Honestly, the Hilton London Metropole surprised me – and I mean that in a good way. You know how some hotels feel like they’re trying too hard? This one doesn’t. It’s this massive brick building right on Edgware Road, and when I first walked up, I thought “well, this looks… substantial.” Not pretty exactly, but solid. The kind of place that’s been hosting travelers for decades and knows what it’s doing.
What really got me was the location – I mean, you’re literally a two-minute walk from Paddington Station, which is brilliant if you’re doing the Heathrow Express thing or need to hop on the tube. But here’s what the booking sites don’t tell you: Edgware Road is actually this fascinating mix of Lebanese restaurants, shisha cafes, and proper London pubs all jumbled together. I grabbed the best shawarma of my life just down the street at 2 AM (the area stays lively pretty late). Hyde Park is right there too – honestly, I’d walk through it every morning to get coffee, and it never got old. The rooms are… well, they’re Hilton rooms, you know? Clean, comfortable beds, decent bathrooms, nothing that’ll blow your mind but nothing to complain about either. The air conditioning actually works, which – trust me – matters more than you think during those surprisingly warm London summers. I stayed on the 8th floor and could see bits of the park through the window, though you’re not booking this place for views. One thing though – if you’re a light sleeper, maybe pack earplugs. Edgware Road can get busy with traffic, and weekend nights bring some street noise from the restaurants and bars below.
The staff genuinely seemed to care, which sounds like marketing speak but actually isn’t. When I needed restaurant recommendations beyond the usual tourist traps, the concierge pointed me toward this incredible Persian place five minutes away that I never would’ve found otherwise. Check-in was smooth even when I showed up at some ungodly early hour (they held my bags without any fuss). Look, this isn’t the fanciest hotel in London – the 7.6 rating is pretty fair, honestly. The lobby feels a bit dated, the elevators are slow, and don’t expect some Instagram-worthy rooftop bar situation. But sometimes you want a place that just works, you know? Good location, reliable service, rooms where you’ll actually sleep well. If you’re the type who spends most of your time out exploring the city anyway, the Metropole makes a lot of sense. Plus, being so close to Paddington means you can literally roll out of bed and catch a train to Bath or Oxford for day trips – which, let’s be real, is pretty convenient.