London Hotel

[ALANG]

Has anyone stayed at The Rubens at the Palace Hotel in London? All feedback and reccomendations appreciated.

 

Alan

[lord of the seas]

Has anyone stayed at The Rubens at the Palace Hotel in London? All feedback and reccomendations appreciated.

 

Alan

 

There are countless posts about the Rubens on these pages,mostly good.Have you tried the search facility?

[phabric]

We stayed at the Rubens last year.

 

When I booked online, I requested (I know not guaranteed) a room with a view (you pay extra for Palace view). They gave us a room facing a/c machines and so small that you had to step up one step to get to the bed and no room for the luggage on the floor (you would have to close the luggage after use and stand it up).. They held our luggage as no other room was available. They gave us a room looking out onto a brick wall. This room was a little bigger than the first, we were able to put luggage laying on the floor but still in the way only a double bed with end tables, small writing desk/chair, with a/c, safe. We found the elevator VERY SMALL, just fit 2 people and 2 suitcases (if you picture this - the elevator had to two doors, we are facing each other and luggage squeezed in, each of our backs was touching one door ).

 

We had taken the room package that included a dinner. When we checked in, I told the receptionist we had picked the dinner for our package, I said (7:30 instead of 5:30)by mistake with the 24 hour clock time and overnight flying (confused), the receptionist never corrected me, saying that diningroom would be closed at that time. We went down for dinner to find out that we were in the wrong diningroom for the package meal. If we wanted the package price we would have to add more GBP. I only wanted tap water (not bottled). When the bill came they charged us 6 GBP for the water. The food was very good.

 

We had a package that included breakfast each morning and choice of one another item (we choose the dinner). They had a great breakfast, juice, tea/coffee, pastries, toast, cereals, fruit, cooked to order eggs, in warming trays, scrambled eggs, bacon, sauages, beans, tomato. Food was good. If not on package the price was 19GBP/pp (19 GBP = under $40 Canadian each).

 

Staff was very friendly, helpful with directions and information, and a clean room. We received newspaper each morning. Everyone had on uniforms and a uniformed doorman to help.

 

Would take again if only price was good.

 

This year, we stayed at Thistle Westminster, 49 Buckingham Palace Rd. This hotel is just around the corner from the Rubens (a matter of crossing a street). Their restaurant faces Buckingham Palace Rd and hotel's entrance is around the corner. This hotel is only 3 floors. The room was much bigger. We took twin beds, end tables, writting desk/chair, small round table and a chair and with 2 suitcases on floor a lot of room to walk around, with a/c, safe. You can choose a room with breakfast also. Their breakfast if not prebooked was 15GBP/pp, juice, tea/coffee, fruit, toast, in warming trays, scrambled eggs, bacon, sauage, beans, tomato. When we went the food was cold.

 

Staff was very friendly, helpful with directions and information and a clean room. Everyone had on uniforms and a uniformed doorman to help (not as fancy as the Ruben).

 

Would take again. Price was much cheaper than Rubens.

 

Both hotels close to Buckingham Palace (cross the road), Royal Mews, The Mall, parks, HO/HO buses, regular buses, tube, stores, grocery store, pubs and restaurants. Both Victoria Coach(bus) and Victoria Train stations are a few blocks way.

 

If in London until Oct l, 2010 or next year, check out http://www.royalcollection.org.uk . You are able to buy tickets to Buckingham Palace staterooms.

[John Bull]

There are countless posts about the Rubens on these pages,mostly good.Have you tried the search facility?

 

Agreed.

Hundreds of hotels in London, but a dozen or so seem to be cruisers' favourites.

And the Rubens is one of them.

Pump Rubens into the search facility (near top of this page, on the right).

Also try reviews on www.tripadvisor.com and www.booking.com

 

I don't know the hotel, but the location is good.

 

John Bull

[Bruin Steve]

They gave us a room facing a/c machines and so small that you had to step up one step to get to the bed and no room for the luggage on the floor (you would have to close the luggage after use and stand it up).. They held our luggage as no other room was available. They gave us a room looking out onto a brick wall. This room was a little bigger than the first, we were able to put luggage laying on the floor but still in the way only a double bed with end tables, small writing desk/chair, with a/c, safe.

 

I think we had the same room the first time we stayed there! ;)

 

We did have a rather small room...but it was nicely appointed...and we are accustomed to small rooms at a lot of European hotels--I don't think out room at the Stockholm Hilton Slussen was any bigger...

 

But, we stayed there again and the second time, our room was much bigger...

It's an old building--originally built as housing for debutantes attending balls at Buckingham Palace--so the rooms are not "standard"...If the size of the room is important, you can pay a little more for a deluxe room...

 

We really enjoyed the Rubens--enough so that we went back...and, we booked my parents, uncle and aunt, cousins and my parents' friends there for a trip I planned out for the 8 of them through Europe a few years ago (The last big trip my dad took before he passed away three years ago--we sent the eight of them to Rome, Florence, Venice, Brussels and London on a three week tour)...They really enjoyed the hotel as well...

 

It's very British in feel...the Breakfast was excellent...our package each time included evening drinks and full breakfast...The location is excellent...you can walk to a lot of things from there...the HOHO buses stop right outside and Victoria Station is a couple of blocks away...

 

This last visit (post-cruise last month), we wanted to try something different...so, this time we stayed at the MayFair...also an outstanding location...walking distance to Picadilly Circus and a block from an Underground station...rooms there were LARGE--about 300 square feet...We were also very pleased with that choice (Note: I have not always been pleased with my London hotel choices...one trip, we ended up at the Best Western Paddington Court...in a heat wave...only to find out it had no air conditioning! A difficult few days)...

 

Good luck...

[phabric]

Check out for hotels

 

http://www.bhrc.co.uk

http://www.london-hotels.co.uk

[sunsetbeachgal]

Can't comment on the Rubens, but for our upcoming three night pre-cruise stay in London we researched and then booked on Priceline (where you make bids). The sites such as betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com all are so helpful in determining which area and the successful bids. We got a 4 * hotel located right by the Rubens for a wonderful rate in US dollars-far, far less than I saw on any of the other sites

[financialgrl]

Stayed at Rubens in late May. Took a 20 y/o niece just home from college. Room was small and we had been upgraded to a king suite - the bed was very comfortable and niece loved the shower water pressure. Can walk to many places and Apollo theatre is around the corner and while there saw Wicked which was fantastic. We bought tickets thru the concierge b/c they get the absolute best seats (for extra cost) but it was well worth it - we were in the third row back from the stage.

 

Our last night we were absolutely exhausted and walked to a nearby neighborhood pub for dinner. We had fish and chips and a drink and it was excellent. These type places don't necessarily look great from the outside but don't rule them out - we felt this was one of the best meals we had while in London.

[Joy_K]

We recently returned from our August 22 Crown Princess cruise and stayed at the Ruben’s both pre and post cruise. I would highly recommend it. Pre-cruise we stayed 3 nights in superior room (we actually had 3 rooms) and then one night post cruise in a classic double. We thought this was an incredible hotel with a great location and one of the best concierge teams we had ever experienced. I had a few special requests and they were executed beautifully. Our granddaughter was with us for a week pre-cruise for her 13th birthday. I had emailed the hotel and asked about getting a birthday cake prepared for her and the chef did a wonderful job on it. A lot of people from our roll call stayed here pre-cruise and I arranged a 49 passenger bus to take us to the ship. Although the hotel lobby was small they helped us get the luggage out and on the bus. About anytime we stepped off the elevator heading out they would ask if we needed directions or a cab. We had made a DVD for the birthday girl and after mentioning it we returned to find they had put a DVD player in our room. We had early flights and they even made us a to-go breakfast package. I learned the reason their croissants were so good was they arrived from Paris each morning around 3 am!