The Athenaeum Hotel, London

We love London and we love Mayfair. Our favourite haunt for all past visits was of course Dukes Hotel. However, this time we are on a limited budget so had t o look elsewhere.

Being the same distance from Green Park station as Dukes and at only £220 a night we decided to give The Athenaeum a try.

I must say we were feeling a little worried, being such a fan of Dukes. However, we need not have been. Whilst the hotel has a different vibe to Dukes due to being a much bigger, high rise property, the value for money was great.

Included in the price was Wifi, breakfast, which included a continental buffet as well as your choice from a hot menu and tea/coffee - on the second day we were even offered a take away hot chocolate after finishing! Also included where the items in the mini bar (except spirits) which where replenished each day. This was great as there were plenty of drinks and nibbles and fruit for us to take with us each day as we went sightseeing. The nespresso machine was also a great inclusion.

Whilst the elevators felt a little cramped with more than 4 people in them, the rooms where very large with views across St James Park. 

The bathroom was fine, a little dated with a very small sink, but it was adaquate and was more than made up for by the huge size and good standard of the room. Furnished in a contemporary style with a comfortable king size bed, high tea style chairs looking out the floor to ceiling windows, pay TV, iPod dock, work station and plenty of storage we would happily stay here again.

Just across the road from the hotel was one of the the Barclays Bicycle Hire hubs. Here we paid just £2 to pedal power around the city for 24 hours. All you have to do is make sure you return the bike to a hub every 30 minutes. This worked out well as we could jump on the bikes at the hotel, ride down to hyde park, return the bokes and take out a row boat, grab another bike and get back to teh hotel for lunch, pick up another bike and zip down to Buckingham palace, return the bikes, do some sightseeing and continue all day. Even if you keep the bike a little longer, it's only a few pound, so much nicer and much cheaper than a taxi plus you get a unique view of the city, some fresh air and some exercise.

Walking distance to Buckingham Palace, Green Park Station, St James and Hyde Park, this hotel provides a value for money stay in Mayfair, especially if you are looking at staying for a few nights so want some extra space.

Just St James, London, UK

With its location in an affluent area close to Buckingham Palace and just down from the Ritz hotel, you would think it would live up to its website statement  'Just St James Restaurant and Bar is one of the top restaurants in London'.  However, this was definitely not our experience. 

It is a very large restaurant spread over 2 levels, and to have such a large restaurant with only 2 tables seated at 7pm at night – we should have known better.....

We started with the Cornish Lobster and Watercress Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce. The presentation was ok but we could tell before eating it that the pasta was slightly undercooked.   On tasting the dish it was obvious that it was not freshly made when ordered.

For the main we opted for the fillet of Aberdeen Angus Beef, Wilted Leaf Spinach, Nutbourne Vine Tomatoes, Armagnac Jus and also a side of buttered Jersey Royals.

Within a few seconds of the food arriving (I had managed to put one piece of potato in my mouth) the server asked if everything was ok – with a mouth full of potato I nodded as thus far it was – BIG MISTAKE (and possibly a very sneaky move – read on)

The meat was tough, chewy, grizzy and had a large lump in it?????? It was that bad that this was one of the very rare occasions that the food was such poor quality we could actually not bring ourselves to pay for one of the meals.  After discussing whether to make a complaint and offer our opinion in relation to what was served up, we mutually decided that it was unacceptable and we would make a complaint and request removal from the bill.

When the floor manager/host had finish his lengthy discussion about his upcoming sabbatical to a winery with his friend at the table next (whom we assumed from the questions asked ‘why isn’t it busy’, ‘do you have a function coming in later’, may have been an investor in the establishment) he sidled past and asked if we had finished. 

It was at this point we motioned to the offending plate and advised we were unhappy with the meat.  Straight away he swooped in with – the server checked if everything was ok after delivery and you said yes............hmmmm well that half a potato was ok.  We explained the issue was with the steak and not wanting to have one of us sit with an empty plate while the other finished their mediocre piece of meat (sans lump and grizzle but still not up to par) we had simply left the meal.  (We have a rule – if you send something back, don’t order anything else).

Most decent restaurants would have been embarrassed and offered sincere apologies.  However, this host floated away to ‘check the quality with the chef’ – after all, as long as the chef is happy who cares what the customers think – that’s the best way  to run a business isn’t it????????????

Having checked with his chef – who, due to the chit chat and lengthy schmoozing with the table next to us we learned was his father, we were advised they were happy with the quality of the meat – oh, well that’s great but they didn’t have to try and eat it.

We were clearly unhappy with the whole evening and to remedy this, the tact chosen was for the waiter to argue with us and the host to argue with us – always a good customer service strategy.   

Had we eaten half the meal and then complained we could have understood the argument, but only two bites were taken from the meat (one of those ending up in a napkin)

We found the staff rude and condescending and it seems there is clearly a lack of understanding in relation selecting and cooking meat.

Based on our experience, we were left wondering how the place is still open.  Clearly they rely on corporate functions – but even if we were on the corporate credit card or a work Christmas party, we still would have complained about the meat!!!

After it appeared the investor/friend, had begun to take note (and that we could no longer be bothered with his rude attitude further ruining our night and given up the argument) the host took the service charge off and shunted us towards the door.

Will we go back???? never

Dukes Hotel, London

Dukes is one of those hotels that feels like a home away from home.   Whilst being near to all that London has for offer you can return to the serenity and calm of your room whenever needed.  

The hotel is located St James Place, in in a leafy affluent area close to the famous Ritz Hotel and within walking distance to Buckingham Palace as well as being handy for Petticoat Lane Markets, High end shops and Picadilly Circus (but out of the way enough if you know what I mean).

The hotel is on the main tube line meaning you don't have to be out all day, you can pop in and out whilst still staying on the tourist track.  Its a quick 1 stop to Hyde Park and the second stop takes you to the famous Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge.  Within walking distance for any traveller Buckingham Palace (an easy and breezy 8 min stroll). In fact, if you want to, you could do all the attractions on foot - if you up for a day of strolling.  If not, the nearest tube station is Green Park or you could jump on one of the sightseeing buses from the top of the street just near the Ritz.

After undergoing redecoration, the hotel is covered in relaxing muted tones and always has fresh flowers in common areas and rooms - these are changed regularly  we did see a very busy florist tending to the arrangements twice during one of our stays.

All rooms we have stayed in were elegant, cosy, clean, provided good quality linens, slippers, robes, toiletries and were a reasonable size.  On one stay we had the pleasure of staying in a suite - my goodness it was like a full sized apartment and we did not want to leave.

The hotel can lay claim to something we now see as a rarity - a high quality room service menu that was delivered fresh and tasty.  We ordered dinner twice during our stay enjoying the venison and beef fillet.

At first we had thought the price for break fast was a little steep.  However, we needed an early start so decided to order.  On receiving breakfast in our room at our specified time, we found it well worth the price (please see image - this is ONE breakfast).  There was a fantastic range of choices to be included and all we had t o do was fill out our card specifying our selection and required delivery time.

The hotel has a elegant drawing room and conservatory overlooking a lovely courtyard which is perfect for afternoon tea and the sophisticated bar prides itself on making the best Martini in town.

A health club is located within the hotel providing a wide range of services.  However, on each trip we neglected to use it due to being preoccupied with sight seeing, shopping and eating.

As far as hotels in London go, we would rank this with the best of them due to location and   comfort level and is most certainly our regular and reliable place to stay when in the capital.  However, the hotel may be a  little expensive for those travelling on a budget or wanting an extended stay in London with rates starting from £220 per night including breakfast.