... No complaints from me!
The rooms
The room was big enough, but definitley not big! The bed was a nice size double with a dresser one side and small cabinet the other. Opposite the end of the bed was a narrow desk, holding a flat screen and a keyboard. Just after this, the room lengthened ... Read review
'Theatreland' and close to cosmopolitan Covent Garden.The Strand Palace Hotel has recently undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment (2007-2008) to its 500 bedroom...
The Strand Palace, London
Location. The Strand Palace stands within the busy Strand district of London, England. ... more
Covent Garden is located two blocks away, and the River Thames flows two blocks from the hotel. Hotel Features. The hotel's marble clad lobby reflects is furnish...
The Strand Palace, London
Location. The Strand Palace stands within the busy Stranddistrict of London, England. ... more
Covent Garden is located two blocks away, and the River Thames flows two blocks from the hotel. Hotel Features. The hotel's marble clad lobby reflects is furnishe...
Strand Palace Hotel, London
The Strand Palace Hotel is in the heart of London's Theatreland near many famous tourist ... more
attractions such as Covent Garden,Piccadilly Circus,Trafalgar Square,The Royal Opera House&The London Eye among many others.The hotel is also ideally situated for ...
attractions such as Covent Garden,Piccadilly Circus,Trafalgar Square,The Royal Opera House&The London Eye among many others.The hotel is also ideally situated for ...
A review by watkins11 on The Strand Palace Hotel, London May 2nd, 2008
Author's product rating:
Advantages:
location, location, location !
Disadvantages:
Work in progress
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
When Lee Mead won BBC's 'Any Dream Will Do' my mum was ecstatic. She had probably spent half her wages voting for him, so tickets to see him play Joseph were an obvious choice for her birthday in November last year. Thinking it was a brilliant idea, she then invited my nan and aunt, and just for good measure, I decided to drag my husband along as I'd never experienced a show in Londons famous theatre land. We soon realised it was a fair way to travel and we had might as well make the most of our adventure and booked a show and stay theatre trip. After reading up on the choice of hotels, we opted for the 3 star Strand Palace as it a) looked pretty swanky from the photo, b) was only 5 minutes from the Adelphi where Joseph was playing c) was cheaper than some of the others AND included breakfast! Bargain.
Our cab driver was extremely friendly, commended us on our hotel choice and quickly pointed out how close we were to Covent Garden and showed us short cuts through the streets to get to the Thames bank quickly - oh yes, we had also booked a trip on the London Eye - which would save us a fortune in taxi fare. We were dropped off right at the huge glass frontage of the building and by this stage I was rather pleased with our choice of hotel.
Lobby
After climbing a few steps we found ourselves in a not so large lobby, which contained the concierge desk, 3 elevators with classy gold doors, cloakroom and a hallway leading to a jewellers, restaurant and toilets. Of course, being a local yokel in the big smoke off I trundle to the concierge, brandishing our party's confirmation. He very kindly directed me onwards and through to a very impressive reception area, bigger than the ground floor of my house twice over. We deposited my mum, nan and luggage on one of the comfy sofas and went to check in, 10 minutes before our 2pm check in time. Although the staff weren't really in any hurry (it took about half an hour to get the three rooms sorted) they were very polite and because the two double rooms hadn't yet been cleaned those rooms were upgraded to club rooms. No complaints from me!
The rooms
The room was big enough, but definitley not big! The bed was a nice size double with a dresser one side and small cabinet the other. Opposite the end of the bed was a narrow desk, holding a flat screen and a keyboard. Just after this, the room lengthened into a kind of 'L' shape and here was a built in wardrobe and a small round table and chair. The wardrobe again wasn't huge, but plenty big enough to hold our bags in the bottom and the two other outfits we had bought. On the desk we found a kettle, some bottles of water and a basket holding a nice little selection of tea, coffee & biscuits. The room was clean and tidy and smelt fresh, no musty smell or stench of cabbage - goes to show you the hotels I usually stay in! The decor is 'contemporary' (as stated in the brochure) which means white and off whites on the walls, white sheets with chocolate and deep red throws and cushions. Nice and simple, and the sheets felt so new, very nice. My only moan is about the furniture. It all looked like it had been bought from a car boot. None of it matched, the desk and cabinet being dark wood to match the door and they were all scratched and marked, letting down the overall classy look. We also noticed that all the woodwork in the hallways was also the same, which made the hotel seem slightly dated and a bit grotty. The bathroom was completely white, but did look as though it had recently been refurbished. The room was a nice size, again not huge but big enough for the two of us to move about. There was a Dove dispenser in the bath with overhead shower and another by the sink. The whole space was very clean and well lit and the towels were soft and fluffy. If you do ever stay here, fluffy bathrobes are also provided to club room guests, but you have to ask for them. There is also Wi-Fi in the clubrooms.
By the time I had finished my Ciao inspired inspection of the bathroom, my husband was engrossed with the t.v. He proudly announced it had Sky,a big thing for him as I had cancelled ours only a few weeks before and I began to worry if I would be able to get him to the show. So as he nodded off infront of another repeat I headed off to inspect my parents room, which surprise, surprise looked very much like ours! Only some of their furniture was different and they had wooden shutters instead of curtains. So, my mum and I sneaked down to check out my nan and aunts room. (guess where I get my noseyness from?) Their room was quite spacious but the decor was different. Kind of a bit like my nan's spare room actually, floral curtains and bedspreads, but again, it was very clean.
Okay. So after a busy evening, we retired to bed. Very comfy too and as I said before, the sheets were lovely. So did I sleep well? No, not really! Nothing about the room though, just the outside noise, obviously the price you pay for such a central location and living out in the sticks, we just aren't used to it!
Location
Fantastic. The Adelphi Theatre was an even shorter distance than stated on the internet, more like a one minute walk than five. You can see the Adlephi sign as you stand on the pavement outside the hotel. Covent Garden is literally behind the Hotel, so you just have to walk up one of the side streets and you're there. The Savoy is almost directly opposite and the other theatres are so close making the Strand Palace a good central location. On our visit, we walked from the Hotel to the Millenium Eye and on across to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. None of us have any walking difficulties though and it took us about 20-30 minutes at a leisurely pace to get to the Eye. If you have any mobility problems however slight, I'd advise getting a taxi as the route does have steep steps.
Hotel Features
The hotel houses two restaurants.
The Strand Carvery is just off the main reception area and offers a two course carvery for £16.95 or a three course for £19.95. My hubby and I decided to find a restaurant in Covent Garden but the rest of our party had their evening meal here. They reliably inform me that it was delicious, the main course choices were lamb, turkey, beef, gammon or a couple of vegetarian choices (none of them being vegetarian they couldn't remember what they were!). My Dad remembers there were about five or six different puddings, including cheesecake, apple pie and 'something chocolately'. Sorry, not very clear for review purposes but you just can't get the staff these days.
Johnstone's Brasserie is the restaurant I mentioned at the beginning of this lengthy tale, the one down the corridor just off the lobby, remember? I'm afraid none of us can comment on the lunch and evening meals but here is a small selection for an idea:
Starters: Trio of homemade gradvalax £7.95 Crayfish salad £6.95
Main: Grilled english lamb cutlets £13.95 Grilled marinated halibut in lime and corriander £12.95 Gorgonzola and walnut tortellini £10.95
They also have quite an extensive wine list, light bites and side orders.
This is also the room where they serve breakfast. Now this, I can comment on and it was fabulous! One table had about eight big front opening 'warmers' where you could help yourself to bacon, eggs (scrambled & fried) sausage, tomatoes, fried bread, beans and mushrooms. (I don't think I've missed anything.) On the bar was a selection of fruit juice, which was lovely and chilled, a selection of four different danish pastries and bread rolls. Another table held a huge bowl of fruit salad and cereals, milk and toasters. Fresh food was constantly being brought in but the staff didn't hang around watching how much you were eating, so we stuffed ourselves! In our book this was an absolute bargain, as most of the hotels didn't even offer breakfast.
Hops Bar is off the reception area and where we went for a drink before heading out. I don't really know how to describe it, apart from it could do with a good overhaul, stepping from the newly refurbished recepetion area into this bar with its tiled floor, stucco walls and wonky tables feels a bit, um, confusing.
Mask Bar. We didn't go to this bar, but from the write up in the brochure (which we collected on our way out - duh!) we really should have gone there not the Hops bar. I think this room has already had its refurbishment and the pics look nice. Also, they serve cocktails and it's open later, until 2am!
Cloakroom
I had to mention this bit. We had to checkout by 11am, so asked them to store our bags here. There is a sign on the door giving a price for this service (sorry can't remember, but it wasn't much) however, they happily took our bags, gave us a ticket and didn't charge a penny! Also when we retrieved them, one of the gentlemen very kindly carried my nans bag to the taxi.
Price
We booked as a package through Show and Stay, which cost us £128.00 each for the tickets and hotel. The seats were second row in the dress circle, which the website states are £55.00, so I've worked out we paid £73.00 for our room
I'm afraid the Hotels website isn't very helpful either, showing all rooms on a room only rate from £135 - £185. (per room)
Summary
This hotel is obviously a work in progress. Judging by the work that has already been carried out it should be stunning when finished. But then maybe the prices will go up, so if you are planning a theatre break, book now! The location is fantastic, there is a lovely relaxed atmosphere, the staff are lovely and everything is clean. I would definitely stay here again, even with the lack of sleep.
For more info, visit the website, it even has the full menu for the restaurants and a cocktail list for the mask bar. www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk
Advantages: Comfortable, clean, good staff Disadvantages: A few faults, doesnt live up to expectations
...my Christmas party experience at the Strand Palace Hotel.
This year, I was in charge of organising our office Christmas party, and, being based in South East London, the department tends to head to Bromley or Greenwich for a meal. But this year we decided to go all out, and go 'up west', and so I came across the Strand Palace hotel on my googlequest and we decided to go posh as well.
The booking process was slightly tiresome, seeing as the particular ... ...challenged in the brains department. The initial booking process was easy. We booked ourselves in for the three-course carvery meal, and then Channy and I (the office babies) were sent scuttling around collecting everybody's cash (£33 per head). All was sent in when a couple of weeks later, the girl calls me back and asked for our deposit. I told her that my colleague had sent it, which caused much confusion, until she realised that we were in fact ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Pleasent stay, good food, central location Disadvantages: Views from room
The strand palace hotel is as the name suggests in the Strand and is owned by Granada/Forte. It has been established at the same spot since 1907. Needless to say it has come up with the times, and is a highly popular hotel for a variety of reasons.
In my view there are a few essentials when you stay in a hotel including: cleanliness, there is nothing worse than paying to go somewhere and loathing touching anything because it’s not clean. After all ... ...Second on my criteria is the ability to make tea in your room. Imagine waking up and being desperate (for a cuppa that is) only to find you have to wait until Breakfast for your first cup of the day? So that’s a close second. Next come sin staff politeness. I have lost count of the times I have asked a question to be faced with either, a non speaking recipient, or a down right rude English person. A simple polite answer is all that’s required and ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Fantastic Location, A Breakfast to Set you Up for the Day, Very Reasonable Rates Disadvantages: Small Room in Need of a Refurb (but don't let that put you off!)
...a wedding being held in the vaults of the Royal Society of Arts, which is also just off Strand. The Strand Palace Hotel is about 3 minutes stroll from the RSA so it was an absolutely perfect location for me.
I booked via Hotel Pronto (via QuidCo!) way back in March so getting a single room was fine and the room rate of £79 included breakfast, which, if you pay for it separately is £14...so you could say the room only cost £65 if you want to break ... ...I was quite impressed with the entrance but not agog or feeling out of my league in casual KIT trousers and a summer top! It's a spacious entrance with gleaming lift frontage, a concierge desk, a luggage room (a very reasonable £2 to leave my suitcase there all day Sunday whilst I gallivanted with a friend) and at the bottom there is a large seating area and the reception / check in area. To the right is the 372 Carvery Restaurant area which also ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Location, Breakfast and Room Size Disadvantages: Large hotel so can get very busy
...of West End shows and the Strand Palace is, as the name suggests, right on The Strand. Theatres are like Chinese restaurants in Chinatown on The Strand so we knew that the hotel was in a decent location.
Prices + Booking
There are over 780 rooms in this hotel, so it's pretty large and there always seems to be availability at any time of the year. We booked directly through the hotel website where they often have special online deals. You can also ... ...hotel websites also list The Strand Palace so my advice would be to shop around for the lowest price. Like other major cities, London hotel prices are extortionate, but I would class The Strand Palace as a fair-priced hotel, considering its location. You can see the main entrance to The Savoy across the street which will generally charge around double, so do shop around, but I think prices generally are reasonable. For a twin room, we paid £109 for ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Excellent central location; good bars and restaurants Disadvantages: Rooms a bit old fashioned; a little pricey
Two nights at the Strand Palace and a visit to see the new Dirty Dancing stage show - bought for my wife's birthday. I even paid the extra £20 pppn for a superior "club" room. We were really looking forward to it. Total price was around £240 for the two of us for two nights (no breakfast).
We arrived at Covent Garden tube station (the nearest one to the hotel), and after a little finger-in-the-air direction finding, got to the hotel on foot in under ... ...2:30 - we waited in the queue for around 20 minutes, but it was fairly quick when we were seen to. We were checked-in to a room on the 7th floor (there are 9 in the hotel), but we were *so* disappointed when we walked in. The room was tiny - smaller than our bedroom at home. It also overlooked the "well" - the inner courtyard of the hotel with the humming air conditioners at the bottom. I can live (or sleep) with that, but there was also an awful ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: entertaining Disadvantages: see review
...Visiting London recently prior to making our way to Berkshire to exchange Christmas presents with friends, we stayed in the StrandPalaceHotel, as seems the normal for us recently.
Coming home from a walk to St James?s Park, we passed the Adelphi theatre, which we had passed on several occasions before but never paid much attention. However this time was different and something caught our eye. Standing on the door step of the theatre discussing whether to watch it or not, we finally opted to go with our impulse and go into the box office.
No queues at all, just wished everywhere was like this. At the box office I was served by a young man who I could hardly understand, with English obviously not being his mother tongue. However we muddled through I chose some seats in the stalls, at the end of an aisle about half way down...
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