When I was growing up, London was somewhere we used to visit every few years for a day out. The big smoke, filled with lots of high rise buildings and commuters rushing around the place. It was a place where all your wildest dreams came true, in the eyes of little me, I only wished I could live my dream in London one day. The day came when I made the move when I went on to do my further education here in London. Nobody tell’s you how crazy your life becomes when you move here, time becomes limited and so does enjoying the ‘city life’. London still manages to take my breath away when I spend time being a tourist in my own city.
Especially as I have now moved out to Zone 4, I often never stay in the city. I’m always back before the sunrises, which sometimes limits the amount of fun that can be had.
Since I started travel blogging, I learnt that staycations are the perfect way to rediscover your home city like a tourist. Enjoying the luxurious comforts of a hotel without having to travel far either. It’s like a holiday within itself, even if it is for a night or two.
My most recent staycation was at Marriott County Hall. I had not been back since the end of last year where I celebrated the reopening of the hotel after a multi-million pound refurbishment. It was an exciting time to go back and experience the service and stay in the rooms I was dreaming of last year.
The hotel itself has a lot of history behind it, where it was once the county hall before it became a luxury hotel in July 1998 as a part of the London Marriott brand. The advantage of having such a large site to transform into a hotel, meant that there was ample of space. This allowed extensive communal areas and large bedrooms to be designed.
The hotel has a beautiful library lounge for those that want to enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea or have a perch at the bar to try some of the bartenders concoctions.
Walking thorough the bar area, you come to Gillray’s Steak House where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner here. Little tip, the chai pancakes are to die for!
For those that are staying in executive rooms or suites, get access to the M Lounge, where a breakfast buffet can be enjoyed on a more intimate level. Not only that, the lounge is open 24/7, so you can always find a spot to have a mug of hot chocolate should you struggle to sleep. All the drinks are complimentary and canapés are served to guests immediately on seating. The staff are extremely attentive to ensure that all your needs are met.
It’s also the perfect place to sit down and work, because it is a peaceful place and there is plug sockets galore. Sit back, relax, pour yourself a glass of ice-cold Pimms and get grafting.
As a part of our stay, we experienced the Silver Line Service which is bespoke to London Marriott County Hall Hotel only. The concept behind it is where resident meteorologist, Kirsty McCabe presides local weather to ensure guests get the most out of their stay.
When I stayed, it was a boiling hot day, so I arrived into my Executive Big Ben view room where I found a various goodies waiting for me. A goodie bag filled with essentials that I may need for the hot weather, from Clarins SPF face and body lotions, hydrating mist from Neal’s Yard, a small portable fan and some lovely summery salted caramel chocolates from Charbonnel & Walker.
I was also left a umbrella on my bed, because we all know the scorching hot weather brings around thunderstorms, which result in unexpected rain. Keeping on trend with the theme, there was also a sunshine iced cupcake sitting on the table, which I enjoyed for before breakfast the next day.
As a part of the Silver Living Service package, there are weather reactive treatments that are offered too. Many people complain about getting headaches and sore neck and shoulders prior to a storm, therefore there are treatments such as the ‘Pre-Storm Relaxer’ which is a neck, shoulder and back massage or a ‘Sunshine Ready’ manicure and pedicure for those sunny days. There are also a few other treatments that are based around the weather conditions too.
The Concierge team are also standing by to help guests plan their days with different things guests can do depending on the weather. Part of the package, a hand-picked selection of activities are suggested with the further assistance of the Concierge team to ensure all the guests needs are taken care of.
The room itself was lovely with extremely modern furnishings, especially after the refurbishment. It took away from the usual corporate feel that Marriott hotels generally have.
Along with this, there were views of Big Ben from my bedroom window. You really can’t go wrong with that now, can you?
The bathroom was extremely large, with Floris products. Again, how I mentioned before the bathroom products say a lot about a hotel to me. However, I feel like more luxurious amenities could have been provided since it prides itself from moving away from a corporate style hotel.
Overall, I had a wonderful staycation at Marriott County Hall. The location is a perfect place to explore London whether you are a resident having a staycation or a tourist visiting. You can guarantee great service and a good night’s sleep, waving goodnight to London’s iconic landmarks.
Until next time…
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