Night At A Taj Hotel London
I am not sure about you, but when I hear the words “Taj Hotel” my mind instantly wanders to some exotic part of Rajasthan where this incredible gleaming palace suddenly rises up before you.
Taj Lake Palace photo credit Taj Hotels
Although The Taj Group has a huge number of hotels under their care, they are probably best known for their opulent palaces in the far flung corners of the world. Sadly there are no palaces in London, but there are two Taj Hotels right next to one another!
All that glitters is gold
We booked into The St James Court Hotel in Buckingham Gate. Our first impression was great as we walked into a very swanky lobby area.
St James Court, a Taj Hotel
It was spacious and classy, and filled with enough shiny decor to resemble a magpie heaven.
Magpie Heaven
The check-in was fast and the staff were friendly as they directed us away from the glamorous lobby and towards the elevator that would take us to our room. However, stepping out of the elevator on the 7th floor was like stepping into a totally different hotel.
The carpet was worn and the hallway was in desperate need of a bit of TLC.
Bit Grim
The room was a welcome improvement from the corridor. It was nicely laid out and rather large for central London.
Our Room At St James Court
I loved all the wooden furniture and the view of Londoners working hard into the night.
London hard at work
The bathroom was also a mix of luxurious and ancient. For example the toiletries were perfect, all the essentials were there and they were beautifully presented.
A touch of luxury
The hairdryer on the other hand looked more like a hoover than something you’d want near your precious locks.
A monstrous hairdryer
After checking out the room we still had quite a while before our dinner reservation at Bob Bob Richard (read here) so we popped downstairs for a pre-dinner drink.
The Bank Bar is right next to St James Court and as we discovered does an excellent happy hour of £5 cocktails every weeknight until 8pm!
A Bramble & A Mimosa
The Next Day:
I woke up to perfect spring weather so went for a stroll around London.
St James Court is a 5 minute walk to Buckingham Palace, so despite having done my fair share of London’s tourist activities I still felt obliged to take a few token tourist photos.
Couldn’t Resist
I then wandered off to do a spot of shopping on Oxford Street. The walk took around half an hour, so not ideally located for shopping but if you are in town to see the sites then its a good place to stay.
Eternal Tourist
After a relatively successful shopping trip I met up with my friend Amy who had just finished work. We had dinner in Covent Garden then headed off to a wonderful colonial style gin bar which I shall tell you all about soon!
Amy near Covent Garden
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