Review: The Washington Mayfair Hotel (London)

The Mayfair area of Central London is quite an expensive neighborhood of London. Boarding Hyde Park, it's a desirable location that houses multiple upscale hotels, including the Washington Mayfair.

I had the chance for an extended stay at the hotel while on vacation in London and got to really know the staff and area.

Booking

The main part of my booking was a part of a larger group rate that I was staying with, however I had some additional days that I stayed on the end of the group rate that I booked directly with the hotel. The 4-star hotel commands a premium for being in quite the upscale neighborhood and due to its proximity to surrounding embassies, is very popular with those traveling groups.

For the tree extra nights that I added to my stay, I paid a whopping £230 per night.

Location

Nothing beats the location of the hotel. Being in the Mayfair area, it is surrounded by embassies, high-end shopping, Hyde Park, and Buckingham Palace is just a short walk through the park.

The London Underground station is just a block away and gives easy access to all the surrounding attractions and is easy to connect to the much larger Transport for London system.

Check-In

The lobby area is warm and welcoming with detailed molding, large couches, and every inch is decorated to posh standards. Check-in was easy and the hotel happens to be a part of WorldHotels, which also owns BestWestern. Sadly, my Diamond Select status did not gain me any upgrades here, but the staff was warm and welcoming.

I suspect that I was not given any complimentary upgrades due to the group rate that I was traveling with, but breakfast was included.

The Room

I was booking into a "Classic Double Room" which is what most of the hotel consists of. My room and another room that I got to see are all pretty well-used when it comes to the furniture. The desks and chairs are pretty badly scuffed, and the drawers for storing clothes are barely holding on. The rooms could very much use a refurbishment.

On top of that, the "classic" rooms are very bare with wall decorations and style. Only when you get to the deluxe rooms do the wall decor and furnishings get better. It's clear that if you pay for the basic room, you get a very basic room.

That being said, the bathroom was spotless and had all modern fittings. Best yet, the water pressure was strong!

Food

There is an onsite bar and restaurant serving breakfast and dinner only. Each morning the breakfast was buffet style and served everything in a Full English as well as additional options like cereal and fruits.

Dinner each night was quite busy, there was quite the line of waiting guests and the small dining area was full of what looked like hotel patrons and representatives from the nearby embassies meeting others staying in the hotel.

Service

The bellhop desk was right at the entrance to the hotel and everyday they would greet guests to the hotel and always looked like they were eager to help those arriving with luggage or helping those who might need a hand. On multiple occasions when it was raining in London, shocker there, they were freely handing out umbrellas to guests to use which is a nice touch.

While I did not order room service, I did send my clothes away for cleaning during my two-week stay. Their service is next day if dropped off before 5PM, and while it might have been cheaper to find a laundromat in the area, it was reasonable enough for a one time cost during an extended stay. I mostly sent away t-shirts and undergarments for an average of between £1 and £3 per item of clothing. If you like to travel light like me, being able to do a mid-trip washing is essential.

Final Thoughts

While there are many hotels in the area that you can pick from, I thought The Washington Mayfair was a very good hotel. While some of the furniture was well-used, the bed was comfortable, and the staff were all friendly. The location is unbeatable and compared to other hotels in the area that can cost £1000 a night, it was well priced. If I had to stay in the area again, I would probably give the JW Marriott Grosvenor House or InterContiental London Park Lane a try on a points redemption.