Our Review Of The Conrad London St James

We don’t typically stay in London due to our close proximity to the city but when we needed a night’s stay at short notice we decided to take a look at what Hilton properties were available as we have a huge surplus of Hilton points. After a brief look, we settled on The Conrad London St James as it is well located & reviewed online. We booked in for a night at the cost of 80,000 Hilton points at around 6 pm that same night. Our Diamond status with Hilton means breakfast was included for free.

Location

The hotel is located across the road from St James’s Park Underground station and is only a short walk away from many of London’s attractions e.g. Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and St James’s Park. You are also only a short walk from Westminster Underground station with links to Oxford Street & many other destinations. Despite how well located it is it still manages to be relatively quiet for a central London location!

Conrad London St James

Immediately as you walk into the hotel you’ll notice a small lounge on the left & the concierge & check-in desks on the right-hand side. We had checked in already on our phone but went to the front desk to collect a keycard. The service was quick and friendly with someone opening a new desk for us. Whilst our status was recognised we found it odd that they didn’t mention they had upgraded us! We were asked if we wanted any luggage brought to the room and left a heavy bag at the desk to be brought up. Within 5 minutes of arrival to the room, a friendly member of staff knocked at the door with our bag.

Once you’ve checked in (or if you’ve already checked in!) head down the corridor opposite the front desk. This will take you past a bar/lounge area on the right, if you continue straight ahead you’ll see the elevators on the right. Immediately ahead of this is the entrance to The Pem where breakfast was being served.

The Room

Literally, 5 minutes after booking we noticed (on our ride to the hotel) that we had been upgraded from the entry-level King Superior to a King Executive Room with lounge access. As you enter the room the bathroom is directly opposite with a sliding door. To the right is a mirror & stool and to the left is the main bedroom.

As you enter the main bedroom you have the wardrobe & desk on the left (including tea making facilities & mini bar with water in.) In the middle of the room is the bed and opposite that in a glass unit the TV. Near this, you have a small table & chair. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a view outside the window and is just the other side of the building (so no photo!)

The Bathroom

The bathroom is a good size for a central London hotel. On the left, you have the mirror/sink (with Mason & Miller toiletries & Shanghai Tang face soap), directly in front of you is the bath and to the right is a large and very good rainforest shower. In between the bath and shower on the right, you have the toilet.

The Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge is located on the 1st floor of the hotel, to the left as you exit the lifts. Due to COVID, the only service offered is evening canapes and drinks between 5.30 – 7.30 pm (no afternoon tea 🙁 ). If you haven’t had evening canapes & drinks before it basically consists of sparkling wine, spirits, beer & soft drinks & a variety of ‘small bites’. We only managed to catch the tail end of the evening canapes & on arrival was seated by a staff member. Here she took our drink order & asked if we wanted any canapes (we requested a Gluten-Free option.) These were made to order due to an allergy and were pleasant.

If you aren’t visiting during evening canapes you only have the selection of soft & hot drinks available self-service. The space is a great place to relax and was relatively quiet during all our visits.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served downstairs in The Pem which is located on the ground floor to the right as you exit the lifts. As diamond members is free. If you don’t have breakfast included it will set you back a chunky £35 a person.

The breakfast at the Conrad London St James is one of the best and most extensive ones that we’ve had. The offering included cooked items such as bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, among other hot dishes. Alongside this, you have an excellent spread of cold meats, cheeses, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, salad, cereals, yoghurts, pastries and fresh bread! There was also a range of fresh juices & smoothies. If that wasn’t enough there is also an a la carte menu you can order from which includes omlettes, eggs cooked to your liking & avocado on toast (my choice in Gluten-Free.)

Late check-out at the Conrad London St James

We were given one of the most generous late check-outs we’ve ever had from Hilton here. The normal check-out time is midday (12pm) but we were able to stay until 3.30 pm on request.

Conrad London St James Conclusion

We enjoyed our stay at the Conrad London St James and would certainly return if we stayed in London again. Its location, friendly service, and great breakfast made for a great stay and ticked all of our boxes. We paid 80,000 Hilton Points for our 1-night stay. Cash rates start from around £225 a night. For more details and booking see the website here – https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/loncoci-conrad-london-st-james