Pestana Chelsea Bridge

From the outside, the glass-heavy Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel looks like the luxury apartment blocks that surround it, and a wide outdoor seating area has black wicker sofas with elegant red upholstery. The open-plan lobby, with its marble floors, and the bar have floor-to-ceiling windows, and the Plexiglas reception desk and retro-style punchy turquoise armchairs and modern art add pizzazz to the scene. Hallways with white walls and beige-and-navy-blue carpeting are more subdued but a little dark. Mood lighting enhances the pool and sauna areas, which have blown-up wall photos of Battersea Park. The atmosphere is almost akin to the Roman baths, with gorgeous blue mosaic tiling in the showers. The Atlantico restaurant is modern and intimate -- chic olive seats and gallery-style prints complement the polished hardwood flooring. The hotel tends to draw business travelers during the week -- and the vibe is conducive to informal meetings -- and tourists on the weekend.

This south London hotel is set on a quiet Battersea street off the much busier Chelsea Bridge Road. The thoroughfare connects the area to the shops and bars of Chelsea across the Thames River -- it's about a six-minute drive or a 16-minute bus trip. Surrounded by luxury apartment blocks, the hotel is about a five-minute walk to the entrance of Battersea Park, and a nine-minute walk to Battersea Park train station -- better connections can be found at Sloane Square station, a four-minute drive or an eight-minute bus ride from the hotel. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum are all less than 10 minutes away by car, or less than 20 minutes by public transportation. The British Museum is a bit farther, a 14-minute drive or a 35-minute ride on public transportation. Heathrow Airport is a 27-minute drive away, London City Airport is a 33-minute drive, and Gatwick Airport is a 45-minute drive -- all three airports are less than an hour away on public transportation.

The 216 rooms at the Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel & Spa London are bright and spacious, with a chic design. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of light, and the beds have huge cream-colored leather headboards. Patterned brown carpeting and low-key geometrically angled white walls are attractive, and desks are large enough to work from. But the London-themed wall canvases can look out of place, as do the white-leather daybeds. Some of the rooms have exercise bikes, which are a nice perk. Deluxe Family Rooms have sofa beds and can sleep up to three, while Suites add living rooms with gorgeous hardwood floors, design-focused accent walls, glass-topped dining tables, and wet bars with Nespresso machines. Some Suites have wraparound balconies, but they’re narrow and unfurnished. Bathrooms are large with separate showers and tubs, but the brown countertops look a tad dated. Deluxe Rooms have rainfall and slim-line showerheads. Suites have two bathrooms -- one with a built-in tub and tablet-size TV, and the other with a separate shower room. Individual designer toiletries are a nice touch.

All rooms have individual air-conditioning and clunky-looking flat-screen TVs with on-demand movies, plus iPod docks, modern phones, and safes. There are coffee- and tea-making facilities, slippers and robes, and mini-fridges with free water -- some have fully stocked minibars. Wi-Fi is free, and interconnecting rooms are convenient for families and groups. Be aware that rooms at the back of the hotel face the train line and can get noisy. Guests have also complained about noise from the hallways, and about spotty maintenance and housekeeping.

The Pestana Chelsea Bridge is not short on facilities, and the spa, pool, sauna, and steam room are free for guests, although the gym is a bit small. Spa beauty and therapeutic treatments come with a fee. Some room packages include breakfast, which guests rate as mixed -- and overpriced. The Atlantico Restaurant serves excellent Portuguese and international cuisine at dinner, and the lobby bar is open from morning until night for drinks and tapas. Suite guests can use the Executive Lounge, which serves free drinks and snacks, as well as breakfast. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are available. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, but there are extra charges for Internet access at the small business center, which has PCs and printers. The hotel also has several elegant meeting rooms, which can accommodate up to 500 people. Reasonably priced secure parking is adjacent to the hotel.