I doubt I can make Marriott Titanium this year, but I’m just a couple of nights short of Platinum. Having already stayed at numerous Marriott properties in London I want to add one more to my collection, and St Ermins stands out after I’ve checked some reviews.

The hotel is just one block away from the St James Park tube station, and thus fairly close to the Conrad London hotel. On the one hand it’s a really quiet neighbourhood, on the other hand it’s only a few minutes from the London Eye and Buckingham Palace. I’m visiting Tate Britain in the afternoon, which is also nearby.

The hotel entrance is lightened by a small but beautiful courtyard garden.

The lobby doesn’t look bad either. The front desk is very friendly, keeps checking if I have any request. My room isn’t ready yet at 12pm so I left my bags with the concierge.

Reports say that their standard rooms are tiny. My Suite Night Upgrade cleared a couple of days before my stay for the best suite of the hotel. It’s good, but nothing spectacular I’m afraid.

Door to the small balcony is locked, but I guess you can ask the staff to open it.

The bedroom is cosy.

Bathroom looks nice although a bit tired as well.

The rain shower is controlled by a digital panel.

Breakfast is complimentary to Titanium members, and you can choose 1,000 points or $10 credit on top.

It’s mainly buffet but I think there are some egg dishes you can order as well. The selection and quality are mediocre.

Gym:

Given what I read online and that I used a SNU award, I had high expectations and I can’t stay the hotel stands up to it. It’s a bit disappointing especially considering what SNU got me at the Marriott County Hall hotel. If you would like to stay in this area, I think the Conrad is a better choice.

Marriott has a “Spend £200 get £75 back” offer with Amex, and I thought it would be a shame not to use it. I decided to spend one night at the Great Northern Hotel in the end.

It is part of the Tribute Portfolio, which was brought to Marriott by the SPG merger. I doubt Marriott has given the brand any thought since, as its footprint is barely growing at all. The only other hotel that I’ve stayed at is the Abbey Hotel at Bath. In my opinion Tribute should probably just be absorbed into the Autograph Collection.

The hotel is very well located as an annex to the Kings Cross station. Although not super central, Kings Cross has arguably the best transport links within London. You may consider staying here before taking the Eurostar.

The hotel doesn’t look so Great when compared to the Renaissance across the street.

Walking through the tiny entrance, turn left for the guest rooms and right for the reception.

The lobby is pretty micro too.

Jokes aside, the hotel does look very new and fresh, which gives a totally different (and maybe better) vibe than the Renaissance. The lift looks like an infinite mirror room.

I’ve received a double upgrade to an Edwardian King Room, High Floor. As far as remember there isn’t much difference between their room types though.

The room feels simple but cosy.

Being on the top floor isn’t necessarily a good thing, since the pitched roof confines the space even further. You can see the St Pancras station through the window.

Actually the hotel isn’t particularly small, but somehow they don’t even have a gym, let alone a swimming pool. I guess it’s due to it being a railway hotel.

Titanium members can choose breakfast as a welcome amenity. It’s fully a la carte and the food is quite good.

There is a Club Lounge on each floor – well that’s how I call them 😉, they are actually just pantry rooms with a coffee machine, some fruits and cookies.

In a word, the hotel is decent, but also inevitably dwarfed by the Renaissance St Pancras Hotel next door. If you want to stay at a Marriott hotel in the area, I’d definitely recommend the latter just for the experience.