A brief review of the Mayfair Townhouse (in London). I was able to get an offer from the hotel website: "stay 2 nights or more, save 30%" + 50pound f&b credit. This made the rate unbeatable and the location, being a 4 minute walk from Green Park tube station (which has 3 lines) made it ideal. I e-mailed them in advance asking for a quiet room and was assured that I would be assigned a quiet room. The front desk assured me on check-in that my room "was one of our quietest rooms". They also charged my card 50pounds per night for incidentals. I don't think in my travels that I've ever had such a large amount taken for incidentals. This was a charge to my card, not 'holding' funds. Incidentally I checked out on March 19th and these funds still haven't been returned to my card.
My room was compact, which doesn't bother me since I'm never in the room. It did have a nice big closet, which I always appreciate. Trouble started the first night -- the noise was unbelievable. Cars with music blaring, trucks passing in front, he honking of people locking car doors, etc. I acknowledge that for most people this wouldn't cause a problem, but since I am a very light sleeper, it kept me up past 3am. Plus I had asked in advance for a quiet room and was assured I'd receive one.
I had to get up early the next morning for a walking tour of Notting Hill (which was really interesting), but did try to call the front desk manager to see if I could move to another, perhaps quieter, room. She wasn't available, so I called again after my tour was over; not available again, so I left her a v-mail. When I hadn't heard back from her 2 hours later I called again. This time the front desk found her -- boy was she rude. Like seriously rude. She said that my room "had double glazing" and "no one else in that room had ever complained about the noise". I don't see the point in those comments since it obviously affected me. She said that she didn't have any rooms to move me to and I could pack up and leave the hotel by 5pm for a refund (that gave me 2 hours to get back, pack up and find another property). After some back and forth she said she was able to find another room, if I wanted to move. I agreed to move (since I need my sleep) and immediately headed back to the hotel. When I got back to my room I noticed that my windows were not double-glazed like she said. Oy. The front desk brought up my keys to my new room on the 4th floor, which did have double-glazed windows (which made a huge difference).
My room on the 4th floor was huge, which was nice, but not something that I'd pay for since I'm never in the room, other than to sleep and shower. There was a very odd box of chocolates in the room (no mention of where they were from; it was a box shaped like a house with a mound of chocolates inside -- I left them behind since the box wasn't sealed, there was no name of the mfg on the box and no expiry date).
When I checked out the head front office manager happened to be at the desk and asked how my stay was. I hesitated because I did not want to rehash the situation, but I didn't want to lie either. He seemed to sense my hesitation and pressed me, so I told him what had happened. He then decided to gaslight me and say that the manager that I spoke with "is lovely" and would never talk to a guest the way she spoke to me. Umm, that did not make me feel any better. I got away from his as quickly as possible. He e-mailed me the next day and said as a "goodwill gesture" he was going to waive the 5% "room surcharge", which amounted to 50pounds.
I would never stay at this hotel again. Never ever. And would not recommend it, despite the great location.
