Mercure London Paddington Hotel

The Mercure London Paddington Hotel is a basic mid-range chain property, and despite a generous dose of purple accents, public spaces remain rather unmemorable. The lobby has a functional design with a wooden front desk bracketed in neon lighting, two purple leather armchairs, and a small lobby bar in the corner. The on-site Garfunkel’s restaurant is adjacent to the lobby and is decorated in warm woods, slightly dated mauve booths, and city artwork and photographs on the walls. Stairs lead to the elevators (which could be problematic for guests with mobility issues). Given its handy connection to Heathrow Airport, the hotel attracts business travelers and tourists in London on short stays.

The Mercure London Paddington Hotel is right next to the Paddington train and tube station, which has a direct connection to Heathrow Airport (the trip takes about 20, or it's 35 minutes driving). The area is packed with restaurants, and shopping can be found on Oxford Street -- a 20-minute walk away. As far as sights go, Kensington Gardens is an eight-minute walk away, while Kensington Palace is about a 20-minute walk. Guests can cut through Kensington Gardens to reach Buckingham Palace, but it's about a 40-minute walk (or 23 minutes on public transportation). 

Most of the 64 rooms at the Mercure London Paddington have a similar chocolate-and-cream color palette, with dark wood furniture, cream-colored carpet, and puffy white bedding. Coffee-colored pillows and bed runners provide the finishing touches. Some Executive Rooms tip the color scheme toward a trendy gray and add lime-green pillows and colorful prints, going a ways to up the style factor. All rooms have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, safes, tea kettles and coffeemakers, and work desks. Executive Rooms have free stocked mini-fridges and Nespresso machines, and some have pullout couches. But on the whole, all rooms are small and cramped. Functional bathrooms in either cream or gray tiles come stocked with toiletries and hairdryers. Standard Rooms have small shower stalls, while Executive Rooms have either walk-in glass showers with rainfall showerheads or shower/tub combos. Be aware that rooms can pick up area noise, but the hotel provides free earplugs.

Like other hotels in the Mercure chain, the Mercure London Paddington covers the basics. The hotel offers a breakfast buffet (for a fee) with hot and cold items, as well as a full English breakfast. It’s served in the attached restaurant Garfunkel’s, which offers traditional British and standard international fare for lunch and dinner. Room service is available with limited hours. There’s also a lobby bar that serves a variety of alcoholic drinks throughout the day. The hotel's windowless gym is on the small side, but it has modern cardio and weight-lifting equipment and free weights. Business features include fully equipped meeting rooms and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. The Mercure provides free loaner smartphones to guests with unlimited 3G data and calls -- a rare perk at this price point. Limited valet parking is available for a fee.