Do Not Disturb: Hilton London Metropole

This hotel is aptly named, being the size of a sprawling metropolis. From the outside it appears to have grown over time, expanding and merging with surrounding buildings, while the area immediately around the entrance looks like it could be from the set of a stylish Seventies Bond film. The hive-like design seems appropriate for this buzzing colony of activity.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Sep 2017, 15:02 BST
Updated 27th Sep 2017, 11:51 BST
The full glass wall in the bedroom makes the most of iconic London cityscape.The full glass wall in the bedroom makes the most of iconic London cityscape.
The full glass wall in the bedroom makes the most of iconic London cityscape.

Once through the rotating doors the foyer feels cosmopolitan and international. Staff wear name badges displaying the languages they can use to greet guests.

Comprising several buildings, meeting rooms, conference centres, events arenas, bars and restaurants, a shop and a Livingwell fitness centre with pool, it’s possible to make yourself completely at home here and live like a sheikh – there’s the first cash machine I’ve seen that initially offers denominations in the hundreds.

Budget or boutique?

From the outsidek, the Hilton London Metropole appears to have grown over time, expanding and merging with surrounding buildings.From the outsidek, the Hilton London Metropole appears to have grown over time, expanding and merging with surrounding buildings.
From the outsidek, the Hilton London Metropole appears to have grown over time, expanding and merging with surrounding buildings.
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Neither. Hilton is a luxury international brand and guests can expect to be “cared for, valued and respected”. Though the interior decor is such that you could be staying anywhere in the world, the skyline view from our bedroom, and from the 23rd floor of the Tower, open between 5pm and 3am, leaves you in no doubt what capital city you’re in.

Room service

Our family room is long and narrow with two beds, each of which could comfortably accommodate all three of us, and a generous seating area with a second TV and work area, but what takes our breath away is the full glass wall which makes the most of iconic London cityscape.

The only surprise was the fairly basic bathroom with an over-bath shower which wouldn’t suit everyone.

From the outsidek, the Hilton London Metropole appears to have grown over time, expanding and merging with surrounding buildings.From the outsidek, the Hilton London Metropole appears to have grown over time, expanding and merging with surrounding buildings.
From the outsidek, the Hilton London Metropole appears to have grown over time, expanding and merging with surrounding buildings.

There’s an in–room menu – which you may wish to use if you like a relaxed breakfast – and all the standard facilities; TV, tea/coffee kettle, hairdryer, iron, toiletries, mini-bar and free wi-fi.

Wining and dining

Breakfast is a bustling buffet with just about every food you could possibly need to fuel a busy sightseeing day – yoghurts, fruit, cereals, continental cheese and meats, full cooked breakfast items, pastries and made to order omelettes.

For evening meals there are several restaurants and bars within the hotel to chose from. We enjoyed a family-friendly dinner in Fiamma which serves deliciously fresh dishes with a Mediterranean flavour – think seafood, risotto, pizza, pasta, salads and meats from the stove and grill. There’s a sports bar and also a whisky lounge, which offers more than 70 varieties (there’s even a specialist on hand to provide tailored suggestions).

Worth getting out of bed for

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Opening the curtains and watching London come to life is never boring.

The hotel is next to Edgware Road tube station so the whole city is easily accessible. Marble Arch is just a few minutes’ walk away past a plethora of aromatic Lebanese restaurants. The Sherlock Homes museum at 221B Baker Street is a ten minute walk away and is just around the corner from Madame Tussauds, which has an immersive Sherlock experience where enthusiastic young actors bring the past to life.

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Keen detectives would also enjoy Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap in St Martin’s Theatre, the longest running play in the world and which opened in the West End in 1952. Bookable up to 2019 the show is set to continue for a while to come.

Little extras

The Metropole is easy to get to for Scots train travellers arriving in Kings Cross, being just four stops away on the Circle or Hammersmith and City underground lines.

Guestbook comments

All the staff we encountered were friendly and efficient –maintaining hospitality can be no small task in a hotel of this magnitude.

If you have vertigo be sure to request a low floor.

Pamela Moffat

Rooms from £159 inc vat, bed and breakfast. Hilton London Metropole, 225 Edgware Road, London W2 1JU.

Tel 0207 402 4141

Related topics:LondonBudget