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My review of the Renaissance St Pancras Hotel
If I’m to name the three most insta-famous Marriott hotels in London, W Leicester Square and Marriott County Hall are the two that I have already stayed at and was generally satisfied with. The last one must be Renaissance St Pancras though, which is even more eye-catching than the previous two:
You cannot possibly miss the architecture when coming out of the St Pancras or Kings Cross station. Many years ago I remember seeing Taylor Swift shooting an MV here 😛
Due to the Flexible Redemption system that Marriott recently introduced, the hotel has actually dropped in pricing for a few dates. I booked a Saturday night for only 40,000 points.
It’s impossible to capture the entire building in one photo, at least not with my phone 😛
The Great Northern Hotel on the other side of the road looks like a poor dwarf…
Reception is just by the lobby bar when you enter the hotel. I was here for a UK blogger’s Christmas party a couple of years ago.
Before I write any further, you must understand the set-up of the hotel. It consists of two wings: The Barlow Wing which has all the normal guest rooms, and the Chambers Wing which has all the suites (including Junior Suite). Chambers Wing guests enjoy additional benefits such free ironing service, Eurostar VIP transfer, and access to the Chambers Club as pictured below:
The Chambers Club is defined as a Club, not an Executive Lounge, and the hotel only hands out complimentary access to Titanium and Ambassador members if you’re not booking a Chambers Wing room. If you are staying as a Platinum, I’d recommend to use your suite upgrade voucher for an upgrade to the Chambers Wing.
The common area in the Chambers Wing is very impressive.
As it’s a rare chance of staying here, I used one suite upgrade voucher too. The best suite I could select was only Grand Junior Suite, and unfortunately it’s the suite I finally got assigned to – a proper one-bedroom suite would be a lot nicer.
The room is quite old, and its style reminds me of Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh.
I know what to expect though after reading so many online reviews, so it’s not a let-down. The best feature of the room is probably its view:
It looks pretty Hogwarts-y at night – the hotel is actually seen in two Harry Potter films, when the St Pancras station is staged as the Kings Cross as it’s fancier.
The Spa Centre is on the -1 floor in the Chambers Wing. I’m not sure if Barlow Wing guests need to pay extra to use it.
The gym:
There’s no swimming pool but a big jacuzzi instead. It’s quite old though so keep your expectations low.
Steaming room and sauna:
The Chambers Club was closed for a very long time since Covid started, and now it’s on a trial run, open 4.30pm to 10pm Tuesday through Saturday. The Chambers Club will go back to operating seven days a week in May.
You can follow the staircase to spot what’s happening inside the St Pancras station.
Beverages (including alcohol) are available the whole time. Happy hour is between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
There’s a nice spread of snacks and desserts. A few hot plates are available for order too, including fried chicken, grilled aubergine and truffle fries.
The Chambers Club is good, but not good enough to differentiate from other Marriott hotels and exclude Platinum members, in my opinion.
Chambers Club doesn’t serve breakfast yet, so all guests have it at the restaurant Booking Office 1869.
The buffet is okay – some of the snacks / desserts are exactly the same as what I saw last evening in the Chambers Club…
In additional to the buffet, they only do omelettes and boiled eggs, which is disappointing. Hopefully breakfast at the Chambers Club will be better.
To summarise, it’s not a great hotel, as you can see the room is everything but glamourous, and if you’re not staying in a suite it’s only gonna be worse. However it’s more about experiencing the splendid architecture and its history, so I’d still recommend to try it out once should you have the chance.
My review of Montcalm East, Autograph Collection
Today we are talking about Montcalm East, the only London Autograph hotel with a swimming pool. This is just the second time I’m staying at an Autograph hotel, (after University Arms), and I wasn’t even sure what benefits to expect at this brand.
The hotel was once called M by Montcalm, but joined the Marriott family under a new name in 2021. It’s in the Shoreditch neighbourhood, and only a short walk from the Old Street station.
I checked in on Friday, and reception was super busy for a hotel in east London. Unlike what I had imagined, most of the guests appear to be here for leisure rather than business.
I’m staying in a Feeling Superior room on the 11th floor. Most room types are not very different except for bed size (King or Queen). The top two floors (16th and 17th) are called Sky Floors.
The room is very modern with “high-tech” everywhere. You use the bedside panel to control everything in the room including the electrical blinds. Bathroom floor is heated.
I’m not sure about its necessity though, for example it’s very hard for me to figure out which button turns on the light when I wake up in the morning. The yin-yang slippers are fun.
There are many tall buildings in the neighbourhood so unfortunately there’s not much of a view. Stay on a higher floor if you could, as the noise level is significantly lower (the hotel faces a busy street).
Spa centre is on the -1 floor.
Swimming pool is not huge, but equipped with neck and back massage on one end.
The jacuzzi is very well heated.
Shame but the sauna is out of order.
Experience room:
The facilities are not better than the Westin, but design-wise it’s way fancier.
Breakfast is complimentary for Platinum members and above. In addition you can choose 1,000 points or $10 credit as the welcome gift.
The breakfast buffet has a decent spread, but is nothing to write home about.
The hotel used to have an executive lounge, but cancelled it after becoming an Autograph. It’s also famous for the Photo Lab experience, although I didn’t give it a try.
My stay is quite enjoyable: the room is newer than many actual new hotels in London, and the spa is very nice. The area is also good for food and night life, so it could be a great option for a weekend in London.
My review of Westin London City
Interestingly there’s a lack of top-end luxury hotel presence in London, given what an important role the city is playing internationally. When it comes to Marriott, there’s no St Regis or Ritz Carlton, although the former is going to be erected soon thanks to the conversion of the Westbury hotel.
On the other hand, the first Westin hotel in the UK opened its door November last year. However I wasn’t very temped, as I have seen how hideous it looks from the outside…
The other side of the hotel, which is at the river bank, has a less disturbing appearance. The hotel is about five minutes’ walk from the Mansion House station.
The main entrance leads to the ground floor and concierge. The flowers display is probably the prettiest decoration of the hotel.
Reception is on the fourth floor, and then you’ll need to walk down the hallway to take another lift for guest rooms, and the lift has two sets of buttons which have different functions. This is one of the many confusing designs this hotel has.
There’s actually a hidden but much more convenient north entrance which accesses the fourth floor directly.
The hotel advertises many different room types on their website, i.e. Signature / Classic / Privilege / Luxury. But in fact they are all identical in terms of size and facilities, and the only difference is how high or low the room is.
I wasn’t given any upgrade and assigned a Signature room on the sixth floor. You can definitely tell the newness of the room, but nothing stands out at all.
Despite of its location, there are no river view rooms in the hotel.
The main reason I wanted to give the hotel a go is its spa, as I heard it’s very good. The spa centre is at the second floor.
Sauna and steam room:
There’s a no natural light, and the sauna is electric which doesn’t feel hot enough. I was overall underwhelmed.
Westin Club is on the fourth floor, open Sunday through Thursday.
It has no view either.
Breakfast buffet：
Happy hour is from 5pm to 7pm. Two hot dishes are available including fried chicken wings, which is sufficient for me.
A few types of bottled beer are offered, but wine-wise they only provide one kind of red wine.
As a new (five-star) hotel, the Westin unfortunately doesn’t tick many boxes at all, and I’m not sure why the two friends who’d stayed here recommended it to me.
They have also reduced themselves recently to the misconduct of charging 5% service fee. Remember that it’s an optional free (which is why they get away from not including it in the total rate), so you can always ask them to remove it from your bill.
My review of Ritz Carlton Vienna
After spending two nights in Hotel Bristol, I moved over to the Ritz Carlton hotel for a different experience. My first Ritz Carlton stay at Tenerife was a total disappointment, and I’m hoping for the best this time.
Unlike Hotel Bristol, the hotel feels very new.
I’m also upgraded to a Junior Suite for my stay. Service-wise I’m quite impressed, as someone accompanies me to the room with my luggage, and explains everything about the room and hotel facilities in great details. From what I read online Hotel Bristol is known for their great hospitality, but to be honest I didn’t remember anything special there.
The Junior Suite is actually an open-plan corner room, which I usually have a preference to. You don’t see any extravagance and the room may be more on the simple side, but it stills conveys the appropriate luxury message.
I quite like the design of the minibar.
And as a welcome gift, two bottles of mineral water and a snack ferris wheel.
The L-shaped balcony is unfortunately a bit confined, and there isn’t much a view to admire around here.
You can however, see the Hotel Imperial, which is a spectacular building.
Spa centre is on floor -2.
As I vaguely remember from what the staff told me, it’s the largest indoor pool you can find at any Vienna hotel.
There’s no separate jacuzzi pool or hot tub, but this corner in the swimming pool has got some of the functions.
After swimming, you could try out the sauna or steam room but they are in the changing rooms, which is not very convenient.
Club lounge access is priced at €120 per room, which isn’t too bad if two people are travelling. From what I’ve seen on Flyertalk it’s also not limited to just two people – if you’ve booked a room for three or four (assuming the occupancy permits), you could pay the same €120 and everyone gets lounge access, which is a great deal.
The is the distrikt restaurant where guests have breakfast.
At €30 per person it’s not cheap, but it’s actually worth a try. Have a look at the menu:
Just as its title suggests, you have a lot to choose from, including some dishes you wouldn’t expect to see on a breakfast menu. Breakfast is open until 2.30pm.
It has been a positive experience, and definitely way better than my stay at Ritz Carlton Abama. In general I’m more comfortable at new hotels like this one, however the old ones like Hotel Bristol are more of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’d love to visit Hotel Imperial on my next trip to Vienna.
My review of Hotel Bristol, Vienna
As my Amex Marriott £100 cashback is expiring soon, I start to look for a city with high-end Marriott hotels to spend a long weekend in. I choose Vienna in the end, the capital of Austria with a Ritz-Carlton and two Luxury Collection hotels.
Both Luxury Collection hotels are very well-renowned, although Hotel Imperial is a touch higher in reputation and also more expensive. I’ve gone for Hotel Bristol in the end though, since the location is more preferable.
Hotel Bristol is located on the edge of Vienna’s not-so-big city centre. Interestingly many hotels here have an entrance of the same style:
The lobby is not a grand one, but does look classic.
The elevator is quite fancy with mini-sofas inside.
I strongly recommend to walk up and down the stairs though. Each level is decorated differently, but they are equally breath-taking and it feels like strolling in the flow of the 19th century.
As you can imagine, most of the rooms here are not quite up to the modern standard. There are few refurbished rooms though, and be sure to book or request them if you have the preference. The Bristol Suite, for which you can redeem your suit night awards, is one of them.
I don’t have a strong desire for suite though so didn’t use my suite night award. I’m upgraded to a Junior Suite on the top floor.
There’s more than enough space for me, although furnishing is definitely on the older side.
Welcome gift are a bottle of white wine and a fruit platter.
The highlight is this small rooftop balcony.
The balcony may not be huge, but you can enjoy a great view of the State Opera.
The hotel has a small gym. No swimming pool is available, but if you are in need they could arrange you a complimentary visit to the Ritz Carlton to use their spa facilities.
Breakfast is served in the Bristol Lounge. It’s an amazing venue.
There is a limited buffet section.
And you could order the usual suspects in addition.
Food is good, but nothing to write home about. It’s more about the ambiance and experience to be honest.
Like many others I usually prefer to stay at a modern hotel, but Hotel Bristol is quite different in that it’s historic enough but in the meantime not “dated”. It’s an experience not to miss and, I’ll probably try out Hotel Imperial the next time I’m in Vienna.
My review of London Marriott County Hall
Marriott is running a ludicrous promotion for 2022 Q1, which makes retain my Titanium status much easier. My first stop is London Marriott County Hall, a renowned Marriott property in central London.
Although it’s only a Marriott, it’s one the most sought-after hotels in London, even compared to the luxurious brands such as JW Marriott, Edition and W. This is largely thanks to its location – by River Thames and right next to the London Eye!
Hotel entrance is on the south side. It’s a Grade-II listed building and originally served as London’s County Hall in 1922. It retired after 64 years and became a Marriott hotel in 1988.
I’m presented with a glass of Prosecco while waiting for check-in to complete.
It’s a prime touristic location, which explains the red telephone box and many other London icons in the hotel.
I used my suite upgrade voucher for the first time, and it didn’t take long for them to confirm my upgrade to a River Thames View Suite. I think it’s the second-highest room category (only second to the Westminster Suite), but I may be wrong.
The corridor turns orange when I approach my suite – is it the renovated part of the hotel?
I was stunned when I opened the door and saw the living room:
The furniture and the finish are perfectly spot-on, and it’s even completed with a six-seat dining table. However, the most amazing part of the living room has to be its view.
Especially when the sun shines, you are basically looking at a painting!
The living room and bedroom are connected by an curvy hallway.
The bathroom is also very beautiful, with a smart toilet seat.
Here’s the wardrobe:
And finally the bedroom:
If you are tired of the Big Ben view in the living room, have a change of scenery here for the London Eye:
The design of their wellness centre is a bit weird. For accessing the swimming pool, you need to request an access code from the fifth floor, and then go up to the sixth floor to open a gate, which leads you down to the swimming pool.
The pool itself, though, is very impressive – it’s probably the largest I’ve ever seen in a hotel.
Same can be said with their massive gym.
M Club is located on the fifth floor.
The club lounge is quite big, but unfortunately not with enough windows.
The happy hour is a big let-down though. Everything’s table service and canapes are limited to 2 or 3 portions per person, which you have to order from the staff.
Here’s what I got after a 30-minute wait. It’s not a new policy though – I visited the lounge once about three years ago courtesy of a friend, and it was the same arrangement back then.
Breakfast (free for Platinum members and above) is served in the main restaurant. It’s fully a-la-carta and decent.
I’m genuinely impressed by this stay, and rate London Marriott County Hall higher than W Leicester Square and JW Marriott Grosvenor House. The River Thames View Suite and swimming pool are absolutely stunning, and the hotel is a definite must-visit if you are a Marriott fan!
My review of Gainsborough Bath Hotel and Spa
As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’ve booked to stay at Gainsborough Bath for one night thanks to the $200 credit offered by Amex Platinum. It claims to be the only property in the UK with naturally heated thermal water!
Bath is a small town, and the hotel is only five minutes’ walk from the railway station.
The hotel is affiliated with Small Luxury Hotels, so you can redeem your Hyatt points here too. However it doesn’t come cheap – the hotel is Category 6 so usually requires 25,000 points per night, which is hardly a deal.
YTL is the property owner from Malaysia. They also own the Ritz Carlton at Kuala Lumpur, Koh Samui and Niseko, as well as the Monkey Island Estate and Glasshouse Edinburgh.
The lobby is small but neat, which kind of reminds me of the Marriott Park Lane hotel.
I arrived at 1.30pm and the room’s not ready yet. I came back again after lunch, and the receptionist offered to go and check the room for me, but never returned. The room’s finally ready at around 3.15pm.
The hotel staff are very familiar with FHR benefits. I’m upgraded one level to Executive.
It feels like a proper five-star hotel and I especially like the bedding.
An unadvertised perk is the room view – you can see the pool of a thermal spa next door.
But I also observed some teething issues with the room:
- TV has no signal
- The wardrobe door that triggers the sensor light wouldn’t shut
- There’s a step in the room which could be trip hazard
The experience isn’t complete without a visit to the famous Spa Village. You could pre-book a one-hour slot prior to your stay (highly recommended), and during your stay you may reserve more slots subject to availability.
The main pool:
Massage spots for neck and back:
Two other smaller pools at different temperature:
Sauna and steam room:
Lounge area:
The Brasserie is only open for breakfast at the moment. The service is fully a-la-carte with only three main options: Full English, Eggs Royale and Avocado Toast.
Food is pretty good and the coffee is truly tasty.
The Canvas Room has light lunch and afternoon tea service.
The Gainsborough Bar offers drinks from 6pm.
Despite the glitches my stay is overall positive, and the Spa Village is definitely worth a visit if you are a fan of jacuzzi and sauna etc. But would I spend £300 for a night here? The answer is probably no.
My review of Hilton Cardiff
I booked Gainsborough Bath Spa via FHR because of the annual $200 credit offered by the US Amex Platinum card. As a result I was also looking for another hotel nearby, ideally with executive lounge and spa facilities, and Hilton Cardiff turned out to be the obvious choice.
The hotel sits comfortably next to the Cardiff Castle, about 15 minutes’ walk from the railway station.
On the day of arrival I inquired about suite upgrade, and got offered a Junior Suite which I’m more than happy about. One feature I love about Hilton is the floor plan and online check-in, with which (and Google Street View) you have enough information to choose the room you want.
They have very few suites, but plenty of junior suites available, so upgrade to the latter shouldn’t be difficult for Diamond members.
The room has an unconventional shape, but quite spacious nonetheless. It’s clearly refurbished in recent years, and generally very comfy. However like the former Le Meridien Piccadilly the bedside sockets are of a very old type, by which you can tell the hotel has some history.
I selected a west-facing room, as the view appears to be much nicer despite being smaller. It turns out to be a great decision, as others have shared online that the east-facing rooms can be heavily disturbed by the bars downstairs.
The bathroom is also big with both a shower and a tub.
The spa at the hotel is quite popular. It’s a member of Hussle so in case you are based in Cardiff, you could probably get a free day pass via Hussle’s various promotions to give it a go.
Swimming pool:
Jacuzzi:
Sauna and steam room:
The gym is next door. Although not large, it’s got enough lighting and view of the swimming pool is quite refreshing.
Breakfast buffet is served in the main restaurant. You must book a one-hour slot for weekends.
My day of arrival is the last day before Wales relaxes its Covid restrictions. The executive lounge is closed and relevant services are moved to the lobby bar – it’s an applauded move, as most hotels that have closed their executive lounge don’t bother to provide any alternatives.
The executive lounge on the 7th floor reopens on the second day. It has a magnificent view of the castle, but unfortunately it rains a lot during my stay.
Afternoon tea is served 3pm-6pm.
Happy hour is served 6pm-8pm, with a couple of hot items, some canapes and the usual beers and wines.
The lounge is decent enough. However it’s not open until 3pm, which prevents you from having soft drinks or a cup of coffee there which is annoying.
In general I’m very happy about the stay: a hotel at central location, with executive lounge, swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, and costs less than £70 a night. If you are looking for a weekend getaway as well, I’d definitely recommend Hilton Cardiff!