6th August 2007
Never again
Firstly, the compulsion to deal with the claim of 'unrivalled views of the City':
- Guoman (previously the Thistle) Hotel by the Tower of London, is on the River Thames. A number of rooms therefore have (requestable) views of Tower Bridge so you can see it being raised and lowered as river traffic dictates.
- The Novotel Euston looks south from north(ish) of central London to take in the Post Office (BT) Tower and a number of other high-rises across the Cities of London/Westminster.
- Finally (in my experience, but I have no doubt there are many others), the Great Eastern has rooms which view the NatWest Tower, the Gherkin and so on.
It is therefore impossible to imagine how one would get an unrivalled view of the City from the rather unimposing Grange Hotel - situated as it is in a building nestled in amongst a number of other mid-rise modern office-blocks and hotels.
Outrage at the claims made on views aside, actual experience was unfortunately little better. Room service arrived very late more than once, (even after multiple promptings to the kitchen), items were missing, and for goodness sake do not order poached eggs unless you like the vinegary tang of pickled eggs.
The room, which was not cheap by anybody's standards (and I stay in some expensive places - got to love work expenses), was small, the bedding was very average (none of the fresh crisp sheets of more luxurious hotels) and the furnishings were extremely dated.
Service otherwise was no more than adequate (and I am being polite, the price charged should have yielded a great deal more). In addition, although any personal or out of the way requests were met with initial agreement, when it came to the follow-through, well, it didn't.
All in all, this was a really disappointing experience and I can only hope that it was atypical - either way, I am mighty glad I wasn't paying.
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