Disclaimer: The Royal Lancaster Hotel was nice enough to offer me a free stay in exchange for an honest review of their properties! This article is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
If you follow my Instagram (I’m assuming that’s how you found me), you’ll know that I am currently traveling across Europe! My first stop was London, UK as that’s where my direct flight from Vancouver took me. Although I was only in London for a day and a half, I was super glad I got to experience London and explore the city a little bit.
If you don’t already, make sure you follow my YouTube as well so you don’t miss my London vlog!
The Royal Lancaster Hotel
While I was in London, I stayed at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on top of Hyde Park. It was the perfect location for me as I needed to be near Mayfair where Joel’s family was hosting most of their events.
The hotel is also incredibly close to Lancaster Gate subway station which means it’s super easy for you to access any part of the city. I absolutely loved my stay at the Royal Lancaster so I wanted to share my experience with you!
The Room
We stayed in one of their Executive Rooms which overlooks the city and Hyde Park. Our room had a king-sized bed, a seating area, a workspace, and a beautiful marble bathroom. It was definitely a large room for just the two of us but it made our stay exceptionally serene and amazing.
Check-In/Check Out
The lobby of The Royal Lancaster was absolutely beautiful. This hotel is definitely my aesthetic through and through. Beautiful wood finishes, gold touches, and hints of blue in the fabrics and furniture—it was truly super well designed and beautiful to look at.
When you walk into the lobby, there is a small reception desk where the staff is super friendly and happy to help. Their concierge was also amazing as well. They were able to provide us all the information we needed, book us taxis at a moment’s notice, and even offered to take our photo while were wandering around the hotel.
Both our check-in and check out process was super smooth and I was impressed with the service and how streamlined everything was.
Dining / Drinks
The Royal Lancaster has a pretty great selection of lounges, restaurants, and cafes on their roster. We only had time to try out a few of their establishments but everything we tried was great.
Whether you’re looking for Asian or western, they have a great selection of restaurants to serve all your cravings.
- Island Grill
- Nipa Thai
- Afternoon Tea
- Park Restaurant
- Hyde Cafe
- Park Lounge Bar
Hyde Cafe
We definitely made use of their lobby cafe, the Hyde Cafe. They serve delicious pastries (croissants all day, every day) as well as amazing coffee and other beverages. Loved stopping here for a coffee before we left the hotel for our day.
Island Grill
The Island Grill is the Royal Lancaster Hotel’s casual fine-dining bar and grill. The interior was actually quite warm and lovely, and it felt like it would be a great place for a gathering with friends, a casual business dinner, or even dinner with your family.
Photo from Hungry City Hippy
We went at night so the vibe was quite different from the photo above, and overall we really enjoyed our meal and experience.
We each ordered an appetizer and an entree. Joel got a salad to start and the steak for his main course, and I got the scallops and short rib. We both really enjoyed our meals, and would totally recommend eating here if you’re staying at the hotel and want a fuss-free meal.
Park Restaurant
On our last morning, we had breakfast at the Park Restaurant. There’s a morning buffet offered every morning but we skipped on the buffet and decided to order a la carte. Joel got the waffles, which he absolutely loved (said they were perfectly fluffy and very well done) and I got the eggs benedict.
I like to tell people I always order eggs benedicts for breakfast no matter where I go, so I can accurately compare restaurants to each other… but I actually just really like to eat them. The eggs benedict was quite well done here though! They used shaved ham, which sometimes can be a little salty for my taste, but was quite perfect for this meal. Their hollandaise sauce was very tasty as well and the texture was perfect!
Amenities
The hotel has many amenities that, unfortunately, we didn’t have time to enjoy on this trip.
These include
- Gym
- In-Room Spa Treatments
- Blow-Drying Services
You also have discounted access to the facilities of their sister properties, the Landmark London and K West.
Hotels or Airbnbs?
As someone who doesn’t often stay in hotels, I actually really enjoyed my time at the Royal Lancaster! I usually choose Airbnbs over hotels as the prices are usually much lower. However, staying at the Royal Lancaster definitely reminded me why sometimes hotels are the better choice.
The excellent service, help with our bags, and even directions around the city and cab-calling were all super useful in a foreign city. Not to mention having the option of on-property dining as well as the use of the gym… These are all things I wouldn’t have access to if I had stayed at an Airbnb.
What do you think? Do you prefer the do-it-yourself way and staying in an Airbnb at a lower cost? Or are you someone who thinks that the additional services and amenities at a hotel are worth it?
