First time to London- which luxury hotel
 

Planning a trip to europe in April and thought about spain but also thinking about UK. Neither my husband not I Have never been to london- our 9 yo daughter will be accompanying us. Want to sort of get a feel for the city and be in close proximity to as much as possible. What is a good location ? what areas should be avoided? Any specific hotels you might recommend? Love the St. regis in NYC, love the Four seasons brand , etc. Thank you!!

The Ham Yard, Covent Garden, or Charlotte Street Hotel. All part of the Firmdale group of hotels in London as well as the Crosby Street Hotel in New York. The Ham Yard is the newest property and is wonderful-stayed there in October.

www.firmdale.com

I can't think of a single 5* hotel in a "bad" location.

Those interested in London locations could argue forever about whether the Embankment (where the Savoy is) is a "better" location than Knightsbridge (where the Berkeley is)

Personally, I wouldn't live within half a mile of any posh hotel: put one up and there goes another neighbourhood is my view. The differences between the neighbourhoods these excrescences destroy is completely trivial.

The St Regis branch in London (The Lanesborough) is closed till early 2015. The only Four Seasons in central London (the Four Seasons London), like the Lanesborough, is on a horridly choked major road. Both are worth paying serious money to steer well clear of.

They may be both highly rated by people who've drunk too much of the Luxury Chain Hotel Kool-Aid. But they're both simply extravagantly art-directed chain hotels in a part of London only prostitutes, people with more money than sense and staff on their Christmas party ever go near.

Thank you both for your responses . Flanneruk, this is why i'm posting the question- I don't want to end up in a place I would rather not be. I appreciate all advice!

In terms of location, for what you want, you probably need to be within the western-to-central part of the public transport zone 1. Not all the luxury brand hotels are that central. Your mention of the Four Seasons reminds me that there's a big one near me, up at Canary Wharf, which is a business district further out, and probably not the kind of area you're thinking of (nothing unsafe about it, just inconvenient for getting to where you want to be).

Map of zones:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms...d-tube-map.pdf

Try The Milestone. It's located at #1 Kensington, almost across the street from Kensington Gardens. Good location and arguably the best hotel in a London. It's part of the Red Carnation Group.

Sorry I should have included their website with post.

www.themilestone.com

The Covent Garden (a Firmdale place) on one side of Covent Garden or the Savoy on the other side are the last two hotels we stayed in. We like the location of both for getting about but YOU do not SAY how YOU will BE getting about.

Do you even consider doing public transport?

I stayed at the Intercontinental the last time. Like the location and the hotel. But we got upgraded to a suite on the club level, so that may have influenced me.

I agree that the Firmdale mini-chain has some wonderful hotels. My favorite is the Haymarket, absolutely central but tucked into a small street just off Haymarket and around the corner from Trafalgar Square. Great service, nice staff. Since we prefer to walk nearly everywhere it's very conveniently located to do so.

We were only able to spend a day and a half in London several years ago and stayed at The Goring Hotel near Buckingham Palace. Can't say enough good things about this quirky, wonderful place.

I really like the Ampersand in South Kensington, it's a boutique hotel. Nice staff, great location, great quirky/styish decor, comfy beds etc. There is a bus stop right outside.
Right across from the South Kensington tube station and a short walk to the V&A museum and Natural History museum. Not much further to walk to Hyde Park or Harrod's. Lots of nice restaurants and shops in the area.

Easy to access other sights in London either by cab, bus, tube or foot. We did some of each.

None of the old standbys: Claridge's, The Connaught, Brown's, The Dorchester? These all passe these days?

I'll agree with Flaneruk on this one. For instance,I've stayed on business at virtually every luxury hotel in nyc and think they are- almost without exception- the worst possible type of boring and stifling environment and typically the least interesting location available. Never do I stay at those on a family trip.

I'd argue this is true of most cities and will refrain from making the (what would otherwise be a compelling and cohesive) argument that it is among the worst possible environments to which a nine year old can be exposed in a foreign country! Anyway, rant over, try the Royal Horseguards for something a little different and with great location and views. Good luck.

We liked St Ermin's
http://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/

Some rooms can be very small, so make sure you note the square footage and floor plan of the room you reserve. We were given a much different, much smaller room when we checked in late, but I had the detailed room description printed out, from their website confirmation, which I needed in order to get it corrected.

It's now a part of the Marriott Autograph Collection.

If money were no obstacle, I would most definitely stay at the Connaught!

As my Uncle Terry of Berks (by way of White Chapel) would say, it is "oldy-worldy."

The service at the Connaught is beyond the beyond, whatever that means. (I am being solipsistic.)

You can't go wrong with the Connaught if you are looking for that Brideshead Revisited experience.

This is the place Sebastian Flyte would have stayed if his digs in Tavistock Square were requisitioned.


Thin, born in the Four Gated City

If money is not an option our favorite hotel in London is the Mandarin Oriental - Knightsbridge - a neighborhood we also like. Can walk to a lot of places and the tube is handy.

Caveat: We have stayed in Mandarin Orientals in several cities - often on business - and this is probably my favorite deluxe chain.

The Ritz in London is one of my favorite hotels in the world. Most probably consider it a bit stuffy, but I rather enjoy a place where a jacket and tie are required in the bar, and where the dress code is actually, and rigorously enforced. Note that it has been a few years since I was there, so it is possible that all of that has changed

Well, Margaret Thatcher Milk Snatcher died at the Ritz so that would be enough to put me off.

If Bernadette Devlin McAliskey were looking for digs in London, where would she sleep?

Would a Socialist stay at the Lanesborough?

You know you are in a posh part of London when there is reserved parking for the Fancy Goods Vehicle from Harrods.

Thin

You can't go wrong with any of the ones mentioned, like the Connaught and the Mandarin Oriental, but if money were no object ( which, unfortunately it is ) I would stay at the Ritz in Knightsbridge. Although we have never stayed there, we have stayed nearby and have been there several times for tea and cocktails.