Every once in a while you just come across a hotel that gets it right. It’s clearly a combination of factors, but when it all comes together, it’s amazing. The Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street in the Covent Garden section of London is exactly that – amazing.
So, what was it? The location is perfect. The hotel is that wonderful mix of an eclectic boutique with whimsical touches and old world charm, with a big hotel name, Club Carlson, behind it. The staff is dedicated and every employee exudes warmth and a real desire to do things right.
The rooms are wonderfully decorated and planned out. Can I say that could be improved? No, I honestly cannot.
Check in was easy. Here is the front desk:
The lobby area, though small, was comfortable and filled with great art. The art commanded your attention. You couldn’t NOT notice it! It left an impression. It was phenomenal.
Golden Sheep………… baaaaaaaaaaaaah
I love with this larger-than-life painting:
We were upgraded to a large room – – that I believe was considered a suite. The king-sized bed was comfortable and the room also had a desk area and velvet sofas. The furnishings were great. It was impeccably decorated. It was the sort of room where you walk in and say I could definitely live here, and you mean it. In addition, the hotel added an extra bed for no extra charge.
There was a separate changing room that had a wardrobe, a dresser, a vanity, a Nespresso espresso maker (THANK YOU for the NESPRESSO!) and the best refrigerator ever!
LOOK at this VIEW out of our window!
The bathroom was modern and well-furnished. There was a separate bath and shower and the toiletries were by Gilchrest & Soames.
The price you ask? I used Club Carlson Gold Passport points!
I’m told that the Edwardian group of Radisson Blu hotels all have this wonderful modern boutique feel to them. Now, I want to return to London so I can visit every one of them!
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
The girl painting was featured at NYC The Armory Show this year!
you know, I had that deja vu feeling with that painting…..
Great Post! So I assuming you recommend this hotel over the Park Plaza Westminster location? We have a one night stay there on our final night using up our free e-cert from the the credit card fiasco. Will have to see if your hotel is available for our date.
I haven’t written my review of the Park Plaza yet. There is nothing wrong with the Park Plaza, but I prefer the small boutique-y feel of the Radisson Blu.
I’m not sure if your review would be the same if you had one of their smaller rooms. The Mercer Street property has a wide variety of rooms, including some very small rooms with a view of a small courtyard (as opposed to the street). The staff is good, location is excellent, but the rooms are very hit or miss. I haven’t been upgraded to a suite, but have stayed in small, medium, and large size rooms.
The other item that you might have been lucky on is street noise. Lower floors with windows facing mercer street can get noisy due to the restaurants and pubs nearby. I did like my stay, but check TA reviews before booking would be my advice. There is also a small number of rooms (although many have King size beds which is unusual in Europe) so there are few suites available to upgrade to (free or paid).
thank you for this information. Yes, I was lucky to get a larger room, but somehow I think that even the smaller rooms would be nicely decorated.
I will be staying there in early August for the 2 for 1. Are you CC Gold status? If so, how did you secure an upgraded room?
Yes, I have gold status via the cc. I emailed the hotel before the trip, and followed up on arrival. They were incredibly nice. Breakfast was not included, but I was happy just to have the nespresso.
thanks. may i ask what you wrote in the email? I have two back to back reservation for the 2 for 1. First one is Gold, 2nd is Red.
Was your award night at the 70,000 point level or the 105,000 point level? The hotel offers both for our stay, and I’m leaning toward the higher level to be sure of getting a larger room. I hadn’t considered the possibility of a complimentary upgrade.
I could understand 105,000 if you are getting club access and breakfast, but for a little larger room it sure sounds like a lot. If it were me, I would look into some of the other Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels.