Since making Plat I have (luckily) not had a regular room. The regular rooms are appallingly bad, the studio suites are really rather nice and the AC works very effectively. I have also had a regular suite and I preferred the layout and furnishings etc. of the studio suite.

Park Lane to become a W?
 

I thought I had heard that the Park Lane was closing for renovation to be reopened as a W?

When I've done an award stay in London before, I sought other SPG options besides the Park Lane...but just my $00.02.

We have stayed many times and will return because:
-Plat upgrades ranging from FANTASTIC to pretty good
-Don't like the tube and many busses stop within yards of the hotel
-Walking distance to theatres
-Great restaurants behind hotel for dinner and great breakfast deli
-If you don't mind taking a little extra time, you can get the train from the airport that stops at Green Park for about 1/4th the cost of the Heathrow Express. It's about a 2 block walk to the hotel.

We have only stayed on points and were never offered a comp breakfast eventhough we are plat.

It's LONDON, you can do so much better than the Park Lane. Even outside of *wood there are some great independent hotels and hip, cool B&B's too.

Day Stay at Park Lane Sheraton: Ideas?
 

Hi All,

I am flying into LHR on Saturday morning at 6 AM and flying out again at 10 PM on Saturday night. I have a day room at the Skyline, but I'd much rather be in Central London (preferably the Park Lane). I am willing to pay for it.

The ParK Lane does not have a day rate available (nor do the other Central London Starwoods), so I am considering booking a room for either Friday or Saturday night. A Friday night booking would mean I would not arrive until 8 AM (ish), but should be able to have the room until 4, which would work for my needs. A Saturday booking would allow me to stay later in the room, but I may not be able to check-in as early.

Which would you do? Any other ideas?

Thanks!

I would tend to take the Friday night, with the late 4pm plat checkout on Sat, and then really, it is only a couple hours before you'd need to get back to LHR. Just make sure it is clear w/the hotel what you are doing, i.e., not showing up until early AM on Sat.

Thanks!

Check out package WKND03 - provides 10pm check out :) Fri-Sun arrivals 159P

or Starpicks
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/promot...SI_105_LON_NWE

Sheraton Park Lane - Trip Report
 

Stay: May 24 - May 29, 2007

Room: Executive Room

Upgrades: Room (from Classic Room), Late Checkout

Comments: Everything that you have heard about the Park Lane is probably true. I spent more time trying to decide on where to stay in London than the rest of our trip combined. For starters, if you take the Tube, you are going to have to walk quite a bit with your luggage to the hotel. And remember, the lobby is at the back. We of course, were too tired and frustrated (all luggage was delayed an hour) to remember, so we had to drag our luggage up and down stairs and around quite a few corners. The gentleman working at the desk, Rajiv, was EXTREMELY helpful though. When I asked about an upgrade (even though this was a Priceline stay) he spent about 10 minutes looking for something and eventually settled on an Executive Room after night 1. We were never so happy to hear that after we saw our initial room. Gross is the single word I would use to describe it. The carpet, walls and baseboards were black from dirt and use. No AC. The bathroom was only wide enough for one person at a time. This was exactly what I feared about paying $400 a night through *wood.

Luckily the next day our luggage was moved to an Executive Room, which was obviously refurbished more recently. The walls and floors were cleaner, but still not what I would call 3* here in the States, and the bathroom was updated. A better value for the Priceline price I paid ($200 a night), but if I went through *wood as was my initial intention, I would've shot somebody. My wife was never comfortable walking on the floor without her socks the entire stay.

The concierge did recommend us a VERY good Indian restaurant past Piccadilly Circus and was helpful. Relatively, it is close to 2 different Tube stations, but the entrance off of the back alley is mind boggling. The noise from the lobby/bar IS a problem if you are on a floor lower than the 4th. Suffice it so say, next time I will be staying someplace else, since IMHO, *wood has nothing reasonable in the city.

It being London, you really cannot complain since everything in the city is crazy expensive for us over here. The location was good walking distance to whatever we wanted and the 2 Tube stations was good for our longer jaunts. Still, there are other hotels, non-*wood, that are a much better bang for your buck in the city.

Cheers,

Adrian

Thx for the review. Now I'm really bumming... My wife is not going to be happy if the hotel is as dumpy as you're sharing here. We've upgraded to a Studio Suite. Did you happen to see these rooms? If the rooms are that dirty, the baseboards filthy, and the noise level below the 4th floor bad, then... I'm in big trouble.

Arghhhh... I hate to have to spend 20K starwood pts a night to stay at the Park Tower, but it's starting to sound like a better option than risk a cruddy room at the Park Lane. 14500 pts for a Studio Suite oer nt at the Park Lane vs 20K pts a nt for a regular room at the Park Tower...

Hmmmmmmmmm. Maybe WE should save our pts and try Priceline too!

Steve R

The Studio Suites are fine I actually quite like them. I am very particular about my environment and have never had an issue with the Studi Suites at Park Lane. I dd once have a horrible regular suite but that is a different story.

I have only stayed in a regular room once and I certainly would not describe it as dirty, it was just a very small room finished in a very traditional style and starting to need renovation.

I have not stayed at the tower but The Studio Suites at PL are fine. Since the Studio Suites I have stayed in (and recently they seem to give me the same room each stay) have all been on the 4th floor or above there hasn't been too much of a problem with noise. The front of the PL hotel faces Piccadilly and Green Park. Only a very small part of the hotel footprint has this view (but it is the best part of the hotel to be located). Piccadilly is quite a busy road but I have never experienced a problem with road noise (except when staying on the first floor once).

I stayed at the Park Lane over the weekend for a 2 night stay. We had booked a classic room on a Starpicks rate and got upgraded to a large executive room with a sofa and a fair bit of space.

Room wasn't the most modern, but it was clean, well furnished and with a large bathroom etc.

The hotel is in a good location and besides the small classic rooms (which I have stayed in before and some are pretty tired) the rest of the hotel is pretty decent and the service and staff are good.

I'd certainly go back there myself.

Thanks for the great responses. So I guess I don't have to worry then that the room will be miserable. That's a relief.

Now all of a sudden, my wife is talking about us waiting a year on London, York and Edinburgh and going to Australia instead next year! Arghhhh. I have this whole trip planned out. I can't decide if I should go along with her on the whole Australia thing or fight to go to London next year instead. The thought of being on an airplane to Los Angeles for 6 hours and then another one for 15 hours straight is depressing to me... But, Sydney is supposed to be really great, right? AND, we could always go to London the next year...

What to do ....

Steve R

By way of update, Mrs. Flews and I stayed at the Park Lane a couple of weeks ago. We had an excellent stay. Two nights. Upgraded to a (small) suite. Everything was very nice. Location was outstanding.

We had a bit of a glitch with the bill. They kept charging us for breakfast, which was already included in our rate. I had to go to the front desk twice to get the charges removed.

Having said that, breakfast in the dining room was absolutely outstanding - a combo of buffet and also cooked to order from the menu.

Having said THAT, I am so glad breakfast WAS included - since it would have cost nearly $100 for two people (per day), including 17% VAT and tip! In fact, all the food charges were very high - we also had afternoon tea, and dinner in the hotel restaurant one night. Great food and service though.

Let's face it - London is VERY expensive.

Speaking of expensive, don't think it will be any cheaper in Australia. I was there twice this year and I couldn't believe how expensive it was. Especially Sydney.

Great *Wood properties in Sydney though. I've stayed at all three - Westin, Sheraton, and the nicest 4-pts I've ever seen! There are some good discussion boards here about the virtues of all three. My view is I can make a case for each and every one of them, depending on what you like.

So enjoy your trip - no matter which one you ended up taking!