Number Sixteen

We spent two weeks in London which was our second visit. We wanted a small hotel that was stylish but that was very well run and had a concierge service. Number Sixteen filled the bill very well.

The hotel is in a very nice area of London and was only 2 1/2 blocks from the tube station that provided easy access to two lines. We were walking distance from several museums (Victoria and Albert, Natural History...) and parks. The neighborhood had excellent restaurants and clubs within walking distance. The area was was beautiful, safe, interesting and fun to walk around.

The staff at the hotel was extremely friendly and helpful. They made theater reservations for us and recommended several great restaurants. They were great with directions and just nice to chat with. They promptly handled laundry and dry cleaning needs for us as our trip required it.

The room was good sized with a very well designed, although small, marble trimmed bathroom. We had a beautiful view of the garden and it was very quiet.

The only area that could use a little tweaking was the breakfast that seemed to be a little disorganized. The staff, although cordial, had trouble providing prompt service even when we were the only ones in the room.

I would recommend this hotel without reservation for a minor splurge in London.

The staff were friendly and helpful. The rooms were really nice and kept well. The breakfast was plentiful and if you were not happy with the buffet, there were additional items available. The management were helpful with directions to attractions and were very friendly. We enjoyed our stay there and would not hesitate to go back there.

I bought a Miller Harris candle (citron citron) as a souvenir of my recent stay at Number Sixteen. The London perfumer's scent lightly wafts through the hotel premises. Now that I'm home in the States, the candle serves as a mental transport to the memory of a delightful stay at one of the best hotels I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. However, I'd much rather be at Number Sixteen in person.

Without exception, the staff members were friendly, helpful, super competent, and polite. Our room was comfortable, quiet, and beautifully decorated. The bathroom was small to the point of comical, requiring some crab-walking to get from shower to sink, but I decided it was a minor (very clean, nicely appointed) inconvenience compared to the wonderful benefits provided by a stay at this place.

There's no restaurant, but the room service menu provides ample choices to assuage hunger. My daughter and I enjoyed excellent grilled sandwiches and drinks in the hotel library one night after a day fighting crowds and never once considered London's multitude of glittering dining options a better choice. Breakfasts are served in a conservatory that opens onto a verdant courtyard garden, dotted with white geraniums and red rose standards and cloistered by leafy, arching branches overhead. I enjoyed warm, soft-boiled eggs; perfectly-cooked bacon; toast, and a bottomless teacup while contemplating that peaceful view. I should have asked where to buy that tasty marmalade; I could use another sensory memory prompt to help satisfy my desire to return to Number Sixteen.