Naipaul IBM

Review of DoubleTree by Hilton London-We...

The DoubleTree brand has always a lower tiered lux...

The DoubleTree brand has always a lower tiered luxury than the standard Hilton hotel but this hotel is located near the West-End of London which is very exclusive. This dichotomy is shown in the hotel.

The lobby and restaurant areas are very high end. The rooms could have been very high quality but certain corners were cut to reduce cost and annoyed me very much.

It seems that the core of the building is very old and was made from tiny dimensions. The two areas are lifts and the bedrooms. The entrance of the lift could just about accommodate 1 person, unbelievable. The rooms were ultra compact but still with key items, just giving them a cramped feel. There was a double electrical socket above the desk, well placed but part British and part European - brilliant. The desk lamp did not have its own socket and was plugged into the British socket with no socket for the guest use. Inconsiderate design. The loo roll was on the opposite wall but still reachable from the loo - that is how small the entire room was.

The breakfast restaurant was managed by a true genius, it was very high and and deserved to be in a 5 star hotel. This was spacious with an extremely well stocked buffet and great service - absolutely fabulous. A bit expensive but great experience. All hotels are over priced in London.

Go for the food and service and you would not be disappointed. Rooms not so much.