I have to giggle: Magical can mean (to some people) a view of the street across from the hotel with people bussling around shopping and going about their day....or especially the Thames River with it's activity, or on a higher floor a view of the tops of city buildings and vistas. "magical" certainly doesn't have to be beautiful Hawaii (ugh!) (just teasing!)
Paying a LOT more money for a "view" perhaps isnt' worth it...but it never hurts to ask. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't ! I know there are many great B&Bs in London with lots of personal attention, clean, good locations...but certainly no "view".
I've heard good things about the Royal Horseguards...but my goodness, I REALLY wish the exchange rate was better from pounds to dollars (:>)!!!!!
Still we LOVE UK~

janisj -
They told me it would be the 6th floor. I think it will be touch and go how much the trees interfere. And I've heard sometimes you get a different room than the one you were "promised", so we'll see. Thanks for the encouragement about my hotel choice. For some reason, no matter how many LOVELY hotels I kept looking at - including the Rubens - I just kept feeling drawn to this one...