Park Hyatt London River Thames

I have not been very pleased with our stays at many Park Hyatts in various places in the world recently but I gave a chance to this hotel nonetheless because it’s fairly new. The hardware is great quality, better than most PHs. The only downsides are that privacy is affected by the tower next door and that the room is a bit generic. But our suite looked good nonetheless. Also we liked breakfast - there is a clear Asian influence so it suited our preferences well: congee, wonton noodle soup, dim sum... and even the western choices were not bad at all, including strawberries in the buffet. Excellent all around and worthy of luxury hotel level. It's only the service which was the problem and failed to reach the luxury level which a PH should be. Well, not really a "problem" because they did not make mistakes for example housekeeping done exactly when we asked. But there was nothing special to make the stay memorable – it was mostly forgettable and transactional. For example it's almost like children don't exist: there was no rollaway or crib in the room. After night #1 of uncomfortably sleeping all 4 in the same bed we asked for rollaway the next day. Done as requested. But there were no children amenities of any kind which most luxury hotels have, sometimes it’s bathrobe, slippers, shampoo, bubble bath, toys, etc. So the service was more like a Hyatt Regency than a Park Hyatt. That said, I noticed the price is also Regency-like, and compared to other chains, also similar to non-luxury hotels such as Autograph, Sheraton, Marriott, Westin. So overall if staying in a suite with this excellent hardware it's hard to complain and I could recommend it, sort of. The value for the money is not bad at all. It’s just such a bummer this PH like many others are mostly just going through the motions like a Regency. It was not like that in the past.

Having over the years stayed in hotels for in excess of a thousand nights, I can think of only two others, the Shangri Las in Kowloon and Singapore, that were so pristine that they seemed to have been opened only the day before my arrival. This is certainly an ultra modern hotel, the river view room larger than many suites in some other London hotels, the lighting system the most sophisticated, the separate toilet of Japanese complexity, the air conditioning almost imperceptible in the otherwise silent room. In my opinion you won’t get better for the £1,098 we paid for two nights B&B, although for foreign visitors looking for a hint of England, guests that seemed to be entirely from China and the U.S. might not give that. Weaknesses? I once lived nearby but we found the hotel only by asking some of their employees who were having a smoking break by the river. This is partly, to my delight, because there is work by the local authorities going on to improve facilities for cyclists, of which there are many, and pedestrians in the area but also to the fact that the only significant sign near the hotel, on the next building, is in Chinese script. In two days I helped three individual Americans who had been unable to find the hotel. My advice would be, rather than wandering among the many tall new buildings in the area, it is best to arrive by black cab. In the room all information on the hotel can be found only by using the mobile phone, not helpful as I gave up use of a mobile a little more than a year ago. I suppose it is a forlorn hope to wish for the return to a package of written information in the room. The breakfast served at the table, plus a substantial buffet, was excellent, except that anyone wanting toast had to make it themselves: hardly five star service! It would also be helpful if Hyatt could arrange for the removal of the tall building in front of the hotel that obstructs the view of the Houses of Parliament but I guess that would be harder than providing the occasional piece of toast.

We used our Guest of Honor award and got upgraded to a suite. The larger room and space was welcomed. The complimentary breakfast was great and we utilized it every morning that we could. The hotel was great and the staff was very friendly.

Stunning hotel with beautiful view and high end upgrades. I was very impressed! From customer service to the stunning decor of this hotel I would definitely stay here again.

This hotel is beautiful with one of the nicest hotel pools in London. The rooms are Park Hyatt clean, modern, and comfortable. The staff is a bit new but friendly and responsive. The corner rooms with the entrance through the bathroom are quite strange. Very nice if you are traveling alone, but not suitable for entertaining. I thought the main restaurant menu selections were a bit strange; many would enjoy the eclecticism. The bar.lounge was comfortable and superb for entertaining a small group. The location is a bit out of the way. Even the subway is a bit more of a walk than normal from a hotel and you are a good 15 minutes from the normal tourist venues and entertainment. But, the hotel is absolutely top drawer.