WOW!
Written: May 01 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very nice, exclusive hotel. Upscale treatment, great comps. Beautiful.
Cons: Pricey. Location a bit down-market.
The Bottom Line: Wow. I mean Wow. One of the best hotels I've stayed in, ever, and I've traveled a lot.
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| salme's Full Review: Metropole Hotel |
My husband and I visited England in April, 2003, and used some free hotel nights London proper, on the weekend of April 5 and 6. We chose the Hilton Metropole Paddington for it's convenience to the Tube (London subway system), and the fact that we could redeem our points there for a free stay.
The Hotel
Wow. I mean, wow. The Hilton Metropole is a luxury hotel that has recently undergone new construction and a facelift. The result is a new hotel tacked onto an old one. In fact, the most annoying thing about our stay was how far the set of elevators to our rooms (in the new section) were from the front of the hotel (in the old section).
The hotel boasts a lovely indoor pool and fitness center, free to Executive Floor guests. It is conveniently located near several tube stops, on Edgeware Rd. This four-star hotel is near the Edgeware Road Tube stop, where you can catch four different lines, and a 15 minute walk from Paddington Station, where you can catch the Heathrow Express.
The hotel has several restaraunts, a convenience/tourist shop, a very helpful concierge desk, lounges, and a bar. Also, the hotel hosts the Executive Lounge, where Executive Floor members can get free drinks all day (and night), or get a complimentary breakfast, snacks, and hors d'ouerves, not to mention tea time. To qualify, you must have a room on the Executive floor; you can pay for an upgrade, but Gold Members get free upgrades.
The Hilton Honors Program
My husband and I are trying to become points members at one or two hotel chains, thereby earning free hotel stays and other perks. We've stayed at various hotels, from Marriott's high-end Renaissance to Hilton's Hampton Inn. We've tried Hilton brands from Sydney to London, and, considering the competition, have generally decided that Hilton's points program offers more value.
Double dipping is the Hilton plan whereby, as a gold status member, you can earn both hotel points and airline miles. Gold status is also easier to achieve with Hilton, requiring only 36 nights (or 16 stays), as opposed to the 50 nights Marriott properties require. Often, HH will award Gold status to Marriott members in an attempt to steal their frequent travelers. This is how my husband came by the Gold Status. Perks include access to the Executive Floor. These rooms are nicer, geared to the executive traveler, and often include free internet access on in-room computers. The Executive Lounge offers free breakfast, snacks at lunch or tea-time, dinner hour happy hour with snacks, and free drinks day-round. Also, Hilton offers Husbands and wives a sharing system where the two can pool their points. Also, you can register online at their website.
We decided that Hilton's program is the one to chase. We've always liked the Hilton. In fact, several of the Hiltons we've stayed in are favorites: Hilton Sydney, Hilton Metropole in London.... Hampton Inn, Hilton's lower-scale model (think Fairfield competition) is usually nice enough. Cost-effective, widespread, and handy to a lot of major cities, Hampton Inn is usually a good choice.
Hilton's Metropole
We stayed at the Hilton Metropole Paddington for two nights, and we didn't want to leave. The room was Fabulous. Capital. Lovely. Our 8th floor room was was impeccably clean, large, with a comfortable King bed, a gorgeous bathroom with bath, a large TV, expensive minibar, and all the amenities. More, Hilton hosts many conventioneers, and the Executive Rooms have a large L-shaped desk with... an internet-capable computer. Internet access from the computer was apparently free, though Internet access via the television was not. My husband was in heaven.
The view was wonderful. The room was lovely. I could've stayed there a week. One Caveat: apparently, rooms in the New section of the hotel are far nicer than the old, but may also be more expensive.
All the standard amenities apply, including in-room movies, Internet access via the TV,
The staff was friendly and polite. Express checkout was completed in minutes, with a smile. Pleasant.
Comps
We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast, as well as snacks and free sodas available in the Executive Lounge. The food was light, but good, and consisted of yogurts, breads, cereals, juices, and coffee. The usual continental breakfast was unremarkable, but you can't argue with the price.
Executive Floor members get free access to the fitness club and pool. I would assume that any guest would, but as this was touted by the hotel, I can't take it for granted.
In addition to the plethora of towels and excellent amenities, this luxury hotel offered the terry robe for guest use, which separates luxury hotels from tourist in my book.
Opinion
A great place to stay if you're in the mood to visit London's best sites. Edgeware Road tube stop or Bakerloo are within 3 minutes walk of the hotel. Location is a bit of a problem, and I can't recommend anything very close to the hotel; there seemed to be many pawn shops and liquor stores, but all in all, we felt safe.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
salme
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Location: University Park, MD
Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
Professional editor and freelance writer.
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