Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, London, United Kingdom [Master Thread]
 

Anyone have exp using an award to stay there in summer. What are the rooms like? Any upgrade success? Thanks folks!

There are a TON of threads about this hotel, London Hotels, etc.

My bottom line: stay away. I found the hotel creepy, but some may find it old & charming.

You can do so much better in London, many many options SPG and otherwise.

I personally didn't like the Park Lane, I thought it was very dated and not comfortable. I walked into my room and walked out. They were really nice and gave me an "upgraded" room to try as well but I didn't really like it either.

I went to the Park Tower down the street instead. Park Tower was great!

I stay there for the location, and the fact that I can usually get a room there for a decent amount of points (I booked a 5 night May stay at 50% off the starpoint redemption amount). The Le Meridien down the street is even more central, but not worth the extra points (it is also "dated"). I've tried the Belgravia Sheraton, but the location was a bit off the beaten path for me. The Park Tower is the one I haven't tried (too many points for me).

I don't go to the Park Lane expecting luxury.....I've had a wide variety of rooms there, and since I'm not "paying" for them, I'm not that particular. It would be a different story if I was shelling out $300 USD of my own money...

Stayed here this year. Good location for me. Nice upgraded room with great bathroom.. Plat amenity was a bottle of wine.. Lounge very stuffy and expensive. Nice pubs nearby.

I doubt I'd stay there again, and I don't say that too often. Yeah, the location was good, but that was about it. Agree with the previous posts (as well as several in the TONS of other threads on it) that the lobby is stuffy, the staff/service was so-so, the rooms are really worn, dated, blah, not something you'd want to "come home" to at the end of a day.

The Belgravia is off some beaten paths, but on others...depends on what you're doing, where you're going...walkable thru a very swank neighborhood to Hyde Park (both the park & the tube stop) & Victoria station (the tube stop/train station), EXCELLENT staff, great treatment of Plat's/Golds, MUCH nicer (altho' somewhat smaller) rooms.

As there are many other threads regarding this property and others (use Search feature and keywords Starwood London) I agree that this property was not my favorite. The Belgravia is the best imo! The staff is elegant, it's very "old world" and treatment as a Platinum was much better than the other properties in London. As far as "location" I thought it was a great location! The tube takes you everywhere in London anyway.

I stayed at the Park Lane using Cash and Points in 2003 as a Plat. I was upgraded to a very nice suite without having to haggle like some of the current Plat's are forced to do.

However, it was in October, so I'm guessing your upgrade chances will depend on availability when you show up.

Been there once, but never returned again...

We were there twice alst summer. We stayed in a studio stuite because we have 2 kids and needed the room. Second time we stayed in a suite. The studio suite was actually niceer. It was during a heat wave and we were lucky to have great airconditioning which is rare and the best thing! We stayed with points. I know lots of people don't care for the place, but it was fine for us and a good location. The staff was very nice. Both suites had good size modern bathrooms. We did see the basic room and spent time in one for a few hours when we arrived early one morning which helped us out. In that case it was ok, but horrible if you had to pay for it or even use points.

Same here; got a broom-closet sized room on an award stay, and have never gone back.

I stay there often and quite like it. It's far from perfect but in terms of value for money it's OK for London.

And I have usually been upgraded to some very nice rooms!!

I love that hotel. I've stayed there many times when we lived in Europe. I guess I like the charm and location of the hotel. The full English breakfast is very good. I have stayed at the Belgravia twice when the Park Lane was fully booked, but the Belgravia rooms a smaller and the location is not as convenient.

The Park Lane Hotel, London - getting to/from?
 

Anyone have suggestions on the fastest/cheapest way from Heathrow to the Park Lane Hotel and back?

It couldn't be easier. Get the piccadilly line from Heathrow to Hyde Park corner. Ask any station staff for the exit for the hotel. It will be a walk of five mins max.

Do ask, as there's more than one "way out" and taking the wrong one would def. add unecessary time & steps to your trip.

From Heathrow tube station to Hyde Park is 45 minutes. In addition to being by far the cheapest option, it's possibly the fastest. It's actually faster than taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington & transferring, from line to line (Bakerloo, Juilbee, etc. vs. no transfers on the Picadilly).

TONS of threads/posts here in the SPG forum covering this hotel, if you need some honest reviews (incl. several less-than-stellar ones) of the hotel.

Definitely faster than any form of road transport, especially in the morning or early evening, due to traffic. Hyde Park Corner is close to the Park Lane Hotel, but do ask the staff in the station ticket hall for details of which exit from the station to use, or consult the map on the wall next to where you exit the ticket barriers.

Though one more stop further away, Green Park is also pretty convenient, though IME a bit further walk from the hotel. The nice thing is that its extremely easy direction wise since the entrances/exits aren't as confusing as Hyde Park Corner and you just head straight on Piccadilly along the park.

For general reference, here is the map of the area:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=l&hl...1,0.09407&om=1

I go up to the Information counter, copy down a few 800 numbers for mini-cabs and call up and ask how much they want to go from Heathrow Terminal N to the hotel.

You must be on an expense account ;)

Taking the tube is easy, less of a hassle (not dealing with London city traffic), and faster as well as a lot less expensive.

Heathrow Express to Paddington, then Bakerloo Line to Baker Street, cross the platform at Baker Street then Jubilee Line to Green Park. The Park Lane is 5 minutes walk from Green Park. This trip will cost more than a pure tube journey but will take approximately half the time.

No way !

Journey time from the main Heathrow tube station to Hyde Park Corner tube station is 43 minutes, with no changes. Tubes depart every 3 or 4 minutes.

The Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes from the main Heathrow rail station to Paddington rail station, but these only run every 15 minutes so chances are you'll have to wait a while.
Once at Paddington, it will take at least a further 20 minutes to get to the hotel on the tube with a further change at Baker Street and a walk from Green Park. Don't even THINK of taking this route with luggage or in the rush hour !

Edited to add : and it will cost you four or five times the money too.....

I agree wholeheartedly. Take the tube all the way, its super convenient, albeit quite crowded at rush hour times.

Is it a viable compromise to take the Heathrow Express and then a taxi from Paddington? Or does that get me the worst of cost AND the worst of delay?

Travelling with luggage for 12 days, from LAX (arr 3pm).

Also, what about from the Park Lane to LGW, for a 9-something AM flight?

thx.

Like the saying goes, "If you have to ask...."


There are several options for this. You'd have to get over to Victoria to take the Gatwick Express. Or, there are several not as well-published but just as fast AND much cheaper rail options for getting out to LGW, from various tube/train stops in London, depending on which of these you could easily get yourself to.---there's a boatload of information on it in the London forum in the Travel/Dining section----http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=362477

I've done this. The only thing going for it is that it's a bit more comfortable than the tube option (or the HEX-to-tube) option. It's also probably the fastest, though not by much, assuming you don't get stuck in bad traffic in central London. Obviously it's the most expensive option, short of a taxi all the way.

Do Platinum members get complimentary breakfast? Just curious...

Beware of the fact that the hotel is not fully air conditioned. When I last stayed there only some floors had AC, and the AC was feeble in the rooms on those floors. This can make for a very uncomfortable stay on a hot summer London day. And the London summers seem to be getting hotter. Global warming and all, you know.....

If we're on award stay, can we specify AC room? Or they automatically put award people in non-AC floor?

I believe I was told that the studio suites and suites have the best air conditioning, and that's where we stayed both times.( an award stay)..go back ad read my orig post about our stay on pg. 1, I think. The basic room is awful!

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