We had the pleasure of staying at the 4 Star Bailey’s Hotel (a Millennium Hotel) the week before last when we attended the UK Blog Awards as finalists in the Individual Travel category. We love visiting London at the best of times but to visit for such an amazing reason and being given the opportunity to stay in such a fantastic hotel made this visit all the more special.
The first thing that we were (happily) surprised about was the fact that the hotel has car parking at its neighbouring sister hotel Millennium Gloucester Hotel (£37 for 24 hours). It is also a mere stone’s throw from Gloucester Road Underground (Tube) Station making it extremely accessible regardless of how you get there. The next thing we noticed was the actual building – it is a Victorian-era town house which suits its fashionable location of South Kensington.
As we stepped through the front door it felt like we were stepping back in time but in an amazing way, With beautiful and luxurious decor and flowers everywhere we looked, we were super excited to see more of the impressive building. We were warmly welcomed, check-in was swift and we were shown around the hotel personally by one of the lovely receptionists.
As we had been allocated a Luxury King Room we were entitled to use the hotel’s Club Lounge which is open between 8.00am and 8.00pm and offers complimentary drinks, snacks and newspapers between those hours. It is a lovely quiet space if you simply want to get away from it all or want 5 minutes peace and quite. With lovely, comfortable chairs – the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of London Town.
We were then taken to our room…wow! Having stayed in numerous hotels in many places in London over the years I can honestly say this is the biggest hotel room we have ever had the pleasure of staying in. Complete with large king size bed, a lovely seating area, TV with satellite channels, work station, all the usual amenities plus extra ones which we were very pleased with – hairdryer, iron, ironing board, dressing gown, slippers etc and a lovely tray of macaroons – yum, what a welcome!
There are 212 guest rooms in the hotel and if they are all decorated to the high standard ours was than I would have been happy to stay in any of them. I loved the old world charm of our room which is in keeping with the rest of the hotel, with high ceilings and big sash windows looking straight out on to Gloucester Road. Having recently gone through a £7.5 million refurbishment it is easy to see that it has been money well spent – with modern, yet vintage, looking furniture and furnishings.
Our private en suite bathroom was lovely and fully functional with a great over the sink mirror. I normally never use hotel toiletries however the lovely Bigelow toiletries offered at the Bailey’s Hotel are great. I even treated myself to a long soak in a bubble bath, again something I never do in a hotel.
Each floor is decorated beautifully and they are all joined together by the most gorgeous sweeping staircase I have ever seen with stained glass windows that let in glorious late afternoon sun. There are of course lifts (elevators) too if you don’t fancy lugging your luggage up the stairs. Along with other original features The Bailey’s hotel is amazing and Mr ESLT commented that he could imagine seeing Sherlock Holmes bounding down the staircase.
Before heading to the UK Blog Awards 2016 ceremony we decided to have a couple of drinks at the on site Olives Bar which is obviously very popular as every seat was taken with hotel guests, locals and tourists alike. I had a couple of glasses of prosecco (to settle the nerves of course) and Mr ESLT indulged in a couple of in his words ‘amazing’ cocktails. Olives is also an award-winning authentic Italian restaurant however we simply did not have time to dinner that evening.
The next day, after a great nights sleep in the very comfortable bed, we headed down to Olive’s restaurant for a yummy, scrummy breakfast. We were greeted by a plentiful breakfast buffet complete with meats, cheese, pastries, cereals, fruits, juices and hot food. Needless to say something for everyone. As we had a long journey ahead of us we opted for a full english which certainly set us up for the day.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to explore the local area. However, having stayed in the Gloucester Road area before we highly recommend taking a trip to the Natural History Museum and the V&A museum. Both within walking distance and free to visit. Again, as the tube station is less than 100 yards away visiting other parts of London is also easily done.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of staff we came into contact with during our stay – especially the front of house staff who were always polite, professional and most importantly friendly. Mr ESLT even said ‘I think I have just found my new favourite hotel in London’ – very high praise indeed. The Bailey’s Hotel also has a lot of other amenities that during our visit we did not have the need for but are available if you do.
- Room service
- Newspapers
- Non-smoking rooms
- Safety deposit box
- Shuttle service (surcharge)
- Airport shuttle (surcharge)
- Currency exchange
- Luggage storage
- Concierge service
- Meeting/banquet facilities
- Fax/photocopying
*We stayed at The Bailey’s Hotel, London on a complimentary basis (including breakfast) in exchange for an honest review.
5 Comments
Stunning place! London has some of the most beautiful and authentic hotels! Unfortunately quite pricey for me, maybe one day! Haha
Emma
http://www.lifeofgibbers.wordpress.com
It really was Emma, somewhere I would certainly consider a hotel for a special occasion or treat. Oh how the other half live eh? 🙂
I know, crazy!
Hotel looks amazing and perfect location! Will definitely look into it for my next stay in London!
It really was amazing Anisa, I love that side of London and this hotel fits so well here. I think we’ll pay another visit in the not too distant future