Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, Suites and Residences

We’d happily stay here again. The grounds are beautiful, and it’s a quiet spot in a prime location. Our room was spacious, and the breakfast was delicious, which is hard to find in downtown London. We also couldn’t believe Arijit Singh was staying across the hall from us!

The most disturbing part of our five-day stay at Taj Buckingham London was the repeated late-night visits. On three evenings, between 8-10 PM, male and female Indian staff knocked on our door offering massages. Twice they came into the room without permission while we were asleep. Having strangers walk in late at night felt invasive and unsafe, completely out of line for a hotel calling itself luxury. There were problems from the start. The hotel hadn’t properly coordinated our airport pickup with its third-party driver, so he was confused and communication was unclear. Then, despite having paid everything in advance, we waited 30 minutes in the lobby while staff checked with finance to see if the payment had arrived. After a long flight, that was ridiculous. Our 1-Bedroom Suite with living room wasn’t clean or comfortable as expected. The couch smelled strongly, and the sheets and pillowcases seemed not to have been laundered properly. The next day, breakfast staff agreed to bring breakfast to our room and didn’t mention a charge. When it arrived, we were billed an extra £100, even though breakfast was included in our room package. That lack of transparency felt misleading and unprofessional. At nearly £1,000 a night, I expected privacy, professionalism, and a smooth stay. Instead, the experience was stressful throughout. I hope management addresses these serious problems. No guest should have to go through this.

After staying here every time we’ve visited London, around 5-6 times in the past 12-14 months, I don’t think we’ll return to the TAJ chain. We used to love it for its customer service, but this has left a very sour taste. The hotel has been under constant renovation during those visits, and the service never matched the high prices. We understood and didn’t complain. Then, after booking about two weeks ahead, I needed to change the date because of family matters. They refused under the cancellation policy. I offered the booking to another family member, who noticed the one-night price had fallen from £517.50 to £360. I asked them to match it, since the difference seemed unfair and uncaring toward a regular returning customer. They refused again, though they then said they’d be happy to change the date. That treatment has put us off for good.

The location made getting around London easy, whether walking or taking the train, and the staff put real effort into helping us and keeping us comfortable. My family loved Taj 51. For family travel, it works much better for us than a luxury hotel, especially with an incredible room that has a kitchen and washer/dryer. It exceeded our expectations, which isn’t easy for a 5-star stay.