Following our visit at the end of last summer I declared the Taj 51 Buckingham Gate to be my favourite hotel in London. It still is…but the St James’ Court Hotel comes a very close second. Not surprising, really, seeing as the St James’ Court is also owned by the Taj Hotel Group and is situated just next door. It used to be a Crowne Plaza but is gradually being ‘Taj-ed up’ so that it meets the group’s exacting standards, as seen in the BBC series, Hotel India.
Whereas the Taj 51 is a 5 star, all suite accommodation, the St James’ Court is currently a 4 star establishment with high aspirations. We booked it for a two night stay in the capital and were amazed at the discount available on their website. A classic room was on offer for £119 per night (the rack rate is £495) which is an absolute steal for such quality accommodation in the heart of London, even if it was a low season January booking.
On arrival we were upgraded to an executive studio which was perfect. Having been recently disappointed by another London hotel which had style but lacked substance, this room proved that the Taj group know exactly what their guests appreciate: ample storage space, tea and coffee-making facilities and, joy of joys, a full length mirror with nearby electrical socket. Add to that decent lighting, an iron and ironing board, quality bath products plus complimentary fruit, bottles of water and daily newspaper. They even provided a great selection of magazines.
These are just the little things, but it’s the little things that make a difference. It goes without saying that the bathroom was spotless, the bed extremely comfortable and the sheets deliciously crisp. A good-sized TV with lots of channels, free easy-to-access WiFi, excellent sound-proofing. Need I go on? You can tell I loved it.
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| Clockwise from top left: James the bear resting on the crisp white sheets; beautifully appointed bathroom; little treats waiting for us from the hotel’s management; the lounge area of our executive studio. |
The Taj group pride themselves on exemplary service and this was certainly in evidence as all the staff were cheerful and attentive. Whereas breakfast wasn’t quite as gloriously refined as the Taj 51, the offer from the St James’ Court was pretty good, served in the Bistro restaurant which, later in the day, serves contemporary European cuisine. We had an early dinner in the conservatory restaurant, Bank, just as we did when we stayed at the Taj 51 on our previous visit. Attached to Zander, the capital’s longest bar, Bank has a light, airy atmosphere and the food is delicious. Of course, being next door to the Taj 51 means that guests of St James’ Court have access to its restaurants too so there is a great deal of choice.
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| Clockwise from left: Zander bar; seating area outside the elevators; lobby of hotel. |
It’s worth noting that the location of the hotel is excellent, very near to St James’s Park underground station and only a short walk from Victoria. It’s around the corner from Buckingham Palace and, if you are happy to power walk for 20 minutes or so like we did, not that far from the West End.
Like its sister hotel, if you are visiting as a family, they offer the Kids@Taj programme which is designed to make the youngest guests feel special.
We only stayed two nights but were so supremely relaxed, it felt much longer. I am now seriously considering not going online to trawl the internet for a hotel when we next visit London. Why keep looking? With the Taj 51 and St James’ Court available, our search for the perfect hotel experience in the capital is over.
Sounds heavenly. I will keep both hotels in mind for a romantic London weekend with Sexy Hubby… ;o) xx
We have tried quite a few hotels in London and these two are very special. Let me know when you are thinking of going x
This sounds absolutely lovely – a real treat and great to know so we can recommend to others too.
We were very impressed, Sarah. I think we realised just what makes a great hotel when we noted all the little things they got right.
Sounds like the ultimate destination might be the hotel rather than the city it is situated in!
When we were sitting in the courtyard last summer, and in the Bank conservatory on this occasion, we could have been in a totally different country – a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The discount price is an absolute bargain for such an establishment. I think you're right, why go on looking?
I think we were very fortunate to be visiting in January as I haven't seen it as cheap as that before. But even at the £200 mark, which is often the discounted price for the hotel, it sits extremely well with other places we have stayed and would be my preferred choice.
Oh glorious – I love that bar so sumptuous and great location – you live the life girl!
The bar really is extremely long. I wonder if they wear skates to serve customers? I forgot to look 🙂
Looking for a good family friendly "nice" hotel for a hopeful stay in London over the summer, shall be adding this one to my list! 🙂
Well worth considering, Emma. It just feels right, you feel welcome and relaxed.
Last time I stayed in London I shared my daughters double bed….I awoke to find her sitting up and glaring at me with murderous intent in her eyes…she couldn't stand my snoring! maybe its hotel time for me…….
Oh that's not good, Libby! How embarrassing. I can see you might get the heave ho in future.
Fabulous hotel, unlike Dunblane Hydro which my friends treated me to a night in last weekend for my birthday. Their levels of cleanliness left a lot to be desired. If it wasn't for the Nick Nairn restaurant, all would have been well and truly lost. I hate 'smoke and mirrors' hotels!
You can forgive many things in hotels but cleanliness is just unacceptable, especially when it's an expensive place. No excuse. Dougie is a real stickler for muck: he can't understand why hotels don't have someone checking up on bathroom mould etc.
Oh Trish, you really do get to stay in some gem of places. I've never actually been inside the hotel itself, but I've been to the Zander Bar many times – the last was to hold our engagement party there! But we should have stayed the night… actually on second thoughts, don't think we could have afforded it! Those treats look amazing!
A fantastic bar to have your engagement party – plenty of room and so chic. Next time you must try it for a night – keep an eye on the discounts. I think the treats were because I had visited their sister hotel and blogged about it – can't promise macaroons and cookies for everyone but worth asking 😉
You are so right about little things like crisp sheets and a full-length mirror with a socket nearby (!). The latter shows that they know how to cater to female guests. How often have I stood on a bed or a chair so I can check how my shoes look with my outfit, or dried my hair by "feel", running to the nearest mirror several times to check that it looks ok.
The mirror/socket thing is my biggest bugbear.
I often wonder what this place is like inside, when I walk past it. It’s great that the standard of central London hotels is on the rise. I know of several visitors who’ve been disappointed in the past, by extortionate prices and shoddy services. But this place sounds top-notch.
It’s definitely worth a look – my review is from 2015 so they may well have improved even more since then.
I didn’t realise the Taj group had two amazing hotels in London…thanks for opening my eyes Trish! Both sound perfect and in a great location. Feeling relaxed in London isn’t always easy so they have certainly achieved where many fail. I love James the Bear and I just HAVE to visit the Zandar bar – looks awesome.
They are gorgeous summer hotels with the wonderful shared courtyard. Ideal time to try out the bar and take a look!
What a steal of a rate! Sounds gorgeous and after too many hotel rooms which seem designed to be as difficult as possible for actual humans to use, how fab to have somewhere which gets it so right and has plenty of style too. #citytripping
I have a few favourites I London now and keep my eye out for discount packages. The service here and at the Taj 51 is really excellent.