When visiting London the perfect hotel in the perfect neighborhood is a must. We’ve traveled to this city many times and stayed in Mayfair, Covent Garden, London’s Financial District and our latest stay was in St Pancras. I usually try to stick to the Marriott group of hotels which now includes Starwood Hotels because of their loyalty program. Not all Marriotts are created equal and this is an honest hotel review of the St. Pancras Renaissance London.
At time of booking
This booking was made on the Marriott Website which allowed me to select our room type and put in special requests. My preferences include: extra towels, high floor room and extra foam pillows. And there is the option of an early check-in and feather-free room. I usually request a late check-out at the time of booking and specify the time of arrival so that it is on file with the hotel. Another perk of being an Elite Gold Member is the late check-out at 4pm.
Booking Process - Rating: 10/10
Arrival at the St. Pancras Renaissance London
Prior to arriving at the hotel, I usually check-in on my mobile phone to ensure our room is ready. We were greeted by a hotel porter as soon as the taxi pulled up to the hotel and asked if we needed help with our luggage. We declined since we only had a small carry on each.
It was pretty late at that point so there wasn’t much activity. The property is impressive at first sight which made me excited to see our room.
Reception Upon Arrival - Rating: 9/10
Check-in process
We made our way to the check-in counter where we collected our room key and got an overview of the room. We were informed that there were no upgrades available which was quite disappointing. It was a busy weekend with Pride and Wimbledon so I believed it to be true. I had reserved a Premier King Bedroom, Barlow Wing and was told that they only had an accessible room available with a historic view. Again, I did not make much of it, took my key and we were on our way.
We entered the room and looked out the window only to find a brick wall as a view. There were also dried raisins on the floor and we had absolutely no need for an accessible room with red cords hanging everywhere. As a result, I was not impressed and we made our way back to the front desk.
After expressing our concern we received several apologies and got the keys to another room. This room was also a Premier King Bedroom but more than double the size of the previous one. Not sure why we were given the accessible room if this was available all along!
You can view the website for more information on Gold Elite Member Benefits.
Check-In Process – Rating: 5/10
The Room
Bathroom – The bathroom was tiny compared to the rest of the room. You’ll find a shower cap, REN shampoo, conditioner and body lotion along with a vanity kit.
Special requests – The extra towels and foam pillows were not brought over to our new room but were provided in our first room.
Noise Levels – It’s 2017 and I find it hard to believe that a quiet air conditioner is too much to ask for in a 5-star hotel. While we had a room overlooking the train station that was not a bother at all! I seriously felt like I was up in the air on an airplane sleeping in business class instead of a quiet room at a 5 star hotel.
Bed – This bed has the opposite of heavenly. The mattress was the worst I’ve ever slept on and the pillows were incredibly uncomfortable.
Closet Space – I like to hang all my clothes even for a short stay and appreciate a good closet. This room had his and hers closets with enough hangers to hang all our clothes.
WiFi – Complimentary enhanced in-room Internet access is provided when you are a Gold or Platinum Elite member. We had no issues here.
Water Bottles – Complimentary water bottles were provided and available on our nightstands.
Slippers and Bathrobe – While both were provided, I was not impressed with the bathrobe. It was definitely not a nice fluffy five-star hotel bathrobe.
The Room – Rating: 4/10
Breakfast
We never take advantage of the free breakfast at a hotel. But since this one was offered until 11:30am we decided to give it a try. We decided to order a la carte instead of picking from the buffet. I really hate buffets, I just picture people sneezing on the food or touching it with their dirty hands. Consequently, I ordered the eggs Benedict and the hubby the avocado toast with a poached egg. We were both not impressed. His was very bland and my poached eggs were under cooked.
Breakfast – Rating 6/10
Location
I am not particularly fond of this location. Yes, it is convenient because the train station is right inside the hotel but I don’t feel like you’re getting a true London experience. After having stayed in many different areas of London, Mayfair remains my favorite.
Location – Rating: 6/10
Value for Money
We paid a little over 500 Pounds per night which is very expensive for this neighborhood. Because it was Wimbledon and Pride that weekend pricing was expected to be inflated, normally rooms are half the cost. Furthermore, the hotel is far from the areas we like to stay in. When you factor in taxi fares it would have been better to stay in Mayfair since you can walk to most places.
Value for Money – Rating: 7/10
Overall Experience at the St. Pancras Renaissance London
Unfortunately, this will not be our first-choice hotel next time we visit London. It did not meet the following requirements: location, room, food and value for money.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
In conclusion it was disappointing for a Five Star Hotel.
I hope you enjoyed my Hotel Review of the St. Pancras Renaissance London! Have you stayed at this hotel? If not, would you? Let me know in the comments and share this post with the social media links! I’d love to keep sharing our travel adventures so feel free to subscribe to the newsletter in the big box below. Don’t forget to follow me on facebook & instagram.
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