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Trip Report: London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale

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After leaving Paris (read Trip Report: Holiday Inn Gare de l’Est, Paris and Trip Report: Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile), we headed to London as our next stop on our big winter trip.  We spent 3 nights at the London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale, a Category 7 hotel which I booked using 105,000 Marriott Rewards points (I transferred 35,000 points from my Starwood Preferred Guest account).

London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale. Photo from marriott.com

London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale. Photo from marriott.com

Location: The hotel is located in Northwest London, a short walk from the Kilburn Park Underground and Kilburn High Road Overground stations and about a 20-30 minute trip to central London via bus or train. It’s not far from Regents Park, the London Zoo, and Paddington Station.

Checkin/Checkout: Checkin was a breeze – when I arrived at the front desk I showed them my passport and they handed me my keys. On our departure day, there was initially some confusion about when we needed to check out – while I was out doing laundry my partner called the front desk, who told him that we needed to be out of the room by noon, but when I called from my cell phone and reminded them that I have Gold Elite status, they changed our departure time to 4pm. When we did finally checkout, the process was quick and easy.

Room: We had a comfortably sized room on the fifth floor, overlooking a small frozen courtyard and the other wing of the hotel. The aesthetic was fresh and modern – a nice change from our previous hotel – and the room featured plenty of outlets, including UK, EU, and universal sockets, as well as USB ports (though ours didn’t work). The bathroom was reasonably spacious, with good water pressure and lovely mandarin-scented toiletries. We also had a refrigerator and (naturally) a tea kettle.

A modern room with a king size bed and lots of outlets. Photo by the author.

A modern room with a king size bed and lots of outlets. Photo by the author.

Internet: The wifi was fast, free, and easy to use.

Food: My Marriott Gold Elite status gave us access to the Executive Lounge on the 7th floor. Breakfast in the lounge consisted of eggs, baked beans, bacon and sausage, fruit and yogurt, cereal, and a selection of bread and pastries. They also offered a substantial evening buffet of chicken wings, brussels sprouts, potatoes, chips with salsa and guacamole, vegetables and hummus, cheese with bread and crackers, salad, and wine.

Part of the evening canapés in the Executive Lounge. Photo by the author.

Part of the evening canapés in the Executive Lounge. Photo by the author.

The hotel also advertised an “afternoon tea” service, which turned out to be rather disappointing – crackers and biscuits, and a bit of cake.

Pretty sure the Queen would disapprove of this 'afternoon tea'. Photo by the author.

Pretty sure the Queen would disapprove of this ‘afternoon tea’. Photo by the author.

There’s also an Italian restaurant/bar attached to the lobby, a Starbucks next door, a Tesco grocery/convenience store about a block away from the hotel, and a Marks & Spencer a few blocks up the street – plus a good number of restaurants and cafes in the surrounding area.

Service: The front desk and concierge were polite and efficient; the lounge staff seemed a bit aloof and could have been more attentive to basics like refilling the cutlery containers. We opted to forego housekeeping service for a reward of 500 Marriott points per night. The hotel participates in chat requests through the Marriott mobile app, which was a bit hit or miss – it was easy for me to make the request to skip housekeeping, but when I requested extra toiletries and pillows they delivered the wrong items and amounts, and there was no agent available via chat when I tried to ask about our checkout time.

Verdict: London is an expensive city whether booking with cash or points, especially during the holidays, so this hotel was a good compromise of location vs. price. The hearty food options in the lounge for breakfast and dinner were a great value. I would definitely consider staying there again on a future trip to London.

Have you stayed at this hotel recently? What was your experience? If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Cheers everyone!


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6 thoughts on “Trip Report: London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale

  1. Brant

    So Tonei,

    I am heading from San Antonio, TX to Guadalajara for a week today, then early next month I am off to London for a week. Quite a contrast, as you know. I have never been to London in winter. How was that for you? Did it affect your sight seeing or other factors? I wouldn’t be going in February except that I got in on the Virgin Atlantic error fare out of Las Vegas for $250RT non stop on a 747, which I have yet to experience.

    Reply
    1. Tonei Glavinic Post author

      Nice deal! London was a bit chilly but not too bad, it didn’t really affect anything we wanted to do – which was mostly visiting a couple of museums and checking out local shops and markets. Hope you have a great trip!

      Reply
      1. Grant

        I will add that I spent a few days in London last January and got really lucky with the weather – mid 50s with sun and no rain. I know that is an anomaly but it could happen for you too.

        Reply
  2. Ron

    Well, I’ve been in London before during the Winter and it can be quite chilly, especially for someone from south Texas. Check the forecast before you go, and dress appropriately.

    London has great museums and theatre, along with great shopping and pubs if that is your interest. Indoor activities. Easy to get around via the Tube (subway). Figuring out the bus routes is, for me, more challenging. I enjoy doing a lot of walking in London, weather permitting.

    A great city any time of year. Enjoy your trip!

    Reply
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  4. Nicole

    Hello,

    How did you get from the airport to the hotel in London? How far from the airport?

    How did you get into central London? How long of a subway ride.

    Did you eat in any restaurants near the hotel?

    Did you use the gym? How was it?

    What was your itinerary for sight seeing? Did you go to the theater? Best way to get tickets?

    Thanks! We are going in April.

    Reply

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