101 Buckingham Palace Road, London, United Kingdom | (618) 248-8274
Historic property opened in 1862 with palatial style
By Victoria train station and walking distance to Buckingham Palace
Rooms have updated, contemporary decor and Bose iPod docks
Some rooms have Buckingham Palace or Victoria Station views
On-site restaurants serve authentic Cantonese cuisine and pub fare
Traditional afternoon tea available in the lounge
Historic Champagne and cocktail bar
Gym includes a handful of newer exercise machines
Nine business meeting rooms for up to 150 guests
Business center
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Crowds from nearby station can be noisy
Room decor doesn't reflect the ornate grandeur of public spaces
Some guests complain of the property being dated
Built in 1862 by the same team that constructed London's Victoria Station, the palatial Grosvenor Hotel welcomes guests into Victorian grandeur. While many of the common areas maintain the original gold-and-marble details, the 345 rooms in this four-pearl property have been updated with contemporary decor, free Wi-Fi, and Bose iPod docks. They range in size from Standard Single Rooms to Executive Suites. Physically connected to the Victoria Railway Station, the hotel makes travel very convenient -- although some guests complain the trains bring heavy foot traffic. The Grosvenor is also within walking distance of Buckingham Palace and a short drive to Harrods department store. Travelers interested in staying at a hotel with old English glamour could also consider the similarly priced Rubens at the Palace, which has turn-of-the-century decor in a building that dates back to the 1700s.
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Scene
A refurbished and updated historic hotel
The Grosvenor offers an impressive combination of Victorian and contemporary elegance. Designed by James Thomas Knowles, the seven-story hotel is one of the first buildings in London to have a French pavilion-style curved mansard roof, which tops a facade made out of yellow brick and bath stone, and is decorated with sculpted masonry busts. Opened in 1862, just a year after Victoria Station, the interior has high ceilings, dramatic staircases, and numerous chandeliers. Lobby walls are accented with polished marble columns, gold leaf, and enough intricate molding to outdo the icing on almost any wedding cake. After a multimillion dollar refurbishing project, several of the rooms have a more contemporary style. The Réunion Bar, which was once the first-class departure lounge for Victorian Station, now has high-backed, blue-velvet armchairs and a black-and-white checkerboard floor. In the meeting rooms, the stackable chairs and boardroom tables pale when set against the ornate mantelpieces and stained-glass windows. The hotel's convenient location and historic aura make it alluring to a wide range of guests with a taste for opulence. Most are couples drawn to the lush yet cozy setting, while a few are business travelers and families.
Location
Next to Victoria Station, in the central London neighborhood of Pimlico
Created as London's first railway hotel, The Grosvenor offers direct access to Victoria Station. The ride from Heathrow Airport is about 50 minutes by metro or 35 minutes by car. Express trains from Gatwick Airport take about 40 minutes to get to Victoria. In addition to a tube station that connects with the London Underground system, trains from Victoria travel throughout southern England. Beyond Victoria Station, the Pimlico district, where the Grosvenor is located, has several residential streets, garden squares, and buildings designed in the regency style. And several tourist attractions are also in the neighborhood. West End theaters like the Apollo Victoria are three to five minutes away on foot. Buckingham Palace is an eight-minute stroll. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are both a 10-minute drive or 20-minute walk. The Tower of London is a little bit farther, about 20 minutes away by car.
Rooms
Modern and urbane rooms with Bose iPod docks, mini-fridges, and free mineral water
Guest Rooms at the Grosvenor depart from the ornate, gilded look of the public spaces. After an extensive remodeling of the hotel in 2012, the 345 Grosvenor guest rooms have a contemporary style with dark-wood furniture and high-thread-count sheets. Other stylish touches include brown velour throw pillows, flock-patterned drapes, and framed London-themed photos. The hotel offers a wide range of room sizes, from Standard Single to Family Rooms, Executive King Rooms, and Suites. The rooms increase in square-footage, with some having more beds and living space. In larger rooms, each living space is filled with a sofa, coffee table, and chairs for lounging. There are ceramic tea pots, and stainless steel electric kettles for instant coffee or tea. Mini-fridges are stocked with free mineral and sparkling water (but no other beverages). Flat-screen TVs are wall-mounted or built into wooden wall units, while Bose iPod docking stations are lovely bedside touches. Closets hold safes, ironing facilities, and bathrobes. Bathrooms are white with green granite counters, or black-and-white tile with contemporary finishes. Some have shower/tub combos, while upper-tier rooms have rainfall showerheads in stall showers. Bathrooms also range in size, but several are a bit small when compared with the rooms. Depending on room floor and orientation, some guests are able to see Buckingham Palace; other windows offer Victoria Station views. All rooms have free high-speed Wi-Fi.
Features
Numerous meeting spaces plus restaurants, afternoon tea, Champagne bar, and a gym
The Grosvenor offers numerous amenities for businesspeople and tourists. When the Guoman chain updated the Grosvenor Hotel, it added modern audio-visual equipment to the property's nine meeting spaces, making it possible for off-site meetings to have Old-World polish. For couples who want an ornate wedding space, the Grosvenor's Orient Suite can hold up to 150 people. The Grand Imperial restaurant serves Cantonese dishes such as Crispy Duck Salad and Szechuan Dried Chilli Chicken on the two- or three-course tasting menu. Victorian Afternoon Tea is served in The Lounge with tea cakes, fruit scones, and clotted cream. The Grosvenor Brasserie has items like wild mushroom risotto, and fish and chips for pre-theater dining. The Réunion Champagne and Cocktail Bar offers over a dozen varietals of Champagne and cocktails like the Derailed Bilberry Royal. Room service is available around the clock. For fitness fanatics, the hotel has a small but suitable gym with a handful of new exercise machines. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout.
