The Londoner Hotel

After finishing a business trip to London, I decided to treat myself to a stay at The Londoner. Though as I wheeled my luggage into Leicester Square, I felt a twinge of regret for picking this location. Sure, the location is central… close to major London attractions like the theatre district, China Town, Covent Garden… and massive touristy crowds, bland tourist traps, and endless fast food chains at your doorstep. Thankfully, inside The Londoner hotel itself, you discover an oasis that is well shielded from the bustling mess around you. The hotel is artfully designed in all the details, from their efficient, cozy room layouts, to a pleasant guest lounge with limited small bites (don’t depend too much on this) and complementary soft drinks. In your room you’ll find plush robes, a fantastic rain shower shower and bath combo with pushbutton functionality, some of the nicest comfy slippers I’ve seen, and a view of the square below. The rooms are cosy but functional and pleasant. The building may not seem that tall, but it’s also built deep underground where you’ll find floors of amenities including a relaxing indoor pool with steam room, cabanas, and a lukewarm whirlpool, plus a full service spa, hair and nail services, and juice bar. There is also a gym that is very nicely equipped for a hotel. You can find a good selection of dumbbells and benches, a squat rack, assorted strength and cardio equipment, and mat room. The staff at the hotel are easily the highlight, and they provide excellent 5-star service. I booked this hotel through the American Express FHR (fine hotels and resorts) program, which came with a room upgrade, USD 150 in food and beverage credit, and 4pm late checkout. It also came with breakfast included at Whitcomb’s, which is an impressive buffet spread plus hot made-to-order dishes. I also enjoyed dinner in this same restaurant. The only minor quibble that I have, which I did not penalize The Londoner for, is that they’ve adopted the growing practice of adding a 5% discretionary service charge to the hotel room rate. I come from a country known for excessive tip creep, but this London practice needs to be called out, especially when people are accustomed to tipping as they go during the trip. This on its own will not stop me from coming back to what was otherwise an excellent hotel brimming with design, personality, and top notch amenities.

Lovely modern hotel with a buzz, a one night visit so we didn’t check out all of the amenities but everything we saw was well-appointed and service excellent. The rooms are spacious for London standards and well designed so that everything you could need was there. Rooftop bar was lively, impossible to sit with a view and drinks there expensive, but a lovely way to round off an evening. We will definitely return

I was excited to visit The Londoner for 1 night, and as an I Prefer Hotel Rewards member I was looking forward to the room upgrade. I confirmed this room upgrade in advance with the hotel who updated by booking from a King Room to a Deluxe King Room. On arrival, everything was great including excellent service from the reception staff member who showed us around the hotel and got us a complimentary drink. Upon entering the room on the 8th floor, I was impressed with the quality and the quietness despite the central, busy location. I did think the room was a bit small for a Deluxe King but got on with it. We visited the Spa a few hours after arriving and the service was average. We were directed to the cabana we reserved via the app. It didn’t have any towels and had somebody else’s used drink glasses on our side table. We also had to locate a staff member to get a menu so we could order some drinks. None of this was explained or offered upon arrival at the Spa. Aside from this, the facilities were great and the Iced Vanilla Latte was above average quality. Later that night, we visited the rooftop bar and managed to get a table despite not having a booking. Very chilled out and enjoyable - the only issue is an orange juice and lemonade cost £11 which is very excessive. The following morning, we had the breakfast at the in house restaurant, Whitcomb’s. We had selected breakfast as part of the rate we booked. Initially, everything was great and we ordered a full English and some pancakes with pancetta and maple syrup. We explored the continental buffet selection and I selected some cheeses. I do have a nut allergy which I declared at booking, and on arrival at the restaurant, so I asked the staff member if I could have a fresh ciabatta roll from the kitchen to avoid cross contamination at the buffet. They asked where I was sitting but they never delivered this and I was left with cheese without bread. I also got a tea upon arriving at the restaurant but this is on request from the server who brings it round in a heated jug. After my first, small cup, of tea, I wished to have another but could not locate our server and when I did, they did not return with the tea. Upon leaving the restaurant, I requested to speak to a manager and notified them of this. Upon checking out, they had refunded the breakfast in full which was a good gesture. I however did ask if they could double check which room category I was given as it did seem small for a Deluxe King and it transpired that I was in fact given a King Room. This was extremely disappointing. I have received a follow up email from the Assistant Front of House Manager who advises if we visit again, they will personally ensure our stay is great. I intend on visiting London again in June so will be enquiring to see what can be offered to make up for this major failing. I can’t fault how the complaint has been dealt with but I was disappointed with the standard of service for a 5 star hotel with a £450 per night price tag. If you have a food allergy, I would urge caution if visiting. I look forward to visiting again to see if the service is improved upon.

Jan from reception shes very kind and always smiles i would recommend this hotel x

We spent the final two nights of our vacation at The Londoner, specifically choosing it for its location in London’s historic theatre district. Being within walking distance of numerous musicals and plays—and surrounded by a lively nightlife—made it the perfect place to end our trip. The area around Leicester Square reminded us of a more upscale, smaller version of New York City’s Times Square. We booked the Deluxe King City View Room, and the hotel truly lived up to its reputation as a luxury property from top to bottom. The service was excellent, and the hotel itself is beautifully, tastefully, and impeccably decorated and furnished throughout. It also offered more amenities than any of the other hotels we stayed in during our travels through London, Paris, and Oxford. Unfortunately, with such a full itinerary, we didn’t spend as much time at the hotel as we would have liked and weren’t able to fully take advantage of everything it has to offer. We definitely wish we had more time to explore and enjoy the amenities. Overall, The Londoner was an outstanding stay and a perfect choice for anyone wanting a luxurious experience in the heart of London’s theatre scene.