Experimenting with a different London hotel

1   Not Recommended
Deluxe King Room
October 20, 2019 by

 Map | 5 Reviews | 40% Recommended
Share
Save
Liked:
Location
 
Service
 
Food
 
Amenities
 
Room
 

{{ oRightNav.heading }}

St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel
 Map | 5 Reviews | 40% Recommended

Save

Share

Deluxe King Room

Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room
Stats
Room
Deluxe King Room

Check In

Checking in on a Saturday afternoon, the reception area (and the lobby in general with afternoon tea) was rammed full of people. Check-in was friendly and uneventful apart from the wait, and I was given a letter noting the Ambassador benefits.

Room

I booked the St Pancras Renaissance instead of my usual Great Northern Hotel because I wanted a larger room - and paid 90GBP extra to do so. The joke's on me, because in the end I got a room smaller than at the Great Northern.

The hotel only allows the lowest category of Junior Suite in the Chambers Wing for SNAs which was the one room type which was sold out - I'm going to guess there are only a few. I was upgraded one category 3 days out, but was downgraded back down to the lowest category room on day of check-in. Apart from the lowest category Junior Suite all other rooms (suites and non-suites) were available online, so this felt like another example of a hotel being pretty disinterested in Marriott elites.

The Deluxe Room is really small, particularly as one wall is sloping as is the ceiling, making it slightly claustrophic. The "King" bed is actually a double/ Queen, but anything larger in the room wouldn't fit.

Dining

The Chambers Lounge is quite nice and I noticed that service for regular customers was super friendly, so I can see why some people like it. It reminds me of the lounge at the Sheraton Park Lane which I would still just give the edge to. The Sheraton also doesn't feel the need to bend the rules unlike the Renaissance which does not allow Platinums into their lounge (because they argue it's not a lounge which is clearly disingenuous).

I've eaten at the hotel previously for lunch, dinner and breakfast. Today I ordered some "dim sum" on room service and then popped into the Club. The dim sum was takeaway Chinese style spring rolls and potstickers - frankly terrible. The Club buffet was pretty similar to what was available in the Booking Room - adequate, but very reminiscent of British school dinners. 

Location

The immediate surrounding area is not the nicest in London, but it is super convenient. The hotel is built into St Pancras station for the Eurostar and is on the site of the Kings X tube station which is a great base for travelling through London. St Pancras is also in itself a beautiful destination with a legendary champagne bar overlooking the Eurostar. I recommend the location for both tourists and business trips, but bear in mind it's not the best if you want to walk around and see beautiful London next to the hotel.

Overall

The reason for the visit was to finally compare the St Pancras Renaissance to the Great Northern Hotel next door. I have a clear preference for the Great Northern Hotel which for me is the far better choice. I found the Renaissance to have mediocre hard and soft product quality and be slightly overwhelmed by the volume of tourists staying in the hotel and using the facilities.

The Renaissance is your choice if:

  • You want to be in the area and a lounge is important to you (and you as Titanium, Ambassador, or have booked a Suite)
  • You need a Suite and want to be in the area
  • You are rarely in Europe and want to be in a building slightly reminiscent of British schools or older Universities
  • You're fine with "US style" service, queuing and buffet food

My preference for the Great Northern Hotel is based on the following:

  • In maybe 30 stays since it opened I have always been upgraded to a top category room, even when the hotel is nearly sold out and when I book at the last minute. I believe their habit of pre-upgrading elites helps ensure they don't sell out of good rooms
  • It is a small hotel, with personalised friendly service. It is never over-crowded and you don't need to wait in long queues
  • The quality of furnishings, toiletries, etc. is super high. The classical design is understated, but quite beautiful
  • The in-house restaurant is great - with both excellent food and service. The breakfast is one of the very best I've had anywhere
  • Oddly, the Great Northern Hotel is often cheaper than the Renaissance - Personally I would actually pay 50-70GBP more for the Great Northern if I had to choose between the two

0 Comments

This review lives in the Experimenting with a different London hotel thread.
0 comments and Y review
Comment In Thread

Hotels you may also be interested in