Town Hall Hotel

What a wonderful experience. We had a challenging group in town from the US for my daughter's wedding. Many extra services needed to be filled. The staff was fantastic. Thank you. Add that into a truly unique hotel. Close to the Tube. And every room has its own personality. But first and foremost, the staff! Thank you again.

The actual hotel and its facilities and dining were excellent but my word are they let down by their staff. Had a complete lack of discussion at check-in including the rooms we were staying in despite giving the all the information they needed. Clarification of extra charges completely left out. Then whilst checking out the reception staff serving me decided to answer phones whilst hey were serving me, for the price this place charges some of the staff seriously let the hotel down

I would enthusiastically recommend the Town Hall Hotel as a wedding venue - below I detail things that I think really make the team stand out, as well as areas where the hotel has to improve, in case it helps other couples considering the space. First off I should say that I had my eye on the THH for several years as a potential event venue having attended some great work events there in the 20-teens. When I decided to propose and we started planning the wedding I looked up reviews of the THH and was surprised to find some really bad ones. It feels like the hotel may have had a few turbulent years where the events team dropped the ball. My concerns were slightly raised when I had a run of talking to a couple of coordinators and then finding they had left abruptly and without leaving useful notes on my event. However, by the time the wedding came around a new team was in situ and I could not recommend them enough. A special thanks to Shirel and Vincenzo for their incredible work. Overall I found the team to be totally committed to making the day stand out. It feels like planning your wedding with a friend. Some things the team did that really made me feel like they were working with me rather than simply providing a service: • I wanted to change up the standard wedding package a bit and do things differently. I was expecting, from the past reviews, for this to be a protracted negotiation but the team were happy to swap things around and make accommodations - nothing was ever too much trouble. • I tied specially designed place cards and menus together but when I asked THH to print a couple of tailored menus for vegetarians and people with dietary restrictions to slip under the pre tied place cards and normal menus, Shirel took the time to specially design a menu that echoed my design. I really appreciated the care and attention to detail. • Instead of making a grand entrance at supper my partner and I led all our guests from the drinks room to the long hall where you host supper. I had placed a mixture of candles at different heights along two long tables. As we were walking down the long corridor to enter I saw that the team had left multiple doors to the hall slightly open to give guests a sneak peak at the beautiful room they were about to enter. I didn’t ask them to do this and I thought it showed that they were really thinking ahead to how guests would feel and trying to enhance the evening. • On one of our run through calls the team spotted one of my guests could not eat the dessert I had arranged and came up with an alternative solution for me to simply sign off. • I was very particular about the design of my tables and wanted to decorate them myself. The team set up the tables early so that I could come in and arrange the candles and place-cards at my leisure. Vincenzo even brought us a few glasses of wine to enjoy ourselves while we were doing it. More generally, we had an evening wedding in the early spring and I was looking for a venue where people could be warm and dry indoors the whole time but not feel trapped. Weddings at the hotel are spread out over three stunning rooms - if you are looking for a venue with fabulous interiors that lend themselves to a massive range of looks and themes - as well as a stunning backdrop for a range of photos - then the THH should absolutely be on your consideration list. We also made use of the infamous ‘roller wall’ - my partner and I announced after dinner there would be dancing - then the walls of the room seamlessly rolled up to reveal a band playing. The guests jaws dropped - it was just the right amount of theatre. Everyone loved it. Areas where the hotel absolutely has to improve however are - perhaps surprisingly - the core hotel bit. I would echo other reviewers that some of the bedrooms are looking a bit tired - our suite had grubby marks up the walls and nowhere to hang an evening dress. The AC was also not working which made the room uncomfortable in the full sun. For me though, this event was not about the bedrooms (in fact I was barely in them) so even though I don’t have that classic photo of my dress hanging up its hardly the end of the world. 

What I was angry about however is the absolutely appalling organisation of the room booking system. Some things that happened: • My partner and I gifted a room to a friend who was travelling far and on constrained finances. I was completely clear on this with the bookings team that the friend was not to be charged. I tried to pay for it as part of the whole wedding payment, for some reason I was not allowed to do this, but I did leave my card details (twice) and asked for a note to be left making clear that we were paying. Our friend was still asked for money when they arrived and had the charge pending on their account for several days after I paid. This was embarrassing. • My parents paid for their room on arrival but a bill demanding money they had already paid was slipped under their door during the night. • My sister was told she was a ‘no show’ for her room even though she had checked in - and housekeeping had to clean her room so they must be aware a person had slept there. • I pre paid for an extra night before the wedding and paid for it at the same time as I paid for the wedding. When my partner and I arrived at the hotel reception the day before they demanded card details and would not believe I had already paid for my room. • A few days before the wedding the bookings team contacted me with a message so unclear I couldn’t tell what they wanted from me. When I rang them up I had an incredibly confusing conversation. Half way through I had to tell them that they kept on referring to aspects of their software but as I was not trained on their bookings system I did not understand what they wanted or the significance of what they were trying to convey. I just cannot understand how a hotel - where the above must be quotidian to them - gets the basics so wrong. There is so much that is truly great and special about THH, why not put effort into getting the foundations of the offer right. So in summary - absolutely host your wedding at the THH - you will have a fantastic day, your photographs will look like a Vogue editorial shoot and the guests will feel very special - but get things in writing and be prepared that some of the bits around the edges could be slightly Fawlty Towers. Photo Credit: Fiona Kelly

SUMMARY: magnificent hotel, historic charm and completely up-to-date chic suites, superb staff, gym and lovely pool (with skylight), quiet and comfortable, near a lovely park and public transport (and otherwise readily served by various car services). ELEGANT in every way. DETAILS: This was my second stay at Town Hall Hotel (with its apartments and suites, each one unique). Recent reviews have stated that with its amenities and quality, if located in Central London its rooms and suites would readily command thousands of pounds per night. I agree (at the risk of the rates going up, which may be contained solely by its being just slightly off the “tourist track” and in a real London neighborhood). It would be difficult to find a Central London hotel (other than the likes of The Ritz, Langham or Royal Cafe Hotel on Air St), equal to Town Hall in combining (1) original elements of an historic and beautiful building, with (2) unique and stylish, capacious updated elegant suites with chic interior design (together with serious investment in top quality building materials for all the renovated rooms inside the historic building — e.g., solid wide plank wood floors, useful pocket doors, marble flooring, fascinating art books on coffee tables (all without “clutter”)), and (3) staff who are considerate and capable, completing the elegant impression imparted. Staff respond to different guests’ preferences with individualized consideration, and manage financial matters (e.g., reservations and billing) competently and efficiently. Daniel, acting in a managerial position, works particularly tirelessly. Having seen his work ethic, involved in myriad aspects of daily operations, Daniel puts me in mind of only one other property manager I’ve met: at the unique hotel where Queen Elizabeth II preferred to stay when visiting the USA.

We stayed at the Town Hall Hotel for 4 nights. Absolutely loved the mix of old architecture and beautifully designed furnishings. Our room was quiet and spacious and perfectly clean. We chose this neighborhood because it is not touristy and just a short walk to the subway station that gets you into the city. Would stay here again.