Marriott County Hall Hotel - London (Hotels in London in general)

Member Name: fangfarrier

Product:	Hotels in London in general
Date:	09/11/01 (568 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location, Standards, Service

Disadvantages: Some items costly

The five star Marriott County hall hotel is situated in the heart of London opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Situated in the old Greater London Council building the hotel has kept many of the period features from its former use. The entrance is quite easy to miss and on the left hand side immediately after crossing Westminster Bridge. The archway leads to the front entrance where a doorman is ready to help you with your luggage. The hotel offers valet parking which is extremely useful in central London. A small shop is located at the entrance for essential purchases of forgotten items.Reception is found to the left past the old voting lobby and the oak panelled entrance immediately tells you that you have chosen an impressive hotel.

On the ground floor you can find the members bar , library tea room and County Hall restaurant the latter two having unrivelled views across the Thames to Big Ben and Parliament. Take my advice though and do not order afternoon tea in the library , £19/head for what amounted to three small sandwiches a cake and a cream scone seems excessive. Buffet breakfast is served in the restaurant each morning with a good choice of traditional English and lighter continental fare. The restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner and opens early for those crossing the river for a West End show.

Our standard room was well equipped and larger than most chain hotels normally offer , probably due to the change of use of the building and previous room sizes. There is a high speed internet access line in each room with a cable to connect. You can also arrange IT loan from business services through the week.Sound insulation is excellent , we had an opera singer practising in the adjoining room and didn't realise until we left the room and stood in the corridor! Room service is reasonable but the mini bar prices excessive. A gin and tonic would cost over £8 from your in room fridge. There is an excellent small store five minu
tes away across Westminster Bridge which sells all you would want including alcohol at a fraction of the price.
There is a fifth floor Spa centre which offers a variety of treatments at prices which are more reasonable than the afternoon tea and a sixth floor 25m swimming pool and fitness centre which is complimentary for guests. You should remember however that entrance times to the swimming pool for under 18's is limited.
The hotel is right next to the London Eye and shares the building with the London Aquarium , a games centre and a McDonalds (useful for those on a strict budget)although you could not tell this once you were inside the hotel.

Westminster is a five minute walk away across the bridge , the West End and Covent Garden market with its chique restaurants is a 15 minute walk away and Tate Modern is a 20 minute riverside walk away.
The position and quality of this hotel would be hard to fault and despite its five star rating it seemed to be child friendly and relaxed.

Don't be afraid to haggle to get a good deal though , the cost of our room fell by 50% as a late availability deal booked direct with Marriott and was excellent value for money.

Summary: