JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Other Facilities
The JW Marriott Grosvenor House London boasts a variety of excellent dining options. However, it’s also in the heart of Mayfair, which is also a short tube right from all the diverse restaurants which make London one of the crown jewels of global cuisine. I therefore decided to skip on the Starbucks found next to the lobby.
The lobby also boasted some luxury shopping opportunities, which were the kind of store where if you have to ask for the price of items, you probably can’t afford them. Needless to say, my shopping was of the strictly window variety.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Luxury shopsJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Luxury goods
Grosvenor House is famed for its separate ballroom, which hosted an awards show during my stay, but it was closed to the public so I never got to take a peak inside.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Ballroom entrance
There was also a tiny fitness centre, but it was apparently closed or undergoing some kind of repairs during my stay, so I never was able to see inside.
Check-in at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Park Lane
Check-in at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Park Lane
The hotel lobby has a strange configuration and there are entrances on both sides. If you have luggage I would advise using the Park Street entrance as otherwise there are steps up to reception from the Park Lane entrance.
Starbucks in the lobby
Although it was an odd layout, the reception generally looked quite smart. There was quite a queue for the reception and there was a “queue monitor” who seemed to just be there to apologise for the wait and stop people jumping the queue. Surely she should have been behind the desk helping reduce the queue? When I eventually reached the desk they were helpful and explained all my benefits and where the lounge was.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Park Lane Lobby
Удобства
Вход во двор со стороны Парковой улицы.
Grosvenor House был первым отелем в Лондоне, в котором была отдельная ванная комната и вестибюль для каждой комнаты, а в каждой ванной комнате была холодная водопроводная вода. Когда отель открылся, в нем также располагался Международный клуб спортсменов , в состав которого входили турецкие бани, бассейн, корты для сквоша и тренажерный зал.
В отель есть пешеходный вход с Парк-лейн , но это не главный вход, который находится на Парк-стрит. Официальный адрес отеля: Park Lane, 86–90. ]
Ричард Корриган арендует помещения в отеле и владеет рестораном Corrigan’s Mayfair . ]
История
Отель Grosvenor House на открытке 1920-х годов.
Отель Grosvenor House был построен в 1920-х годах и открыт в 1929 году на месте бывшего Grosvenor House , бывшей лондонской резиденции герцога и герцогини Вестминстерских , фамилия которых была Гросвенор. Своим существованием отель обязан Альберту Октавиусу Эдвардсу, который задумал и построил его, а позже руководил им в течение десяти лет. ]
Ключом к истории отеля был А. Х. Джонс, который работал на Эдвардса в Донкастере . В январе 1929 года, через шесть месяцев после завершения строительства первого многоквартирного дома и за шесть месяцев до завершения строительства отеля, Эдвардс нанял Джонса в Grosvenor House бухгалтером. В 1936 году, в возрасте 29 лет, Джонс стал генеральным директором Grosvenor House. За исключением военных лет, когда он служил в Королевской артиллерии и NAAFI , Джонс занимал эту должность до выхода на пенсию в 1965 году. ]
Строительство отеля не было окончательно завершено до 1950-х годов, потому что Бруно, барон Шредер, который купил в аренду дом 35 на Парк-стрит примерно в 1910 году, отказался отдать его Эдвардсу. Шредер оставался в доме до своей смерти в 1940 году, а разрешение на снос здания было наконец предоставлено в 1956 году. Дом был заменен пристройкой на 92 комнаты, которая была открыта в 1957 году канцлером казначейства Питером Торникрофтом . ]
Grosvenor House удалось провести «хорошую» Вторую мировую войну . Десять тысяч мешков с песком и пять миль пенопласта защитили здание, а его развлекательные помещения использовались во время военных действий. Сначала Большой зал стал домом для Воскресного клуба офицеров, а затем, в 1943 году, для столовой американских офицеров. Генералы Дуайт Д. Эйзенхауэр и Джордж С. Паттон были постоянными посетителями отеля. ]
Отель прошел четырехлетний ремонт и реставрацию стоимостью 142 миллиона фунтов стерлингов и вновь открылся в 2008 году. Все номера, рестораны, медицинские учреждения и общественные места были полностью отремонтированы. Большой зал , бальный зал , зал суда , рестораны, бары, конференц-залы и 494 зала могут вместить в общей сложности более шести тысяч человек. ]
В 2010 году индийский конгломерат Sahara India Pariwar купил отель у Королевского банка Шотландии за 470 миллионов фунтов стерлингов. Sahara India Pariwar также владела контрольным пакетом акций знаменитого отеля Plaza в Нью-Йорке с 2012 по 2018 год. ]
Grosvenor House управляется брендом JW Marriott Hotels , принадлежащим Marriott International . Отель стал ареной протестов в 2017 году, когда в нем проходило ежегодное собрание ADS Group , ассоциации, представляющей военную промышленность . Демонстранты собрались возле отеля и держали транспаранты, протестуя против роли некоторых членов ADS в вооружении Саудовской Аравии во время ее нападения на Йемен . ]
В апреле 2017 года Sahara India Pariwar отклонила предложение о покупке отеля стоимостью более 600 миллионов фунтов стерлингов от британских миллиардеров Дэвида и Фредерика Барклаев , прежде чем в конечном итоге продать его Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation за нераскрытую сумму. В ноябре 2018 года было объявлено, что Katara Hospitality (принадлежащая Катарскому инвестиционному управлению ) должна приобрести отель за нераскрытую сумму. ]
Conclusion
Out of the hotels I have stayed in on Park Lane this was my favourite. The rooms were modern and looked recently updated, also it felt like you got more space for your money than at the other hotels. I paid for my room with points at 60,000 per night and thought this was reasonable value. As it was near Christmas prices were around £350 a night upwards. The Club lounge was an inviting space to spend time although it was busy and I would be interested to see next time what was available in the evening.
If you don’t have high status in Marriott and want to get free perks such as breakfast you should book through a Marriott agent such as our partners Debonair. You still earn Marriott points plus you will get:
- Early check in/late check out, based on availability
- Complimentary breakfast for 2, per room
- $100 Credit
You can find more details and prices on the JW Marriott Grosvenor House here.
Большая комната
Большой зал (который отличается от бального зала ) является местом проведения многих крупных премий, таких как The Asian Awards и Pride of Britain Awards , благотворительных танцев и подобных мероприятий, и его часто показывают по британскому телевидению. С 1930-х годов здесь проводится старейший в мире благотворительный бал, Королевский каледонский бал , и это один из крупнейших бальных залов в Европе с максимальной вместимостью две тысячи сидячих мест (двести столов на десять человек) или одиннадцать сотен в театральном стиле. .
Хотя в настоящее время Большой зал не используется как таковой, изначально он был построен как каток , и сегодня большая часть оборудования простаивает под землей. В 1933 году принцесса Елизавета, будущая королева Елизавета II , научилась кататься на коньках в отеле, когда ей было всего семь лет. На этом катке часто демонстрировали свое мастерство Соня Хени , Сесилия Колледж и другие известные фигуристки. Там проводились международные хоккейные матчи, а недавно сформированная канадская хоккейная команда Grosvenor House, состоящая из канадцев, живущих в Лондоне, сыграла на катке с Хоккейным клубом Королевы , что стало первым в серии игр против команд из Великобритании. и Европейский континент.
Предвидя конкуренцию со стороны других катков, в 1935 году он был преобразован в банкетный зал площадью 20 000 квадратных футов. Здесь проводились вечеринки, гала-концерты, церемонии награждения, обеды и танцы в связи с некоторыми из наиболее значимых национальных событий и праздников. ]
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Check-in
My friend and I were greeted from the doors of our minicab by uniformed staff who helped us with our bags. This was excellent, and the hotel clearly had a lot of ancillary staff to support guest needs.
The entrance also impressed with its granite Victorian crenellations. The supercars casually parked in the valet section gave an idea as to the calibre of clientele.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – ExteriorJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – EntranceJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Valet parking and entrance
The lobby area was equally grandiose, where marble, brass, and amber light combined to make the guest feel as if they’d just walked into one of the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And the lounge chairs were plushy and genteel enough for Holmes and Watson, too.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Lobby loungeJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Lobby lounge
Next was a cursory stop at the front desk, where I was thanked for my Titanium status and offered the choice of 1,000 points or a $10 (USD) food and beverage voucher. I went for the voucher, and was also informed I had access to the Executive Lounge for breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening canapés (more on those later).
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Check-in desks
I took the keys and went up the delightfully retro elevators to the Superior Twin Room.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Elevators
I do need to raise a small gripe with the settling of my bill. As part of my booking, I had to pay £90 ($150 CAD) to upgrade to a Superior Twin Room.
I opted to pay via a Marriott gift card due because of their ease of acquisition via constant promotions, which the front desk photocopied.
However, the hotel didn’t charge my gift card for over a month and a half after I checked out. Even when they did charge the card, they had no record of the charges and weren’t able to provide me with an itemized receipt on request.
I understand that Marriott’s IT isn’t always the best, and that some confusion may have arisen with the gift card situation, but this felt a bit sloppy.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge
My favourite part of my stay was the Executive Lounge because it provided a genuinely premium experience for elite members. The décor, the seating, and the fare were all at excellent standards, though maybe not as extravagant as what one might see in East Asia or Gulf countries. The opening hours were generous, too.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge invitationJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge entranceJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge check-in desk
As the lounge is accessible via key-card, I never encountered a lounge attendant checking for access requirements. Seating was plush and plentiful, and both were needed because of how full the lounge became with the business and diplomatic travellers who frequent the hotel.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge entrance & seatingJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge seating
I went to the lounge for two meals: breakfast and evening canapés. While afternoon tea was also available, I was always about the town when it was served so can’t comment on its quality.
The breakfast and light supper, however, were both fantastic and the menu rotated each night so it was impossible to get bored or sick of the options.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge evening canapésJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge evening canapés
During dinner service, there were also free alcoholic beverages on demand from various beverage fridges, which helped keep costs down in a district as expensive as Mayfair.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge wine selectionJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Executive Lounge beverage fridge
Of the two meals, the breakfast was much stronger. Not only was there a wider selection of fresh pastries, fruits, and hot foods, but there were also more staff present at breakfast to keep the lounge neat and tidy.
Overall, the lounge was the best part of the hotel, and definitely made me feel like the hotel was able to execute with some of its better strengths.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Park Lane Room
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Park Lane Bedroom
I was not given an upgrade as they were full but I had booked a Superior King room anyway. I was pleased with the room overall. The room felt quite large and I liked the classic and elegant decor in neutral grey shades. As you entered the room there was a large bench to put your case on.
In the room, there was a single chair to sit on (they could have squeezed in a second), a king-size bed and a desk with a comfortable chair and power points.
There were the usual bathrobes, iron, ironing board etc but I was disappointed to just have a bog-standard kettle instead of a proper coffee machine. It did at least come with some biscuits and hot chocolate as well as the usual teas and coffees.
The bathroom was large and nicely finished in grey marble. The shower was large but a bit disappointing with just a standard shower head.
There was a single sink but plenty of storage around it for your toiletries.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Park Lane Shower Room
The toiletries were the standard Aromatherapy Associates ones which I am a fan of. As well as those there were also plenty of other amenities including rather strangely two glass bottles of water.
Naturally, bathrobes and slippers were provided along with the usual iron and ironing board.
My room had no view but generally, this doesn’t bother me in city hotels as long as the room is quiet. It was. The bed was also very comfortable with good quality linens.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Location
The JW Marriott Grosvenor House London is located in a historic building, Grosvenor House, located right off the street from the eponymous Grosvenor Square. The area is a centre of commercial and diplomatic life in downtown London.
More London Hotels
Mayfair is home to a variety of world-class restaurants and shopping opportunities, and is walking distance from a variety of entertainment areas which we intended to partake in.
A glance at the above map will show you a number of London’s main landmarks that are within a stone’s throw from the hotel. Most notably, right across the street from the hotel is Hyde Park, a sprawling green space in the heart of the city.
Just down the road is Buckingham Palace and its environs, which make for a nice stroll when the weather cooperates.
Marble Arch is the closest Tube station to the hotel, which gives you access to the rest of the London Underground.
Without traffic, you can get to the hotel from London Heathrow in around half an hour, although that is likely to be much longer during the day. By metro, you can reach the airport in around an hour on the Piccadilly line.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Park Lane Restaurants and bars
In the lobby was a handy Starbucks if you did not have breakfast included. The lounge bar looked rather inviting with a piano player in the evenings.
Bourbon bar
Bourbon bar
Bourbon Bar offers over 300 rare, pre-prohibition, single barrel and small batch Bourbons and knowledgeable bartenders, A series of innovative bourbon tasting flights is available including their own Jim Beam single barrel. When I was there a pianist was playing and it looked an inviting place for a drink.
Red Bar
Named for its famous red décor, the cocktail bar overlooks Hyde Park and offers speciality cocktails in a sophisticated atmosphere.
JW Steakhouse
Their signature restaurant features, steaks, fresh seafood and sides at JW Steakhouse with all-day dining including breakfast.
Afternoon tea is also available The Park Room.
Conclusion
Overall, this hotel for me felt like an exercise in why products in world-class cities often don’t feel world-class themselves. The in-house luxury shopping and restaurants offer value to many of the hotel’s price-insensitive clients, while the common areas and location are beyond reproach.
The lounge was likewise excellent and offered tasty food and beverages for those nights when one can’t be bothered to spend anything extra. Surely, in Mayfair, you might not wish to.
Unfortunately, the room was much more dated than what the hotel’s prices should have demanded. Service was also lacking, as trying to reach the front desk was often a frustrating experience.
This isn’t to reproach the staff, who were professional and courteous in all their interactions with me, but unfortunately this shows that at hotels such as this, the price of admission doesn’t always guarantee the highest standards of service. For that, I was left disappointed.
More JW Marriott Hotels
Русский бал дебютанток в Лондоне
В столице Великобритании насчитывается около 150 тысяч русскоговорящих жителей. Уже третий год подряд в Лондоне проходит Русский бал дебютанток, в котором принимают участие представительницы верхних слоёв среднего класса из русскоговорящих стран.
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Дебютантки Русского бала в отеле Grosvenor House в Лондоне.
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Комитет доктора Элизабет Смагин-Меллони отобрал шестьдесят дебютанток из около 200 девушек, подавших заявки для участия в третьем ежегодном Русском балу.
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Дебютантки справа налево по часовой стрелке: Катерина Рябов, Мария Бойко, Салтана Бектурова, Таисия Сифрина, Юлия Лихацкая, Джессика Хэйдел и английская дебютантка Хелен Уиллис.
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Дебютантки делают причёски и макияж и примеряют платья во время подготовки к балу.
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Взнос за регистрацию составляет 200 фунтов стерлингов. Целевая аудитория бала – новая социальная группа, появившаяся в столице Великобритании: амбициозные женщины с хорошим образованием, принадлежащие к верхней прослойке среднего класса, из русскоговорящих стран.
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Дебютантка отрабатывает танцевальные движения. Большая часть дебютанток – уроженки России, но также есть девушки из Украины, Литвы, Кыргызстана и даже Англии.
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Во время церемонии открытия дебютантки спустятся по роскошной лестнице и займут места в зале для полонеза, а затем исполнят ещё один танец, название которого хранится в секрете.
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Проведение Русского бала в Лондоне кажется неуместным, но для самих дебютанток он имеет большое значение.
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«Этот бал не о том, кто как выглядит. Мне не нужны дуры с длинными ногами. Но и никаких слонов! Если девушка весит 150 килограмм, то извините, но нет», – говорит Элизабет.
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Дебютантки и их партнёры по танцам на Русском балу в Лондоне в 2014 году. «Все отлично проводят время. Редко можно увидеть кого-то пьяным».
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Баронесса Джессика Хэйдел, 23 года, наполовину англичанка, наполовину русская. Джессика родилась в Поуисе в Уэльсе и переехала в Москву возрасте восьми лет. Её мать – финансовый советник в Москве, а отец живёт в Антверпене и работает в сфере страхования. Джессика работает в бутике в выставочном центре «Эрлс Корт» в Южном Кенсингтоне.
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Мария Бойко, 23 года, Новосибирск. Мария работает в PR-отделе «Газпрома». Она приехала в Лондон два года назад, чтобы продолжить образование в Вестминстерском университете. Её отец владеет инвестиционной компанией в Новосибирске.
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Юлия Лихатская, 25 лет, Киев, Украина. В настоящее время Юлия живёт в Лондоне со своим женихом Оливером и работает в компании BP. Её отец занимается строительством и сдачей в аренду коммерческой недвижимости, а мать владеет сетью мебельных салонов.
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Таисия Сифрина, 21 год, Вильнюс, Литва. Таисия приехала в Лондон 4 года назад, чтобы учиться в Университетском колледже Лондона. В настоящее время она проходит годичный курс обучения в Университете Сорбонна в Париже.
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Катерина Рябов, 18 лет, Приднестровская Молдавская Республика. Катерина уже три года живёт в Хоршеме, Западный Суссекс, со своей матерью, отчимом и сводной сестрой. Она изучает искусство и дизайн в Колледже Ричарда Коллайера.
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Салтана Бектурова, 25 лет, подающая надежды актриса из Бишкека, Кыргызстан. Салтана учится в Университете Оксфорд Брукс и ведёт фэшн-блог.
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05.11.2015
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room
One thing to remember when travelling abroad is that rooms are often a great dealer smaller than we’re used to in Canada. The Superior Twin Room was certainly no exception, and though it was sufficient to fit my friend and me, it was still a little small. The twin beds looked promising though.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room bedroomJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room bed and nightstand
The bedroom area also had a television and desk, though they were once again a tad cramped.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room desk & TV
The TV also couldn’t stream content from a smartphone like those in newer hotels are now able to do. The living area had a closet with lots of space, given the overall compactness.
It even had a branded bathrobe and free slippers for those who like their swag.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room closetJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room closet amenities
The curtains concealed the views of the interior courtyard, which was dominated by what looked to be the hotel’s HVAC system. I can’t fault the hotel for wanting some natural light, and in places where real estate is at such a premium the lack of scenery can’t be held against the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room curtainsJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room “courtyard” view
The bathroom was almost as large as the main bathroom, and featured a toilet, bidet, and a variety of yet more branded swag, all of which was appreciated. The marble and granite design made this room feel much nicer than the slightly tired bedroom.
The walk-in shower was also positively enormous.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room bathroomJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room walk-in showerJW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Superior Twin Room toilet & bidet
While the room was overall nice, albeit a bit dated, I do need to make note of a problem with service at the hotel. I tried calling the front desk from the room’s phone multiple times on different days.
I think the front desk picked up once toward the end of my stay. I also tried calling on my cellphone when the in-room phone didn’t work and also didn’t receive a response.
One evening, I couldn’t reach the front desk at about 1am after the toilet, which had serious issues, overflowed. I had to physically go downstairs to get help, whereupon service was provided much more quickly.
In such a situation, I feel that it should be followed up on by the hotel staff, but I instead had to approach a manager to address the issue. I was offered a fruit basket or bottle of wine, and was only begrudgingly offered 10,000 Bonvoy points at my suggestion when I noted my stay was ending soon.
Given the high cash rates and obscene redemption costs, this felt like short thrift given the ongoing service issues with reaching the front desk, particularly at 1am.
The accoutrements of luxury, such as uniformed footmen to take your luggage to your room, don’t really elevate the hotel experience if basic issues like plumbing aren’t dealt with before guests check in, and ignored until they physically present themselves at the front desk.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London – Booking
The booking process itself was straightforward, and as I usually do, I booked the three-night stay via the Marriott mobile app.
The cash price of the Superior Twin Room was £579 a night, or about a whopping $900 (CAD)! I instead opted to use my Bonvoy points, and due to the death of dynamic pricing managed to secure the stay for 190,000 Bonvoy points, plus a £90 ($150 CAD) co-payment option.
While this may not have been the best value for using points, the eye-watering prices for London hotels, when even a mediocre room will run £300 ($500+ CAD) per night, encouraged me to bite the bullet.
If you’re planning on booking a cash stay at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, be sure to get in touch with a qualified travel advisor with access to Marriott Luminous. You’ll pay the same as the best available refundable rate, but you’ll get a number of added perks, such as free breakfast, a $100 (USD) hotel credit, and priority for room upgrades.
Book with Prince of Travel and Marriott Luminous
Book a hotel stay with Prince of Travel through Marriott Luminous and enjoy exclusive additional benefits at no cost to you, including:
- Daily breakfast for two guests
- Room upgrade, subject to availability at check-in
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- Welcome amenity
- $100 (USD) property credit at select properties
- Third, Fourth, or Fifth Night Free at select properties