You will NEVERn want to leave... (Hotels in London in general)

Member Name: helencb

Product:	Hotels in London in general
Date:	20/03/03 (505 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Chic, Modern, Convenient

Disadvantages: Limited facilities

I was in London the week before last for a three day break. Picked the right week too, as the weather was clear and dry and relatively warm for the time of year. We stayed at this new hotel ? Twenty Nevern Square (hereafter referred to as 20NS). The hotel is in the Earl's Court area, just a couple ofminutes from the exhibition hall.

I found the hotel on www.lastminute.com, which is actually a bit of a misnomer, as my trip was planned for over two months! The rate quoted was £89. I didn?t actually book with Last minute.com, but I handled it directly with the hotel and booked over the telephone. I was still able to get the £89 room rate, with flexibility on cancellation.

The Hotel?s website is www.twentynevernsquare.co.uk, and when I saw it for the first time, I decided it was the place for me. We wanted to stay quite near to the Hammersmith Apollo, as we had booked tickets for Peter Kay for Monday 17 February. 20NS is just a few minutes from Earl?s Court Tube station, and proved to be a great location for us for our few days. Earl?s Court is served by the Piccadilly and District Lines, and one stop up the line gives you access to the Circle line too.

The Hotel is a smart new hotel, overlooking Nevern Square. The Square itself is a private garden, for residents only. The properties in this area are all several storey high Georgian Townhouses, and are generally very attractive. On the short walk from the tube station I did see one or two other hotels offering rooms for about £40 each, but this close to Central London, I believe this is a little too cheap for my liking, and would not have dared venture in them. This is not the case with 20NS, and I believe the room rate we got was a great deal for a midweek stay.

Checking In
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You are not likely to encounter any delays here as the hotel has only about twenty bedrooms, spread over five floors. The Reception area is smart, although quite compact. There is a sm
all lift, which would hold about four persons. A porter appeared from nowhere to take our bags up to our room. Towards the back of the reception, there is a comfortable lounge area, and further back still is the hotel?s Brasserie restaurant, Café Twenty.

Checking in and Checking out were friendly and efficient, and the receptionist was only too willing to assist in making reservations for taxis, restaurants, or to help with sightseeing plans.

The Room
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The room we had was classed as a Luxury double room, although it was not that big. They also do a Small Double Room, but to be honest, I would try and avoid this unless you are on your own, as floor space must be at a premium. On the other side of the scale they have an extremely luxurious suite with private terrace and a 6? 5? bed, and this is currently available for about £170, which I think is a bargain if you feel like spoiling yourself. There are a number of other types of rooms, including Sleigh Bed suites, and Four Poster rooms. The furniture in our room was very elaborate and ornate, in hand carved wood. We had a TV and a CD player, which I always think is a nice touch in a hotel room, (although I forgot to bring any CD?s down with me). The TV package included some digital channels, and complimentary movies. The windows were dressed elaborately with wooden Venetian blinds and luxurious drapes. There were also a couple of chairs and a small table. We had a small but contemporary and luxurious en-suite shower room with sensor lighting; i.e. no light switch.

In terms of refreshments, there were no tea and coffee facilities in the room itself ? but why would you want to drink coffee in your room anyway? There were a couple of bottles of spring water, and an apple was left for us each day ? meaning I only had to find four more pieces of fruit and/or vegetables to meet the daily recommendation!

The bed was extremely comfortable too, with crisp clean Egyptian c
otton bed-linen, and a sumptuous bedspread, which had the desired effect of pinning you to the bed each morning (or perhaps that was the alcohol consumption).

The room also had a safe, adequate space for storage of clothes, the much loved trouser press, and a hairdryer.

For the travelling business persons among you, the room is also equipped with a telephone point and ISDN lines, plus socket for laptops.

In general, the décor had a strong Asian influence, yet there was also a European influence and a colonial feel to some of the furniture.

Breakfast
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Breakfast is served in the Brasserie, and is included in the room rates. The breakfast was a modern continental style, with an ample selection of cereals, croissants and rolls, meats, cheeses and fruits, as well as fruit juices and tea/coffee. For those with a heartier appetite, a cooked breakfast was also available at a supplement of £9.

Restaurant Services
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Tea and Coffee were available 24 hours a day in the Brasserie, and they were complimentary. The restaurant menu was quite simple, with about four or five choice of main course, including vegetarian choices. It was competitively priced, and included pre theatre options at £10 for a two course meal. We did not sample dinner in the restaurant however, as we met up with friends and family each evening.

Other Information
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The hotel locks the front door at midnight each night, however there is a 24 hour concierge/porter, and if you arrive home after that time (and if not, why not?), then you simply show him your room key.

Payment can be made by the usual credit cards, and also with Amex/Diners.

The hotel is classed as a Four Star Townhouse Hotel by the English Tourism Council, and is recommended by Johansens, as well as appearances in Good Hotel Guides such as Which for 2002 and 2003.

The hotel itself is relat
ively new, perhaps a year or two old, and won an award last year for the best Newcomer to the London hotel scene. I believe the rates are competitive at the moment as they establish their customer base, and great rates can be enjoyed throughout March and April. Reservation requests can be made via the website.

In summary, I think this hotel was a great place to rest our weary legs after a tough few days as tourists in London. Take a quick trip to the website, and I am quite sure you will want to stay here next time you need a bed in the capital. Recommended.

Helen Bradshaw

March 2003

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