
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
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It rarely is really in London (or Paris, Rome...) except in 3* restaurants which tend to have the out-size tables. I see what you mean though - definitely more of an afternoon tea vibe than what I would personally like from a real dining venue. Shame, as Outlaw is one hell of a chef...
Jul 15, 2019, 8:49 pm
#208
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I'd have honestly expected you to be more of a Mandarin Oriental or Connaught person in London, but if you do go to the Bulgari please do let us know what you think of the hotel which I can't seperate in my mind from the movies Men in Black (when you meet the staff you'll see what I mean).
The Connaught, while the apple of our dear @MacMyDay’s eye, doesn’t appeal to us for some reason of style and/or formality. His descriptions in the past have made me wonder if the Beaumont or Bulgari might most suit us. Up until now, the Halkin by COMO has been my most comfortable and enjoyable stays. I only know I won’t like the Lanesborough, Rosewood, Four Seasons, Savoy. etc. And I won’t consider anything Dorchester, good homosexual that I am. The eventual Peninsula might appeal.
The Bulgari appeals to me for its style, its supposed service, its bar, its F&B, and energy. But you never know until you stay!
Jul 15, 2019, 11:44 pm
#209
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Location: LAS ORD
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Jul 16, 2019, 1:10 am
#210
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: England
Posts: 1,361
I have not stayed in The Bulgari since 2017, so things could have changed, but the service was definitely not the reason to stay. I stayed five times in about a month and complained almost every time. The only reason to stay was the location, if you like being near Harrords (I do not) and their awesome spa, including the great pool and hydrotherapy pool. I don't think energy is the word to use as there isn't much of an atmosphere as mostly no one is there, but the bar is decent, albeit very dark (as is the rest of the hotel).
The rooms are rather boring and pretty standard - even the entry level suites, which you stand almost no chance of getting upgraded to due to how few of them there are, are nothing to write about. I like minimalism, but not that much. It's only if you can get a top suite that you'll start to feel you're in a great hotel. Sadly their once great restaurant is no more, which is not surprising as I genuinely never saw it more than 10% full - I guess the basement was not the best place to put a restaurant and rely on corporate to keep it running. I have not tried their new restaurant though.
I know this is all negative, but I still do like the hotel and I would still stay.....if their pricing was reasonable. As 99% of my stays in London are overnight, I just can't justify spending so much when I'm there to be anywhere but the hotel. They're often twice as expensive as The Connaught, which isn't good value to me - especially as I'm almost guaranteed a suite upgrade.
The rooms are rather boring and pretty standard - even the entry level suites, which you stand almost no chance of getting upgraded to due to how few of them there are, are nothing to write about. I like minimalism, but not that much. It's only if you can get a top suite that you'll start to feel you're in a great hotel. Sadly their once great restaurant is no more, which is not surprising as I genuinely never saw it more than 10% full - I guess the basement was not the best place to put a restaurant and rely on corporate to keep it running. I have not tried their new restaurant though.
I know this is all negative, but I still do like the hotel and I would still stay.....if their pricing was reasonable. As 99% of my stays in London are overnight, I just can't justify spending so much when I'm there to be anywhere but the hotel. They're often twice as expensive as The Connaught, which isn't good value to me - especially as I'm almost guaranteed a suite upgrade.
