glsebs

We are trying to decide between these three hotels for our April trip...they are all in our price range of $250-300. Any opinions on these hotels re location, rooms, service etc. would be appreciated.

mclaurie

The Halkin is a smaller boutique hotel with more modern sleek decor. Grosvenor House is old world (some would say worn looking) and BIG. I think the Halkin sounds like the best value at that price range. Grosvenor House is often available on Priceline & on discount websites. I'm not familiar with Renaissance but many Fodorites have stayed there. Have you done a text search here for mentions?

Frankly at your price range I'd imagine you could stay almost anywhere. What sort of location are you looking for? Near shopping or theater or restaurants? Many Fodorites like staying near the South Kensington tube stop for convenience. If you're looking for proximity to rest. & theater, the Soho area is ideal. You might check the Charlotte St Hotel.

mamc

I stayed at the Grosvenor House last week while on business in London. It seemed very old world and English and did not find my room worn at all. The service was fantastic. The room was large with a large and modern bath. However, I was not crazy about the Mayfair location and stayed there only because it was convenient to my office. The area is mostly residential and, while beautiful, not very interesting. I'm not sure where the other two hotels are located but think, considering your price range, you could find something located in a livier neighborhood.

rmf1986

I stayed in Renaissance Chancery in late 2001, and it was great. Rooms are large (American style), bar is nice, concierge level was also very pleasant. Overall, quite nice, and I would definitely stay again.

elaine

I stayed at the Grosvenor House a few years ago. I found the rooms to be very large, well equipped, bathrooms and amenities and service excellent. I did think that the rooms could have used some updating, but ours were not worn.

I've been to London a number of times and I agree that the GH is not my preferred location. It's a good 10-12 minute walk to either the Hyde Park Corner or Marble Arch Tube stops, and the neighborhood and the Park are nice to see, but not particularly interesting unless you walk into the Oxford St or Mayfair areas.

Cicerone

I am a big fan of Chancery Court for its beautiful renovation, large rooms and nice décor. The neighbourhood is a little dull at night as it is an office area and there are few restaurants. It is about a 10 minute walk to the Holdborn tube stop. They have a great spa and a very good restaurant (QC). The staff is very helpful, IMO.

I agree with the comment that Grosvenor House is a little out of the way as far a sight-seeing or shopping. (FYI, Marriott is taking over the management of hotel as of January 1 and will spend 2-3 years renovating the entire hotel).

You might also consider the Park Lane Marriott, which is a smaller hotel and is very conveniently located, IMO, right on the corner of Park Lane and Oxford Street. The shopping on Oxford Street is great. The hotel is basically across the street from Marble Arch, and the Marble Arch tube stop is in front of the hotel. You can hop on any number of buses and be in Regent Street/Piccadilly, etc in 10-15 minutes. They have a very nice indoor pool, steam room and small health club. As the hotel is small, you don't get the overwhelming feeling you might get at Grosvenor. Some of the rooms look out over Hyde Park. Some of the rooms would be on the smaller side compared to Chancery Court and Grosvenor.

Lois_L

We loved the Renaissance Chancery Court--full of atmosphere, and great location. Actually found it good value for a luxurious property. Yes, there are offices around but less than 1 block from tube stop, and within walking distance of many theatres (important when there are no taxis late at night). The Covent Garden area is full of restaurants and cool shops; many of the restaurants are reasonably priced, which is good with our U.S. $ so low. For this reason, it seemed a better idea to stay far away from Knightsbridge, with its myriad of expensive, tempting shops. We agree that Mayfair is not our favorite area to stay in, and if Grosvenor House is about to get a major face-lift, why go there?