Jaunted

We stayed at the Park Lane Sheraton, a nice enough hotel in the posh Mayfair area: across the street from Green Park, a five minute walk to Buckingham Palace, St. James Palace, and Clarence House (where Charles and Camilla shack up), and a ten minute walk to Oxford Street shopping and Piccadilly Circus. In short: the perfect location.

The area was fantastic, but I didn't really know what to expect with the hotel itself, since it is, after all, a Sheraton. (Yes, yes, I know that Sheraton is quite nice nowadays, but I can't really help my preconceived notions stemming from childhood cross-country trips now, can I?) While the hotel didn't blow me away, mostly because it had an ever-so-slightly faded quality to it, on the whole it was enjoyable, comfortable and well-staffed. Plus, the shower had good water pressure, which is more rare than you would think in good ol' London.

The highlight was the beds, which include thick duvets, fluffy down pillows, and special mattresses--my own bed at home felt like rocks in comparison.

The centerpiece of the hotel is the first-floor Palm Court Lounge, which is elegant and opulent and serves two popular afternoon teas (at 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm). If you enter the hotel from the Park Lane entrance, you'll have to walk through the Palm Court, which is kind of annoying, but also a nice introduction to the hotel, since the decor makes you feel like you're staying somewhere particularly grand. (The Palm Court is open until 2 am, by the way, and serves a mean kir royale.)

Really, there was nothing wrong with the Park Lane that a quick sprucing up wouldn't fix. The rooms (or, at least, our room) were on the bare, undecorated side and we didn't find any of those little extra touches that transform a hotel from good to great, but the location, comfort-factor and friendly, helpful staff made up for any additional extravagances.

Now, as for those pubs...

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·   Park Lane Sheraton Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]