Strand Palace Hotel London Review: Is the Executive King Room Worth It?

Why I Booked the Strand Palace Hotel

I was staying up in London for a work event, so I wanted to find a hotel that was close by because I had an early start.

I searched for ages, as always, on all the booking sites and ended up finding a really good deal for a stay at the Strand Palace Hotel.

Such a good deal, in fact, that I was able to book the Executive King room, which the week before had been showing at £600 a night. So I was pretty chuffed to get it at less than half of that.

I discovered that there were a few slight negatives about the room once I got there, but overall it was a really good-value stay in a great location.

So let’s get into the details.

Checking In at the Strand Palace Hotel

First of all, I arrived an hour later than the check-in time because I had so much to get done the day before.

I arrived at almost 4 o’clock, and the room still wasn’t ready.

The self check-in didn’t work, and then the room wasn’t ready, so I had to wait a bit, which was disappointing seeing as I was already an hour past the time when it should have been ready.

The lady behind the desk was very helpful, though, and once I had got checked in, the room was very pleasant.

My Executive King Room at the Strand Palace

The room was a good size, with an enormous bed.

I think it was actually two singles pushed together, or potentially two doubles. It was big, but perfectly comfortable.

There was a shower in the bathroom, but no bath, which was fine for me.

There was a separate seating area with a little table, which is always nice to work at, plus a fridge and air conditioning, which are pretty much essentials these days.

Overall, it was a good-sized, perfectly pleasant room.

The View From Our Executive King Room

I’d paid extra to have a room with a view, and the view was great.

It was opposite the Savoy Theatre, so you could see the Paddington sign and the entrance to the Savoy Hotel, which is on my bucket list.

It was a very busy road, as you can imagine, with people constantly going in and out and dropping off. I liked to imagine celebrities arriving and leaving, that kind of thing!

However, one point I would note is that the windows themselves are a good size, but they have built permanent shutters covering half of each window.

So what would have been a really fantastic view was restricted through choice, which I thought was very odd when you’re charging extra for a room with a view.

That was my initial feedback on the room.

The Complimentary Minibar – A Lovely Surprise

I discovered later that the minibar was complimentary, which was a really nice surprise.

There was red and white wine, cans of soft drinks, water, a pack of cheese crumbles, some fudge and a bar of chocolate.

It was a really nice touch, and I was very grateful for that.

Apparently, this is one of the perks of booking an Executive King room, so it’s definitely worth noting.

Obviously, it’s not quite as good as the executive lounge at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Paul’s, or The Dilly, or the complimentary happy hour at the Kimpton Fitzroy, but it was a lovely unexpected extra.

I was really pleased about that.

The Hotel Facilities and Communal Areas

The hotel itself is perfectly nice, and the staff are friendly.

The lobby and communal areas were nicely decorated, with lots of iconic London touches, like a red phone box in reception.

It definitely felt like it was appealing to tourists and being marketed towards them, but that’s not surprising considering the location.

It’s a large hotel, and it was absolutely heaving when I stayed.

I think that’s partially because it’s a more affordable choice compared with some of the other hotels in the immediate area.

The Lifts – Something to Bear in Mind

Although there are lots of lifts, they were incredibly delayed.

You ended up having to take the stairs.

I was on the fifth floor, so that was fine without my case, but going up and down with my luggage was quite inconvenient because it was such a long way.

It’s definitely something to bear in mind.

If you can avoid travelling around the hotel at peak times, that would be ideal because you’ll have fewer delays waiting for the lifts.

Breakfast at the Strand Palace Hotel

I’d actually booked breakfast when I got there because you can get a reduced rate if you book the night before rather than just walking up on the day.

However, I ended up cancelling it in the morning.

I went along to have breakfast, and the queue snaked out of the restaurant and all the way around the hotel lobby so many times that there was just no way I would have been able to make it to my meeting on time.

So I had to cancel breakfast, which was a shame.

If you’re planning on having breakfast, I’d recommend going really early or really late and avoiding the 8am rush.

I spoke to the staff behind the desk, and they said that’s quite a common occurrence in the mornings, so it’s definitely a frequent issue.

An Alternative Breakfast on the Strand

I’d recommend just walking down the Strand to Gail’s instead.

I went down and got a coffee and a cheese scone for about £7, I think, which was half the price of the hotel breakfast.

It’s a pleasant walk, too.

So that’s something to bear in mind if you don’t fancy waiting in a long queue.

Checking Out – Another Busy Period

Checkout was similar to breakfast, with a big queue when it came to leaving.

It’s definitely worth bearing in mind how busy this hotel gets and planning your movements around that if possible.

Particularly if you’re staying for work or have somewhere you need to be at a specific time.

The Little Details – What Was Missing?

Overall, the room was perfectly adequate, and I slept really well.

However, I would say it’s definitely a fairly no-frills room, particularly considering I was staying in an Executive King.

There were no dressing gowns, which is always a shame because it’s nice to have a white fluffy robe when you’re checked in for the evening, particularly if you’re staying in and you’ve got work the next day, like I normally have.

There were also no flannels or face cloths.

They did have Rituals toiletries, including hand soap and shampoo, which was nice.

There was no fresh milk either, just UHT.

But it’s only marketed as a four-star hotel, so these things weren’t a big disappointment.

And as I say, it was much more competitively priced than other hotels in the immediate area.

Overall Verdict – Would I Recommend the Strand Palace Hotel?

Yes! Overall, it was a good hotel and a nice stay.

I slept really well, the room was perfectly adequate, and I got it for a really good price.

The complimentary minibar was a lovely surprise, and the view, albeit restricted, was good.

The location is fantastic, and the staff were friendly.

The main negatives were the delays checking in, the very busy lifts and the enormous breakfast queues.

But if you can plan around those busy periods, it’s a perfectly pleasant place to stay.

I would return, and I would recommend getting the Executive King room if you can because of the extra perks.

Particularly if you manage to find a good deal, as I did.