London/UK. Hotel Review Hotel Café Royal. Research Stay.
Location
Hotel Café Royal is located at an address that could not be better or more central. 10 Air St, London is just the other side of 68 Regent Street. This in turn means an extremely prominent spot on London’s main shopping street and only a 2-minute walk to the famous Piccadilly Circus. So not only is lively Soho in the immediate vicinity. It is also within walking distance of many of London’s countless attractions and some of our favorite pubs and bars.
From Heathrow, the journey with the Piccadilly Line is very easy. For the trip itself, you should plan about 50 minutes of your time, because the line has a considerable number of stops. By cab, depending on the traffic, you will be on the road for a similarly long time, but much more expensive.
Style & Character
Hotel Café Royal has a long, glamorous history. The walls and floors exude a cosmopolitan aura. No wonder, given the list of legendary guests. Even Lady Di, Winston Churchill or David Bowie stayed here. This is also reflected in the luxurious design of the house. The careful restoration and modernization can be called a success.
Thus, listed public rooms from the 1860s and 1920s were refurbished and adapted to the demands of the present with great attention to detail. Magnificent but not ostentatious is the 5-star hotel. With sufficient patina, no mere imitation of past style epochs, but a successful mix of the centuries.
Amenities & Service
Café Royal offers a spacious wellness area, which, in addition to a pool and sauna, has a lounge bar and no fewer than 9 treatment rooms. After an eventful day in the metropolis, the massages and hammam experiences in the holistic Akasha style are just what visitors need. A modernly equipped gym, where a variety of courses are held, rounds off the wellness program wonderfully.
The service staff and all employees were very friendly and attentive. We would especially like to mention the concierge, who fearlessly took on the almost hopeless battle with the parcel delivery service and, contrary to expectations, was finally able to end it in our favor.
Rooms & Suites
English oak, Portland stone, a view of the city center, and Carrara marble characterize the appearance of the rooms. What they all have in common is a relatively spacious entrance area, which is special in that space in London is extremely limited.
The bedroom offers no less space, a king size bed and automatically controlled curtains. The highlight is the marble bathroom, which not only has a rain shower and bathtub, but also a TV integrated into the mirror.
Food & Drinks
The richness of the gastronomic possibilities in London is huge. Just like in the microcosm of the Hotel Café Royal – completely committed to its history. So visitors are spoilt for choice between 3-star pastry chef Albert Adria at Cakes&Bubbles overlooking Regent Street or star chef Alex Dilling at his restaurant in the Hotel Cafe Royal. Although, who actually says it has to be an either-or decision? In any case, we would like to recommend the Green Bar to you. Held in the style of a Speak Easy, it is adorned with a tree growing out of the bar. Here you can enjoy wonderful, but quite strong drinks at the end of the evening.
Afternoon tea, which has become very fashionable again, is also celebrated at the Royal. The Grill Room is a listed, mirrored, and gold-decorated room that Oscar Wilde is said to have loved. Champagne, tea, sandwiches and a live pianist make for a wonderfully decadent experience of a unique kind. Breakfast is served on the second floor overlooking the impressive lobby. Service is exceedingly courteous, and the classic breakfast dishes are very good. Only the waiting times, especially for coffee, require us to bring a little patience.
What we loved
The location, the friendliness of the staff (see concierge), the bottle of (good) champagne in the room with the nice birthday wishes. And even a Happy Birthday balloon had been thought of – we felt welcome all around.
What we didn’t love that much
In England, people drink tea. I know that. And I stick to coffee anyway, otherwise I’m not much good in the morning. It should find its way to the table a little faster. That and the somewhat awkward selection at breakfast are the little things that could be improved from our point of view. But that’s complaining at a very high level.
Recommended for
- Couples
- Families
- City trips with friends
You won’t find many better hotels in London – definitely a recommendation from us! By the way, the Hotel Café Royal is a member of the legendary SET Collection. A collection of particularly noble houses in Europe.
Hotel Cafe Royal
68 Regent Street, London/UK
hotelcaferoyal.com
