The Mandeville

Just returned from London. We stayed at Mandeville hotel which was suggested to us by a friend. I checked it out on the internet but did not expect much out of it because it usually looks different from a close up. I was surprised to find the exact picture on arrival and even better at some points. Ok, the rooms are small but I knew it before hand and did not mind it. After all, you are in the heart of London, you can't expect to find spacious rooms unless you are willing to pay good money for them. Everything was clean and modern, fluffy new towels, good decor and good service. The concierges (Ian and Madi) made our stay better being always at our service with a smile and a positive attitude towards all our requests.

Would go there again

London has many so-called 4 star hotels. London is one of the most overpriced cities in Europe where you can pay a lot for a nasty experience. But unlike many capital cities even the chain hotels here are often very variable in quality and certainly price. So it’s a delight to come across a hotel that is substantially different from the norm, The Mandeville. OK, so I got a very good rate of £150 including VAT and service through Laterooms.com. The Mandeville’s location is good. Just a hop skip and jump from the Bond Street end of Jermyn Street in the heart of London’s West End - a good 10 mins walk from Oxford Circus tube station. However, what sets this hotel apart from the mainstream is its theatrical decor with a modern twist and the great standard of service that everyone from the doorman to the reception clerks deliver. This is a hotel that treats you as a name rather than a number. Even the telephone operator greeted me by name! The staff are uniformly friendly and unlike most London hotels seem genuinely so. The room I had was great. It was certainly compact, but nicely and freshly decorated and furnished with a comfy bed, desk and a well lit bathroom with a ‘shortish’, but perfectly adequate bath (I’m 6ft 1in) and an excellent shower. Full English breakfast is a steep at £22 (but this is London), but it is freshly prepared to order as every breakfast should be. Fresh orange juice, yogurts, fruit salad and tasty pastries complete the picture. Altogether an excellent one night’s stay. I would have no hesitation in recommending The Mandeville to friends and business colleagues as THE place to stay in London.