You know what? I’ve walked past this place on Hyde Park Place probably a dozen times before I actually stayed here, and honestly, I was kicking myself for not booking it sooner. The building itself has that classic London townhouse thing going on – you’re literally a stone’s throw from Marble Arch, but tucked away on this quieter side street that most tourists never find. I mean, you step out the front door and Speaker’s Corner is right there, which is pretty cool if you’re into that sort of thing, but more importantly, you’ve got the entire northern edge of Hyde Park as your backyard.
The location is actually ridiculous when you think about it. You can walk to Oxford Street in about three minutes (trust me, I timed it), but when you come back at night, you’re not dealing with all that chaos because Hyde Park Place is surprisingly peaceful. The Tube situation is perfect too – Marble Arch station is practically next door, so you’re connected to everything, but you’ve also got Paddington just a quick walk away if you need the Heathrow Express. What really got me was how the staff seemed to actually know the neighborhood – like, they told me about this little café on Connaught Street that I never would have found otherwise, and they were spot-on about which entrance to use for Hyde Park if I wanted to avoid the crowds near the main gates.
The rooms themselves feel properly London without being stuffy about it. Mine overlooked the park side, and there’s something really satisfying about opening those traditional sash windows in the morning and hearing… well, birds instead of traffic, which is pretty remarkable for central London. The whole place has been done up nicely – I could tell they’d put thought into the details without going overboard. Honestly, the bed was exactly what I needed after walking around the city all day, and the bathroom actually had decent water pressure, which you can’t always count on in these older buildings. Check-in was smooth, no drama with early arrival, and they stored my bags without making it feel like a huge favor. The 9.4 rating makes sense when you experience it – it’s not trying to be the flashiest place in London, but everything just works the way it should, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want when you’re exploring a city like this.