The Rubens at the Palace

The Rubens at the Palace is close to Buckingham Palace, Westminster, and the Victoria Underground Station. The hotel is grand, traditional, clean and comfortable. The Double room was clean and had the expected amenities, but the suites that we had booked were disappointing - the Family Suite consisted of one large room with four beds and a cot, and the Junior Suite was a smaller room with two beds. Our expectation from the 'Suite' description was to enjoy a spacious set of rooms for our stay, or at least sleeping areas distinct from a comfortable lounge area in each suite. Sadly not the case. The restaurant service for our evening meal was variable - staff appeared to be doing their utmost to provide a good standard, but some main courses appeared before the starters, and one starter came during the dessert course, and only after reminders. Breakfasts were better, with some thought given to the comfort and practical considerations associated with the number of people in the group. The hotel staff were very helpful and made every effort to make our stay enjoyable. We enjoyed our stay, celebrating a special occasion, but it could have been so much better.

This place was amazing. Central, good bar, lovely rooms. They couldn’t do enough for us. We will be back.

Exceptional, a huge thank you for making my sisters Birthday a Birthday to remember.

The location of this hotel is simply unbeatable. It’s a 5-minute walk from Victoria Station (you can get there almost without getting wet, even if it’s raining), close to several top theaters, and right by Buckingham Palace. Hyde Park is also barely a 10-minute walk away. As for the hotel itself, there isn't much more to it. Unfortunately, we couldn't try the Indian restaurant as it was closed for renovations, though it looked very promising. They do have The English Grill, but we felt the dining options in the surrounding area are so good that it’s not worth paying the premium to eat at the hotel, especially with what seemed to be a limited menu. The facilities are quite dated. This is particularly noticeable in the elevators, but also in the rooms (by the way, whose idea was it to place the toilet paper five feet away from the toilet?), the windows, etc. This is not a luxury hotel; it is an acceptable hotel right in the center, and that is what you are paying for. The views aren't particularly good regardless of which way your room faces, so it’s not worth paying extra for a view. The continental breakfast buffet is possibly one of the smallest and most limited I have ever seen. It had barely three bowls of cereal, a few types of milk, and some yogurt and fruit. However (as they explain on the first day), you can order various hot dishes from a menu, which are large and quite well-prepared. We would stay at this hotel again, but not at just any price.

An excellent hotel, well managed with first class customer service. From the moment of arrival and welcome at the door, the whole customer journey could not be faulted. The rooms are traditionally furnished and perhaps a little dated however the attention to detail and comfort of the bed, bedding and towels made up for any imperfections. On our many occasions of staying in London hotels at a mid-market level and being left disappointed, this hotel ticked all the boxes and we will become regular guests. Already looking to re-book for an August stay over.