EuropeanPete

Is the London you want to see one where people sound like the Queen and Hugh Grant or the cast from Lock Stock and two Smoking barrels?

I find that question a useful starting point for American tourists to help avoid disappointment over not being in “real” London.

mjz

I'm looking to book one of these Autograph Collection properties for six nights this Fall. The Bankside Hotel and St. Ermin's are close in price while the Montcalm East is less expensive. Any recommendations from anyone that has stayed at one, two or all of them. We're both have Platinum status with Bonvoy. Additionally, the London Marriott Canary Wharf is a great price. I've been to London before, but my partner hasn't. Would that location be a bad choice for a first time visitor?

kpfleming

it's been a few years, but I've stayed at the St. Ermin's and it was great. Charming old buildings, beautiful entrance and public spaces, very easy Tube access, and easy walk to the sights in the Westminster area. Have not stayed at the other options you listed. I have also stayed at The Dixon (Tower Bridge), and would not recommend it. It has no charm at all.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi

I have not stayed at those hotels ( have stayed at the nearby hilton equivalents) but probably would not recommend the canary wharf location for a first time visitor as there will be some considerable journey time into central London ( and with connections also) but it's not bad for going to Greenwich for the museums and the cutty sark
Bankside is good for Thames side activities and walks ie tate modern hms belfast Tower Bridge

St ermin in a good location for Buckingham Palace churchill war rooms westminster and the Central London parks ( ie St James, Green, Hyde)

regards

Tbs

brittex

I would echo some of the thoughts above:
Canary Wharf not a good intro to London
St Ermins is a great location, and I also found it to be a wonderful property.

strayersong

Montcalm East has a very nice spa, which may be a dealbreaker

mjz

Thank you for the information. I'm going to book us at St. Ermin's.

siege101

I've only stayed at The Bankside and really just slept there and didn't take advantage of any of the facilities so I can't comment about those aspects of it but I very much enjoyed my stay in February.

It's very new and modern, great design, very very clean and great bed and bathroom amenities. The front desk staff were fantastic and very friendly and helpful, always greeting me by name. The room was quiet and spacious and I had the 2nd lowest category IIRC. They did housekeeping every other day while I was there and they compensated me without asking with complimentary alcoholic drinks at their bar which I unfortunately forgot all about until I was on the plane ride home. Speaking of the bar, it was highly recommended to me by a bartender at Lyaness which is just down the street and is one of the top cocktail bars in the world, so that's definitely a good sign.

Which leads me to location, there's not much to do right around the hotel itself however I didn't really find it much of a negative, there are several Tube stations within a 5 minute walk of the entrance to the hotel and a couple of bus stops and you can get anywhere in London pretty quickly.

I'm also going to be staying at the Montcalm East this summer so I can report back on that in a few months. The reason I choose Montcalm over The Bankside for this upcoming trip was price, I only have Silver status, so free nights aren't a consideration. The Bankside was in the $500 per night range at the end of July while Montcalm East was only in the mid $200s. Another reason is location although like I said Bankside wasn't much of a negative, Montcalm East is in Shoreditch and there's much more nightlife right outside the hotel, just a completely different experience from the South Bank.

Only stay in Canary Wharf if you're there for business, it's too far removed from everything else in London.

sxpsxpsxp

I was there in October on a solo business trip to check out the area. My office isn't anywhere near there -- I stayed just to check it out. It took me about 10-15 minutes to get to the Bank stop on the DLR from what I recall (the stop is literally right outside the Marriott). I think Tower Hill is about the same, although I didn't go there. And now with the Elizabeth Line opening later this month, it's going to be 15 minutes from Paddington. The entrance appears to only be a minute or two away from the Marriott. The Jubilee line, which appears to be about 5-10 min walk from the Marriott, says it gets you to the Westminster stop in about 10 minutes.

I'm currently planning to stay here with my family in June. The reason: the Marriott Executive Apartments. I'm booked into a 2-bedroom apartment with a kitchen for £359/night. We might not have any view, and yes, you can't walk out the door and be right in the middle of the tourist attractions, but it also means you're not cramped into a small hotel room or paying an arm and a leg at a more centrally located property. For stays longer than a few days, I think this makes a whole lot of sense, unless you've got a ton of points or cash to spend on the other properties.

tattikat2

Hello,

Looking at all hotels in London for May 2023 stay and only 2 had any points redemption listed. All others just had rooms for cash.

Is it just too far in the future right now for points stays to be listed/offered?

Hoping they will be more listed as the weeks and months progress.

MsAnnMcD

Hi Tatticat. I booked this July in London last August. I believe it is an 11 month window before you can book on points. Happy planning!

sxpsxpsxp

I don't know if the window is as specific as what MsAnnMcD says, but I saw the same thing last year when I was looking to book my trip for this summer. Wait a bit longer.

Orange County Commuter

So I’m looking for a one night stay near Heathrow. And having read lately some scary stories about checking in at Heathrow and other European Airports I’d like to be able to take advantage of the Virgin Atlantic upper class check in drop off area

Has anyone ever tried to get a Uber or taxi from one of the airport Marriotts to the virgin Atlantic check-in area and is that a real problem.? Doesn’t look very far and I know that at least an Atlanta taxi drivers get a little bent out of shape for short fares.😂

jayceevee

FWIW, I just stayed at the Marriott Grosvenor Square location and it was…very average?

Check-in staff was not particularly friendly, room was ok, but a bit dated and incredibly warm with the cooling not doing much (they couldn’t process an upgrade as a gold, which was fine as they were fully booked and I don’t expect upgrades much). Location is fantastic (which was the purpose for me), but if you’re going to spend 650/night (it was a 50k point redemption for me) - I’d probably look elsewhere in London unless you absolutely have to be in Mayfair.

Donsyb

you'll have no problem getting a taxi or Uber to the airport. We do it regularly. Uber is about half the price of a cab, so would recommend that if you can get one.

recently the Renaissance has been coming out cheapest and the lounge is ok, although not as good as pre-covid. Not taking price into account the Marriott probably has the best lounge of the airport hotels ( I think we’ve tried all except the new Moxy &#128514