After a relaxing flight from New York, and a hearty breakfast in the Concorde Room in Terminal 5 of the London hub, we arrived at the JW Marriott London Grosvenor House, where we had booked a two-night stay, late in the morning after a terrible traffic jam.
Booking
I made a reservation in this property several weeks before our arrival, initially for a paid stay which I quickly converted into points, and used a Suite Night Award to secure an upgrade to an executive suite.
At the same time, I contacted my Personal Ambassador to request the use of Your24, the service that allows Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador members to secure an early check-in time before the hotel’s theoretically scheduled check-in time.
I requested an early check-in time of 10 a.m., which was initially confirmed, but with the proviso that I would not be upgraded… A first!
Five days before my arrival at the hotel, the Suite Night Award was confirmed in the highest suite available. We’ll see if what happenned with my Your24 request…
Arrival
We arrived at the hotel shortly after 11:30 a.m., after more than an hour in our Uber from London Heathrow. Our luggage was immediately taken care of by a valet, who handed us a voucher to give to the receptionist when we checked in. After a few seconds of patience, we were quickly taken care of by a receptionist who carried out the check-in procedure. She confirmed our upgrade to the Executive Suite, but told us that it was not yet ready. I asked about the Your24 request, and the receptionist requested me to provide the confirmation e-mail, but pointed out that as the request was made for a standard room and the SNA had been accepted by the hotel, the Your24 request is a bit out of the question. What a shame!
Nevertheless, the receptionist told us that our suite had been vacated already and that housekeeping would give it priority.
Never mind, she suggested us to freshen up in the Executive Lounge, which agreed for a quick coffee before heading out on town.
When the room was ready, we received an SMS telling us that we could return to reception to collect our access card. Our luggage was dispatched immediately.
Suite
Our suite was located on the 5th floor of the hotel, at one end of the corridor.
The corridors leading to the rooms are very narrow, reminiscent of a cruise ship.
The door opened onto a wide vestibule, with a large closet to the right and a drawer cupboard containing the safe.
The closet was well equipped with hangers, an umbrella, an iron and ironing board, and an extra bathrobe.
The first bathroom, with toilet and washbasin, was an extension of the closet. Bvlagri toiletries were of excellent quality.
The corridor bended slightly to the right to face the entrance to the bedroom itself, which opened onto a quiet street. It was equipped with a very comfortable king-size bed, facing the TV set. An armchair and small coffee table were available to the right of the bed.
To the left of this corridor was the bathroom, which was actually quite small, with a shower of decent pressure, a Japanese toilet and a basin, but with little space for toiletries. Here too, Bvlgari brand products were available in large bottles in the shower.
Finally, to the right of the corridor, a good-sized lounge was available, with a desk for working, a Nespresso machine and its capsules, and some cookies.
Finally, a sofa and armchairs and a coffee table, on which a welcome gift was placed during the first afternoon of our stay, and which faced a large TV.
All in all, a pleasant, calm space.
Finally, the virtual tour:
Hotel facilities
The hotel is equipped with a fitness room, located on the second floor of the hotel.
Gym
The gym is very well equipped, with the latest equipment. We used it on one of the mornings of our stay.
Catering
As the hotel is very large, there are several catering outlets within the hotel. However, as we have a lot of activities planned, we’ll only be making a few visits to the Executive Lounge, which was very pleasant.
Executive Lounge – Breakfast service
On both mornings of our stay, we had breakfast in the Executive Lounge, located on the first floor of the hotel opposite reception.
Reception is available at all times of the day and is extremely pleasant.
On weekdays, breakfast is served from 6.30am to 10.30am, and from 7am to 11am on weekends.
The space is very pleasant, with a number of individual and communal tables, as well as lounging areas.
For a lounge, the food and beverage offer is perfect and replaces a real breakfast, undoubtedly more varied in the restaurant, but not at the same price.
The hot buffet offered a traditional English breakfast, and the cold buffet charcuterie and cheeses were of acceptable quality. To my delight, smoked salmon was offered.
Hot drinks were served on espresso machines, which provide good-quality coffee.
Excellent pressed juices were also available.
Executive Lounge – Afternoon Tea
The afternoon tea offer, though limited, is worth mentioning. It includes scones and clotted cream, as well as sweets of all kinds.
Executive Lounge – Happy Hour and Light Dinner
In the evening, a selection of hot dishes and salads are served.
It was tasty if not exceptional, and in any case goes well with the wines and beers.
Service
Service was very good at this property, but Elite recognition was limited, as evidenced by the check-in experience.
Departure
Check-out formalities were very simple , but I had to claim the bill via the Marriott Bonvoy app chat. Funnily enough, it was the invoice sent to Marriott to compensate for the use of points that was forwarded to me. I was able to see very clearly at what level the hotel was compensated.
Bottom Line
A solid stay, provided you are not expecting the extra mile traditionally offered in Europe. Here, no GM welcome note, no special personalization. A far cry from what you’d expect from a luxury hotel.
Itinerary
As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:
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