Thistle Charing Cross Hotel

We stayed in this hotel for 3 nights and the room was always much colder than the hallway, even when turning the heating to the maximum. It was simply not strong enough for January. The bathroom did not have a heater to begin with, and when you're coming straight out of bed you may not feel like meeting the January cold in your bathroom. Also the stairway doors slammed noisily whenever used, which happened a lot because the elevator was out of order. We woke up a couple of times during the night. Finally, there were queues to be seated for breakfast, and service was extremely slow. When we complained to a manager about this, an apology was all we got. It's a pity that a hotel with nice rooms (ours was a President King, others may be smaller) in this nice area is so poorly managed.

Arrived at 9:30 AM and there were two people trying to check out and about 20 people trying to check in. The lobby is very small and dark. This day their computers were down and were making people store their luggage until 12:00 PM. I couldn't complain because check-in isn't until 2:00 PM. I checked my luggage and then went off to have breakfast. I came back at 12:00 PM and then went to check-in. Had the same hotel staff member and he said that my room with a double bed was ready. I had requested twin beds. He than mumbled a couple words and then stuck me in the old wing of the hotel (Orginally I was in the new part). However the only way for me to get a room with twin beds was to take a room in the old wing. To get to the old wing you have to take the elevator up one floor, walk toward a conference/eating room, walk over a covered walkway, then take another elevator down. After about 10 minutes getting to my room, I arrived to an old, smelly, dark, damp room. The wall paper had yellow stains with the wall paper coming off by the window. The carpet had stains all over it and the beds were bad. There was no where to store your luggage either. The bathroom was ok - no real complaints here. Each night we heard drunk people fight out in the streets. Our room faced an alley which didn't look safe. On the morning we left for Scottland, we had to wake up at 3:30 and out the door by 4:30. I had asked the hotel staff to hail us a cab and have one waiting at 4:30. They said no problem. Arrived at 4:30 and they pointed toward the train station where there were three taxis. Went over to the taxis but they wouldn't take us to Victoria because it was too close. We then were harrassed by people in an unmarked van trying to take us to the train station. I then went out on the street to hail a cab myself. The hotel staff was very unhelpful here. No problems at checkout. Basically the location is good but can be sketchy. The old wing of the hotel is in bad shape so if you stay here make sure you ask to stay in the new wing.

I stayed at the Thistle Charing Cross for the first two nights of a two week vacation to England. For most of the trip I stayed with friends but I needed a hotel to stay in London for the first and last two nights. I decided to spend more to get a nicer hotel for the first two nights. I had agonized over which hotel to choose. I am really glad I chose the Thistle. I got into the hotel and the staff was polite and helpful. My room was a deluxe room on the fifth floor. It was gorgeous. The bed was extremely comfortable and the bathroom was good too. My room and the hotel were very clean. I paid $316 incl. VAT through expedia for two nights (a Friday and Saturday). That was a great price! The best thing about this hotel however was it's centralized location. There was so much to do around the hotel. By walking distance I consider a ten minute walk or less. As far as Piccadilly Circus is within walking distance. You have that, Leicester Square (which has tons to do), Soho, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden all right near the hotel. What I realized after staying at a cheaper hotel in Bayswater is that being in the West End was ideal. This is because as a 20 year old college student, I wanted to go out to clubs and bars in Leicester Square area at night. However the tube stops running a little after midnight and I didn't want to fuss with a taxi or bus. At the Thistle I could easily walk back. Also the tube station has an entrance right below the hotel which is extremely convenient! The only gripe I have for this hotel is that they made it really difficult to make a calling card call. You had to dial the hotel operator and ask them to dial the number for you. I highly recommend this hotel especially if you can get it for less than $200 a night.

We stayed at the Thistle for two nights between Christmas and New Year and thought enough of it to return a few weeks later with some other family members. It's nothing fancy, but I don't need fancy. My final rating was "above average" and all because of the location/cost ratio. The only negatives: Were told our room would not be read until 2pm, fair enough. We came back at 2:30 and it still wasn't ready. The clerk offered to buy us two drinks in the lounge. The lounge is worth a visit before heading for the evening. Our room keys (cards with magnetic strip) didn't work the first time and required a trip back down to get them re-coded. The positives: It's cheap. A good example of "Railroad Hotel Architecture" A Moderne room to contrast with industrial age victoriana. The amusing little electric signs you turn on and off for "Do not Disturb" or "Please make up room" Fun stair case to skip down. The first floor overpass over Villiers street. It leads to an annex of the hotel but even if your room isn't there go take peek. Location, Location, Location: I'm used to quiet residential settings for my hotel, but I could get used to this location really fast. Your on top of a tube station, and The Strand. You are almost on top of Trafalgar. Pleasant walks to: Westminster, Piccadily, Leicester, theaters, London eye, and another tube station, Embankment, that is on the circle/district lines. The central location also means there is almost anything you might need close by: drug store, pubs, underground wine bar, global chain coffee shop, sushi, breakfast crypts, quiet garden, mock-tudor public convenience, buses, thames, etc. Our room faced the back, no view of course, but was very quiet. If you are there during American Football season, you can easily walk to the Sports Cafe on Haymarket to watch the games late sunday evening. The neutrals: The hotel is well worn, some people find it a turn off yet other people love things with a bit of age. It's a big and busy and part of chain. I shall return.

I was expecting to be disappointed by the hotel because I have heard that hotels in London are small, overpriced, and have terrible service, but I was happily surprised. This hotel was great! The reception staff was very helpful. They helped us find a nice place to eat, gave us a free map of London (including tourist destinations), and stored our luggage for free after we checked out so that we could still walk around a bit without dragging our suitcases along. The rooms were gorgeous. There was a big desk in the room where you could work if you needed to, a minibar, a large bathtub (which is hard to find in hotels), and all of the essentials(coffee maker, hairdrier, etc.). The location was probably the best part. The hotel is basically right on top of the Charing Cross Station. We literally only had to walk a few steps to the underground. The hotel is also in walking distance of tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, Picadilly Circus, Covent Garden, and Trafalgar Square. Everything else is a short tube ride away. The only problem I can find is a limited selection of television channels. But for me this was not much of a problem because I was there to see London not stay in my room.

I have stayed in the Thistle Charing Cross twice. This is an excellent hotel in a superb location. The staff is pretty helpful and the breakfast buffet is one of the best I have ever seen. The rooms are very nice and comfortable, even though the single ones are a little bit small and noisy. Do not hesitate to stay there if you will be in a double room. It is an excellent option near the main London attractions and theaters.

Had a wonderful weekend at the Thistle, Charing Cross to celebrate my 50th birthday. The location was superb,only a short tube ride to the London Eye and Westminster, and a short walk to Trafalgar Square. The bedroom was comfortable with a large bathroom, and the restaurants were both charming, and the staff friendly and helpful. We enjoyed a special French meal in the Strand Restaurant complete with Beaujolais Nouveau. We are looking forward to visiting this hotel again.

My room was in the Buckingham wing, which is the older annex wing of the hotel. It was very inconvenient to get to our room; I wondered what would happen if there was a fire! We had to take one elevator to get to the 3rd floor, then another to get to the sixth. The decor in the Buckingham wing is much more traditional than is shown in the user-submitted pictures. The room was of decent size, and all the appointments were clean, although the walls were VERY scuffed up with black marks. The bathroom was roomy. And the location is unbeatable.

I was quite nervous about staying at this hotel as it's a Thistle-they have some quite dire hotels! But this was real suprise!! It's situated on the Strand by Trafalgar Square above Charing Cross railway/tube station which apparently makes it 'Londons most central hotel.' The reception area is quite small but as you pass it you come to a very grand sweeping staircase which takes you to the first floor where there is a very ornate lounge (with a beautiful ceiling) and a very traditional lounge bar. Drinks are expensive as they're all served in large (50ml) measures but that was fine for me! Food in the resatuarant was of very high quality and presentation was second to none! Definately worth the high price tag! We chose to upgrade our room to a studio-deluxe and it was perfect-air-con, mini bar, spacious seating area, extra cupboard space and a spacious bathroom with separate shower cubicle. It looked very new and well kept. We had a great nights sleep with no noise from the busy streets below. Breakfast is served in the VERY GRAND Betjamen Room-a victorian masterpiece, you could stare at the ceiling for hours!! The buffet style breakfast was great and had a big choice for both English and Continental breakfasts. There is an annexe joint on to the hotel and half the rooms are based there. These rooms are more traditional but with all the same facilities as those in the main building. I heard a few people complaining they had to walk further and take two lifts to get there but they were American they love to complain!! Overall a fantastic hotel in the west end. Thoroughly recommended!

Thistle Charing Cross was really a perfect place to stay for our vacation in London. The room was small, yet very modern and comfortable in design and ammenities. Basically when it comes down to it, the hotel could have been pretty junky and we would have still been thrilled. Why? Because the location is simply amazing. It's within walking distance of almost every major London attraction: less than a block from Trafalgar Square. A short walk from Covent Garden, Picadilly Circus & St. James Park. A medium walk to the theatre district, Big Ben, Westminister Abbey, and Downing Street. A longer walk to the London Eye and Buckingham Palace. What's even better is that if you feel lazy and don't want to walk (or if it's too hot/cold outside) the Charing Cross tube station is right across the street so you can ride the subway instead! Buses and cabs are constantly stopping just outside the hotel, which adds a couple other transportation options. If you're unfamiliar with London travel, you can buy a day pass that allows you to ride all subways, buses, and national rail trains within certain zones (the more you pay the further out you can travel). It makes getting around really simple, and the whole London transportation system is easy to learn. There's a decent pub just around the corner of the hotel called The Sherlock Holmes and a nice little convenience store right next to the hotel if you need a quick bite to eat and don't want to pay for expensive hotel food. On top of all this we got an amazing price for our room through bidding on priceline! Honestly, what more could you ask for? On a side note, we also stayed at the Waldorf Hilton, which is another common hotel for Mayfair/Soho four star bids through Priceline, and it was a little nicer hotel, but not quite as nice of a location. Overall we preferred Thistle Charing Cross.