- Introduction: Christmas Markets With A Touch Of Garuda
- Review: Lufthansa First Class A330 Dallas To Frankfurt
- Review: Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt
- Review: Lufthansa Business Class A321 Frankfurt To London
- Review: Sheraton Grand London Park Lane
- Review: No1 Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 3
- Review: Garuda Indonesia First Class 777-300ER London To Jakarta
- Review: Garuda Indonesia First Class Arrivals & Chauffeur Service Jakarta
- Review: Keraton At The Plaza Jakarta
- Review: Garuda Indonesia First Class Lounge Jakarta
- Review: Garuda Indonesia First Class 777-300ER Jakarta To Singapore
- Review: Dnata Lounge Terminal 3 Singapore Airport
- Review: Garuda Indonesia First Class 777-300ER Singapore To London
- Review: Lufthansa Lounge London Heathrow Airport
- Review: Le Meridien Munich
- Review: Park Hyatt Vienna Park Suite
- Lufthansa First Class 747-8 Frankfurt To Boston Review
- Review: Aloft Boston Seaport
For our trip we had a two night stay in London. In the past London was a city in which I typically redeemed points whenever possible, though with the weak GBP, it’s once again worth considering paying for stays in some instances.
Last time I was in London I stayed at the Park Tower Knightsbridge, which is a Starwood Luxury Collection property. I was happy with my stay, so figured the best apples-to-apples comparison I could make this time around would be at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane. The hotel was recently renovated, and was only a few blocks away.
The paid rate was 250GBP per night, or about $300. For London that’s a pretty darn good rate, especially when you consider that it includes VAT. As a point of comparison, this is an SPG Category 6 hotel, meaning a free night here would have cost 20,000 Starpoints. I value Starpoints at ~2.2 cents each, so paying cash was the better option.
Furthermore, I had managed to redeem a Platinum Suite Night Award to confirm an upgrade to a Park Suite several days in advance, so I was thrilled about that, since London can be a tough city for suite upgrades.
We took the tube from Heathrow Airport to the Sheraton, which is an easy journey, even for someone who is as bad at public transportation as I am. We just took the Piccadilly Line to Green Park, and from there it was a less than five minute walk to the hotel — easy peasy, and the whole journey took about 50 minutes.
The hotel is on Piccadilly, so it’s a beautiful walk anyway. The Sheraton Grand has a pretty snazzy interior — it’s classic without looking outdated.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane exterior
While there’s an entrance to the hotel directly on Piccadilly, the hotel’s main entrance is off a side street. There we found ourselves in the fairly small lobby, where reception was located to the left.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane lobby
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane reception
Directly inside the entrance is a pretty cool wall with some pictures, which has a hidden entrance to the staircase.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane secret staircase
Our stay was off to a rough start — our room wasn’t ready by the stated check-in time, and then when our room was ready, it got broken into by three kids, who ended up stealing stuff. The situation with the kids could happen at any hotel, but the way the hotel handled it was phenomenal, so to me they turned a negative experience into a positive one. The front office manager, Roman, and general manager, Kieran, are absolute professionals, and a huge asset to the hotel.
I won’t rehash that whole situation again, so see the above links for those stories.
Okay, now back to one of the negatives of the hotel. There are only two elevators on opposite sides of the hotel, and they’re tiny. Since there’s one elevator per “bank,” it means that it can take forever for elevators to arrive. Since our room was on the first floor, we ended up just taking the staircase most of the time, as it was faster.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane staircase
Once on the first floor, our room (#141) was down the hall and to the right.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane hallway
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane room exterior
Sheraton Grand London floorplan
I’ve never been terribly impressed by the Sheraton brand, so had low expectations. But damn, the suite was gorgeous. The suite had a massive living room, with two couches, two chairs, and two stools.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite living room
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite living room
There was even a full dining room with six chairs.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite living room
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite dining room
Behind the couch and close to the bedroom is the desk, which has conveniently placed outlets.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite desk area
Behind the desk is the minibar area, with a Nespresso machine.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite Nespresso machine
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite minibar
The room had views of Green Park. Since we were on the first floor the views were somewhat limit, though I imagine the views a few floors up must be even better. Surprisingly there wasn’t much street noise either.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite view
Then the bedroom was separated from the living room by a door, and featured a comfortable king size bed.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite bedroom
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite bedroom
At the bottom of the bed was a couch, facing a wall mounted TV.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite bedroom sitting area
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite bedroom
I thought the living room and bedroom were stunning. Again, this could have just as easily been a St. Regis or Ritz-Carlton as a Sheraton. Furthermore, this has to be one of the biggest standard suites I’ve ever had in a city hotel, given that it had a full living room, dining room, etc.
The bathroom was also a good size, though not quite as lux as the rest of the room, in my opinion. It featured double sinks, and then a shower area, which contained both the shower and the bathtub.
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite bathroom
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite shower & bathtub
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite bathtub
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite shower
Toiletries were provided by Molton Brown — very nice!
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite Molton Brown toiletries
Sheraton Grand London Park Suite Molton Brown toiletries
We also had a nice welcome amenity waiting in the room, consisting of sauvignon blanc, sparkling water, and nuts, likely thanks to my awesome Starwood Ambassador.
Sheraton Grand London welcome amenity
The in-room Wi-Fi was fast and complimentary.
Due to my Starwood Platinum status we had access to the Sheraton Club, located on the lobby level.
There’s a reception desk located outside the lounge, though you can enter the lounge with your key.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge reception
Physically the lounge is gorgeous. To the left is a dining area, with a bunch of tables.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge dining area
Sheraton Grand London club lounge dining area
Then there’s a small business center with a couple of PCs and a printer.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge business center
Then the far side of the lounge has more seating, including a TV area, some comfortable couches, etc.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge
Sheraton Grand London club lounge
Sheraton Grand London club lounge
Sheraton Grand London club lounge TV area
Back on the other side of the lounge was a fridge with soft drinks and water available all day.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge drink selection
There was also an espresso machine and tea selection available all day.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge espresso machine
The evening reception was nightly from 5:30PM until 7:30PM, though was subpar for a non-U.S. Sheraton property. There were cold cuts, olives, cheese, etc.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge evening spread
Then there was only one hot option, which wasn’t even labeled.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge evening snacks
So perhaps it’s best to come here for a drink, though don’t expect any filling or tasty snacks.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge evening drinks
Then there was afternoon tea daily from 2:30PM until 4:30PM, including cakes, warm scones, etc.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge evening snacks
Sheraton Grand London club lounge afternoon tea
There were also several types of cookies and snack mix in jars.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge afternoon tea
It looked good, though I was trying not to consume 2,000 calories of sweets in the afternoon, so just had a coffee instead.
Breakfast in the lounge was served daily from 6:30AM until 11AM (on weekends it’s from 7AM until 11:30AM), and was a pretty good spread. There was juice, cold cuts, pastries, toast, cereal, scrambled eggs, etc.
Sheraton Grand London club lounge breakfast
Sheraton Grand London club lounge breakfast
Sheraton Grand London club lounge breakfast
Sheraton Grand London club lounge breakfast
Sheraton Grand London club lounge breakfast
Sheraton Grand London club lounge breakfast
It wasn’t an extensive spread, but was filling, though I’m also not someone who loves a hot breakfast anyway.
So overall I thought the Sheraton Club was a beautiful space from which to work, and was great for getting coffee and water all day. However, the evening selection was disappointing, and perhaps is a case where the Sheraton brand standard is holding them back.
As I mentioned earlier, the hotel also has an entrance on Piccadilly, which was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane entrance
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane entrance
To get from that entrance to the rest of the hotel you have to walk through The Palm Court, which seemed to be popular for evening cocktails and afternoon tea. It’s a stunning space.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane The Palm Court
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane The Palm Court
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane The Palm Court
Right near the Park Lane entrance was the hotel’s gym, located down a level. The gym was a good size and modern.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane fitness center
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane fitness center
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane fitness center
Sheraton Grand London bottom line
Our suite at the Sheraton Grand London was fantastic. The suite was huge and gorgeously appointed, and at our rate is a value that’s tough to beat. I really value having a suite when I’m traveling with Ford internationally, given the odd hours at which I’m often working.
Based on the rooms alone, this hotel could be branded as a St. Regis, in my opinion.
The hotel’s management was excellent as well, and handled a negative situation in a very positive way. Furthermore, I found the service across the board to be friendly, not that we really had many special requests, or anything.
Lastly, the club lounge was a beautiful space physically, though the spread was a bit disappointing, especially in the evenings.
Overall I’d highly recommend the Sheraton Grand London as a Starwood Platinum member. It has a great location with huge suites and good service. I’d choose this any day over the Luxury Collection hotel just a few blocks away.
I’d return, though I have a lot of other hotels I still want to review in London.
Do you have a favorite SPG property in London? Anyone else like the Sheraton Grand as much as I do?
Would really help if, even if you get upgraded, you could ask to see a standard room and take photos there. Great to see common areas (although if you don't have hotel elite status, seeing the food spread isn't very helpful to the rest of us), but would also like to see what a standard room looks like for those of us who aren't going to get upgraded. Thanks
I found the customer service at this property to be hit or miss. I stayed here four different times and was delighted with my stay twice and had issues the two other times. This was before the renovation so hopefully they retrained the staff during this process.
There is one thing that sticks out about this hotel. The bar in the lobby area is outstanding and the bartender (I forget his name) makes the...
I found the customer service at this property to be hit or miss. I stayed here four different times and was delighted with my stay twice and had issues the two other times. This was before the renovation so hopefully they retrained the staff during this process.
There is one thing that sticks out about this hotel. The bar in the lobby area is outstanding and the bartender (I forget his name) makes the most incredible mojitos in the world. There were many folks stopping into the hotel just to say hi to him and order a drink.
How is this Sheraton a "Grand" property? Instead of a dumpy, tired, old Sheraton you get a slightly less dumpy Sheraton with club lounge food that is almost exclusively cheap carbs, cold cuts, bulk cereal, and bulk yogurt.
Nice review! My partner and I stayed here at the end of September as the rates were amazing. We had such a nice time and everyone we encountered that worked there was very nice and helpful. But those elevators my god! lol
Did you make it into Smith and Whistle? We ended up there nightly as we enjoy hotel bars and after a couple nights got to know the staff and manager (we were there...
Nice review! My partner and I stayed here at the end of September as the rates were amazing. We had such a nice time and everyone we encountered that worked there was very nice and helpful. But those elevators my god! lol
Did you make it into Smith and Whistle? We ended up there nightly as we enjoy hotel bars and after a couple nights got to know the staff and manager (we were there a week). They were concocting their fall specials one night and they ended up having us sample all of them and wanted our opinions on them. Score! Free cocktails!
Glad you and Ford enjoyed the hotel as much as we did (minus your weird Hobo children episode).
I just stay at The Dorchester. Doesn't get better than that in London.
Ben
"The Sheraton Grand has a pretty snazzy interior..." The context & pic suggests that should be 'exterior'
Spent 6 nights there in November (they had a deal going "book 4 nights, get 5th and 6th free, plus Citi Prestige free 4th night, so I got 6 for 3) and agree on almost all fronts! Great hotel, great rooms, fantastic location, terrible elevators. And as others have noted, it's on Picadilly and doesn't overlook Hyde Park, though it's close by.
I've had afternoon tea with my daughter at the Palm Court (some English version of Groupon was doing a 2-for-1) during the Christmas season. Very proper, complete with a harp player, and excellent tea.
We stayed just 1-2 weeks before you. We also took the tube, awkward with a real piece of luggage getting on at 800 with the commuters. It was a fine stay but I disagree with you confusing the Hotel with a St. Regis. The decor must be one you love because I was rather disappointed in it - having lived the '70's as an adult. It is a style popular in Britain these days, ho-hum....
We stayed just 1-2 weeks before you. We also took the tube, awkward with a real piece of luggage getting on at 800 with the commuters. It was a fine stay but I disagree with you confusing the Hotel with a St. Regis. The decor must be one you love because I was rather disappointed in it - having lived the '70's as an adult. It is a style popular in Britain these days, ho-hum. I was with the Lounge (and restaurant breakfast) disappointed, I expect better and need a hot breakfast, a London hotel not doing proper bacon properly is disheartening! Personal preference matters, just because you don't care about breakfast means it's not so relevant. Very pleased with the suite, I was on 4 on the other wing with a slightly better view and almost no street noise save that coming from the bath window. The shower was amusing, not enough water and no enclosure made for a cool experience if you don't keep a hot room (mine is always kept very cool, regardless time of year. For those not having stayed at this hotel, it is a step up to the shower bath, the bath is conventional, but the shower is a European spray affair with a ceiling flower head with little pressure. The area outside the tub is the non-slip shower are, peculiar to say the least. The extra furniture at the end of the bed was a clutter, so we stuffed it into a corner, foolish to have a table and sofa at the foot of a bed when in the next room is another TV with two lounges. Lobby Bar with truly craft cocktails worth a visit. Cheers.
Lucky - wow so many inaccuracies in this.
The hotel is on Piccadilly, not Park Lane (despite the name).
The view is of Green Park, not Hyde Park.
Did you actually do anything in London?
@DCJoe
"Glad to see you took the Tube- it’s probably 10 minutes longer than a taxi or Uber and about $75 cheaper."
You're underselling it. For a journey like this, the Tube is usually significantly faster than a taxi. And it's not unusual to pay £100 for the trip if there's much traffic (it's London: there often is) - against a Tube fare of c.£6.
The airport express railway - currently branded "Heathrow Express",...
@DCJoe
"Glad to see you took the Tube- it’s probably 10 minutes longer than a taxi or Uber and about $75 cheaper."
You're underselling it. For a journey like this, the Tube is usually significantly faster than a taxi. And it's not unusual to pay £100 for the trip if there's much traffic (it's London: there often is) - against a Tube fare of c.£6.
The airport express railway - currently branded "Heathrow Express", but It becomes part of the new Elizabeth Line from c.2018 - is owned by the airport. Unsurprisingly they try to push tickets for their own railway. But, mile for mile, it's the most expensive railway in the world (the per mile cost was higher than that of Concord, of blessed memory, on a JFK-LHR run), and it terminates at Paddington, which is a pretty useless destination for most people, requiring them to change to the Tube...
Heathrow access to central London will be significantly improved when the Elizabeth Line (or, as it is currently called, Crossrail) opens.
Wow. I agree, the Sheraton Grand Park Lane does look much nicer than the Luxury Collection Park Tower Knightsbridge property--where we stayed in October. And the suite that you had looks far more nicely appointed and more luxurious than our Panoramic Suite at the PTK--even the bathroom is vastly nicer.
You didn't mention the normal food/beverage options at the Sheraton, and I'd be curious to learn how they compare--as that was a plus at...
Wow. I agree, the Sheraton Grand Park Lane does look much nicer than the Luxury Collection Park Tower Knightsbridge property--where we stayed in October. And the suite that you had looks far more nicely appointed and more luxurious than our Panoramic Suite at the PTK--even the bathroom is vastly nicer.
You didn't mention the normal food/beverage options at the Sheraton, and I'd be curious to learn how they compare--as that was a plus at the PTK. We did have a few service blunders at the PTK restaurant, but the food was to a very nice standard.
The park across from the hotel is Green Park, not Hyde Park. A 3 minute Walk across Green Park from the hotel will bring you to Buckingham Palace. The Park Lane is a great location for exploring central London. Hyde Park is a 5 minute walk west and Piccadilly Circus 10 minutes east.
Haha, I live just a few doors down. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay.
This was my go to redemption for years in London when the fx was higher and the renovation was so badly needed (rooms were beyind sad) and to see it now is just Wow! I stayed in a newly renovated standard King room and it was lovely (review on my PhilaTravelGirl blog). It was still under construction at that time so to see your photos of the finished areas is great. Roman and his team...
This was my go to redemption for years in London when the fx was higher and the renovation was so badly needed (rooms were beyind sad) and to see it now is just Wow! I stayed in a newly renovated standard King room and it was lovely (review on my PhilaTravelGirl blog). It was still under construction at that time so to see your photos of the finished areas is great. Roman and his team have been good to address issues based on my experiences in the past.
a favorite almost hidden area is behind the hotel but access from Piccadilly is Shepards Market with pubs, cafes for breakfast and an Italian restaurant in the courtyard.
While the Sheraton was under renovation I redeemed at The Great Northern Hotel (couchette, smallest room) and loved that too - these two are my SPG preferred in London. I visit London a few times a year (for past 15yrs) and have so many favorite hotels that it's hard to choose - old favorite or new experience.
Nice review, interested me as I almost stayed there last year for a similar two night stop in London, but ended up using my Hilton card 2 free nights to stay at the Conrad across Green Park. Glad to see you took the Tube- it's probably 10 minutes longer than a taxi or Uber and about $75 cheaper.
One note- the hotel is not actually on Park Lane, although that's in the name. The main road it faces is Piccadilly.