St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London

What a fantastic hotel and what an incredible history it has. The property originally opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel and was considered the last and most extravagant of Britain's great railway hotels. It became a gathering place for society figures, wealthy travelers, and business leaders of its time. After spending many years serving purposes other than a hotel, it was beautifully restored and reopened in the early 21st century, allowing guests to once again experience its grandeur. One of the things I loved most was the unique connection to St Pancras International. You can walk directly from the bar to the station platforms, where the international Eurostar trains arrive and depart. For anyone who appreciates history, architecture, or rail travel, that's a special experience in itself. The hotel also offers some wonderful places to relax after a day of exploring London. There is a lovely outdoor terrace, and the rooftop bar is a fantastic spot to enjoy a drink while taking in the atmosphere and views. Both are great additions to what is already a very special property. My room was spacious, comfortable, and equipped with an excellent bed that made for a great night's sleep. The shower was perfectly adequate, although the water pressure could certainly be stronger; it was probably the only aspect of the stay that fell a little short of expectations. Everything else was outstanding. The staff was professional, friendly, and attentive throughout my stay, and the breakfast was excellent, with a quality and selection that set me up perfectly for the day. The location is another major advantage. With the Underground just a few minutes' walk away, the hotel serves as an ideal base for exploring London. Whether you're visiting for business or leisure, it's hard to imagine a more convenient and historic place to stay. What probably says the most about this hotel is that I've stayed here several times over the years. In fact, I've caught myself referring to it as my hotel in London. Whenever I plan a trip to the city, this is now the first place I look to book. That says more than any rating ever could. For me, this is much more than just a hotel, it combines history, character, comfort, and location in a way that few properties can. I'll undoubtedly be back again on my next visit to London.

System failed two days ago. Still no word from GM. No letter in room, calls to guest services unanswered or just rings. Only help is that service staff offering small fan for room. Windows do not open so no way to get ventilation or cooling from outside air. Was told GM was here this morning but he is not here now to help his customers or work on solving the problems. Stay here when I come to London. Will not do so again.

Beautiful hotel and very convenient for Eurostar. Great decor. Lovely and efficient reception staff (appreciated the cold drink). The breakfast was superb. For us, the bed was too firm, so unlikely to make another visit, which is a shame as thoroughly enjoyed all other aspects.

Having an early Eurostar booking I decided to stay in London the night before the trip. Knowing that the hotel actually adjoins the station, I thought this was the perfect choice (how wrong I was). Things went wrong before I even arrived. I’d booked the stay about 6 months in advance and a week before got an email saying how much they were looking forward to welcoming me, and giving me the opportunity to upgrade my room. Then on the morning of my stay (a couple of hours before i planned to set off for London) I received another email saying the reservation had been cancelled !!!! I immediately called the hotel to be told “yes the reservation had definitely been cancelled by the front desk (but they didn’t know why), it couldn’t be reinstated so I would have to make another booking”. Thank goodness I spotted this email otherwise I would have arrived at the hotel with no room booked. When I eventually arrived I explained the situation to the chap on reception. He seemed quite dismissive at first, saying it was probably an error in the system (he offered no apology). However, after I explained I was not happy with the situation, he said would I like to speak to his manager. The manager never appeared, but after a while I was given the very unlikely story that a person with EXACTLY the same name as me had just that very day checked out of the hotel, and an overzealous member of staff had thought my booking was a duplicate from this doppleganger and simply cancelled it. Again there seemed to be no appreciation of the stress this had caused me and no formal apology - it was treated just as ‘one of those things that sometimes happens). It was an extremely hot day so I was glad my room had air-con. Unfortunately this was totally ineffective. The photo of the controller shows the actual temperature of the room at the top (after the system had been set to maximum cooling for about 5 hours). The lower figure shows the temperature it was trying to achieve. The heavy curtains had to be kept drawn shut throughout the whole stay and the actual windows were too hot to touch. Trying to sleep was almost impossible. The room smelt very stale and, after the bathroom door had been kept closed for an extended period a VERY strong smell of drains built up. Very unpleasant. I decided to order a room service meal - which consisted of a club sandwich, fries and a side salad, a dessert of crème brûlée and a small ginger beer. The total with tray and service charge came to just over £58.00. Totally outrageous for what was a very average meal. I noticed behind the reception desk, and in a few other places around the hotel, rodent bait boxes were positioned. Reading other reviews it’s clear there is a very real mouse problem in the hotel - although I didn’t witness any. Finally, I decided to take a shower before an early night (due to the early start in the morning). I was just about to step in the shower when there was a knock on my door. I decided to initially ignore it, but the person was quite insistent. Thinking there was some kind of emergency quickly grabbed a dressing gown and opened the door the find a waiter wanting to retrieve my room service tray. I said why couldn’t it have been left until the morning when I’m checking out. He mumbled some about he had to take it now - again no apology for such an inconvenient interruption. PLEASE invest in ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs for your rooms. You even state in your advertising that ‘Your room is your sanctuary’. Clearly not !!! If anyone needs to stay in London for an early Eurostar trip, I’d suggest considering another hotel rather than St Pancras - even considering the benefit of a convenient location.

Stayed here the night before heading out early to Amsterdam on the Eurostar to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Kindly got upgraded from a deluxe king to a premier deluxe king. Staff very good Service very good Rooms very clean & in good order Only negative was it was quite costly!