Located in the heart of London’s Chelsea, the building home to the Sloane Square Hotel has been operating as a hotel since 1900. Independent and privately owned, this four-star hotel prides itself on its character and its customer service.
Just a short stroll from Sloane Square tube station and suitable for everyone from solo business travellers to families, we stayed there for one night over the October half term. Here’s what we thought.
The Welcome
The large, sweeping reception desk at the back of the expansive lobby felt far more modern than I was expecting. Staffed by a smiling, friendly and professional team, it was good to see that they involved the small child in the check-in process, asking him questions and making him feel welcome. The same happened at check-out the following day, when he was asked how his stay was, and whether he would like a lollipop as a parting gift.
We were informed of our evening dining options as well as the location of the breakfast room for the following morning, and were given our key cards for room 107: a Club Family room.
The Style
“Elegant” is how the hotel itself describes its style on its website, and I’d be inclined to agree. The huge windows and the whites, greys and pastels of the lobby give it a bright and airy feel and the contemporary artwork on the walls adds to the feeling that the Sloane Square Hotel is a place that’s accessible and up-to-date, rather than old-fashioned and stuffy like some of the older London hotels (naming no names).
While there are many original features of the building still present and correct, they blend seamlessly with the more modern touches in the communal areas. But what about the bedrooms?
The Rooms
There are eight room types at the Sloane Square Hotel, ranging from single rooms up to their Junior Suite. Every room features air conditioning, WiFi, a safe, a minibar, Elemis toiletries, a flat-screen TV and a Nespresso machine, with some of the pricier rooms including extras like a neck and back massager, Dyson hairdryer and complimentary minibar soft drinks as standard. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out until 11am, giving plenty of time to enjoy the rooms.
Averaging 25m2 each, the Club Family rooms are spacious enough to give a small child room to let off steam. Ours featured a kingsize bed plus a single bed, along with a couple of armchairs, a desk and the bathroom.
While much of the room looked very much like a traditional hotel room I loved the splashes of colour, like the beautifully upholstered armchairs and the flowers by the bed. The hotel can also provide extras when requested, such as this teepee with cushions which the small child was highly excited by.
The bathroom was compact yet elegant: the shower cubicle featuring both a rainfall shower head and a smaller, portable one – with my parent head on, I was grateful for this as it made it so much easier to give my son a wash. With Elemis toiletries galore and plenty of towels – plus robes and slippers – there were no complaints here.
We didn’t avail ourselves with anything from the minibar but it was impressively well-stocked. The Nespresso machine came with four pods – two caffeinated, two decaf – as well as a choice of teabags. I’d have liked cups bigger than the espresso cups we were provided with, though.
The beds were comfortable but I think the design and layout, as a family room, could have done with some tweaking. At only around 110cm tall, the five-year-old wasn’t able to climb onto his bed particularly easily and I was a little worried that he may fall out in the night. While his bed was around the corner from the kingsize bed to give some degree of separation, it was right beside both the bathroom door and the door into the room, making it far too easy to disturb a child who was already overexcited about his first London trip while he slept.
The Food
Sloane Square Hotel may not have its own restaurant but what it does have is a Côte Brasserie next door. There’s an entrance through to the restaurant directly from the hotel lobby and it’s where we chose to dine that evening – review here.
In the mornings, however, there is a continental breakfast option available in the first-floor lounge: a room whose design means that it is almost partitioned into two, with windows overlooking Sloane Square itself.
The amount of choice available is vast, from fruits (fresh and dried) and yoghurt to cereals, breads, pastries, cold meats, eggs, cheeses, smoked salmon and pickles.
There is orange juice and cold water as well as a coffee machine, and we were particularly taken with these ginger shots, available in three different flavours.
The bread and pastries tasted lovely and fresh and the spread of meats and cheeses was a hit all round. Everything was replenished regularly by hotel staff when it started to run low, and the quality of the produce was undeniable.
The price
A night at the Sloane Square Hotel starts from £190 for a single room, rising to £490 upwards for the Junior Suite. Take a look at their offers and promotions before you book, too: these are only available through their website and could save you some money.
While the hotel may not have as many amenities as other hotels in the area, it’s a comfortable, friendly and welcoming place to stay. Next time I’d probably head back without the child as the layout of the room made sleeping arrangements tricky but it’s a place I’d happily use as a base again when visiting London in the future.