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
More details
Quality of Facilities
Good
Family Friendly
Average
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the Strand in the heart of theatre land. The hotel has had a long and varied history and this all adds to its character and charm. There is a big,bustling lobby are...
the Strand in the heart of theatre land. The hotel has had a long and varied history and this all adds to its character and charm. There is a big,bustling lobby are...
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