Thistle London Piccadilly

Our room had plenty of space for three adults, and the hotel was quiet and very clean even though the surrounding area was lively. It’s a great base: Regent Street is under a five-minute walk, Bond Street about ten minutes, and we walked to Buckingham Palace in twenty. The hotel is also on a main Tube line, so we didn’t need many Ubers. The staff were amazing, and the luggage storage was especially helpful. They looked after our bags before check-in and after checkout so we could enjoy London. I’m planning to stay here again in the years ahead.

The room was quiet, the shower was lovely, and breakfast was plentiful. Staff were very helpful, and the Tube station is close by. The toilet barely flushed, though, and the fire alarm went off at 7 a.m. My daughter started crying because she thought the hotel was on fire. After the long day before, I’d hoped she could sleep in so we’d be ready to make the most of the next day. That was why I’d booked an overnight stay. We were told the alarm was evidently caused by the kitchen, but it had a big knock-on effect for us.

The hotel is conveniently placed for the theatre district, which makes it a shame that the stay was so disappointing. I booked a Saturday night for a theatre visit. The bed was comfortable, but the carpet looked dirty and worn, and the furniture needed repair. The room had everything for making tea or coffee except water. I was told management had decided not to provide it, and I can’t think of another hotel I’ve stayed at that lacked such a basic thing. In December the heating was set to air conditioning, leaving the room cold. The display was small and hard to read, with no instructions to explain it. It’s advertised as four-star, but it felt like a two-star approach. This was my first stay at a Thistle hotel, and it’ll probably be my last.

On our first UK trip, we stayed right in the heart of Piccadilly, which was a great base. There are several Tube stations steps away, Chinatown is nearby, and restaurants, shops, and bars fill the area. With so many people about, it felt safe at all hours. Despite being close to the lift, our room was quieter than expected because a door is closed at night to block the sound. The room was clean and a good size for a couple. The bathroom felt cramped, especially the shower, and the water pressure was low. The water also wasn’t as hot as we’re used to, though we don’t know if that’s normal for London or just this hotel. One uncomfortable moment came on check-in day: while we were getting ready, a maintenance worker opened our door without warning. The secondary lock stopped him from coming all the way in. He said he was working on something, but we’d have preferred notice. Our room hadn’t been cleaned when we came back on the second day. We called reception, and housekeeping came promptly to clean the bathroom and bring fresh towels, which we appreciated. We’d stay again for the location. There were a couple of snags, but the convenience and general comfort made it worthwhile.