There are cities that you enjoy and think to yourself, “I’ll come back again soon.” And lo and behold, you’re there. I was very excited to once again be returning to London. From previous visits to London, when it comes to cities that offer what I enjoy, London has long ranked HIGH on my list. I am always curious, though, to see if she’d still be a top-of-the-list destination for me. The parks and the many districts are fun to explore. I’m always up for a few musical theater shows. And yes, the people too! And let’s not forget the great food options 🙂 I don’t get to London often enough. Yet each time I visit I do get to know the city better and better. In the past I found that London matched me well, so how would she do this time around.
view of River Thames from the Park Hyatt London
For my most recent visit I was so looking forward to experiencing another Park Hyatt property. I’m no stranger to Park Hyatt hotels, having already stayed at over a dozen of them. I do like to sample different Park Hyatt hotels when I travel, as well as different areas of the city, so this idea worked well for me. I had not stayed at the Park Hyatt London River Thames before because it was under construction and had not yet opened the last time I was in London.
Breaking It Down:
How I Paid and My Room Assignment at the Park Hyatt London
Don’t think for a minute that I’ll go easy on the Park Hyatt London as I pen this hotel and hotel room review. I may be a Hyatt fan girl, but that often means I hold Hyatt properties to a higher standard. Maybe even more so for a luxury property such as a Park Hyatt. After all, first impressions matter and if you’ve not yet stayed here I want you to have the best and most informed impression possible.
I’m not writing to promote Hyatt. I’m writing to inform readers!
Specifics About The Hotel And Some Park Hyatt London Backstory
The Park Hyatt London opened 11 months ago. Its ownership is an Asian investment company that also owns and built a few residential buildings in the close-by area along the river. The investment company wanted to add a hotel into the development mix so the idea for a Park Hyatt was born.
Unobstructed views like this from a hotel room are always welcome!
The hotel is staffed by a mix of previous Hyatt employees with new-to-Hyatt staff as well.
Long and narrow lobby with elevators at one end and the restaurant at the other end.
I was told that Hyatt Globalists like this property as a choice for London stays, and as you read more about the hotel and the amenities, you’ll see why.
Lovely floral arrangements in hotel entrance
As you might expect at a Park Hyatt property, a high percentage of guests are Hyatt members. Throughout the year usually 25% of the guests are Globalists.
The hotel design team was from Japan. There are 203 rooms, 34 of which are suites. Every hotel wishes they had more suites but as hotels go, this is a relatively high percentage of suites.
Artwork throughout the lobby
There are also 103 residences, though they are not currently occupied. The property is actually 42 stories with floors 19 and up as the residences. Floors 17 and 18 are accessed by their own dedicated elevator.
You can see here that certain floors have their own elevators.
The Park Hyatt London is the only Park Hyatt property in the UK, and clearly the hotel is a favored choice among luxury hotel fans.
Typical guests stay on average 2-3 nights.
Bar and meeting area just off the lobby
It’s a leisure and events focused hotel. If you’re wondering about competition for the Park Hyatt consider the Shangri-la, Pan Pacific, Savoy, and Rosewood hotels; however, only the Shangri-la has views as unique as the Park Hyatt views.
In case you’re wondering which months are the busiest and which months might be more off season, here’s your answer. Off season is considered August, November, January, and February.
My recent stay at the Park Hyatt London was for seven nights. I could have used a World of Hyatt free night award or booked nights with Hyatt points. The all cash rate for a standard room was well over $400-500 a night. I decided to use points for my stay as well as one free night award. I also applied a suite upgrade award certificate to my stay.
Remember, if you’re paying cash for a hotel stay, let Pruvo monitor your rate for price drops!
The Park Hyatt London is a World of Hyatt Category 7 property, meaning free nights start at 30,000 Hyatt points per night. Off-peak nights are 25,000 Hyatt points.
My Check-In Experience
Checking in to the hotel went smoothly. Check-in is at 3pm. I arrived late in the afternoon so knew I’d not have to wait. Even when I have to wait I often enjoy sitting in the lobby and people watching. When I arrived I was happy to hear I had been upgraded to a Park Suite River View Deluxe. It’s a property that doesn’t hold back Globalist upgrades if they are available!
Pro Tip: Do you Pruvo all your hotels stays? If not, do what I do and let Pruvo monitor your reservations for price drops. It’s free and it’s the easiest way to save money on all your hotel rooms.
Using my Hotel Room Scorecard I broke down the individual elements of my Park Hyatt London room which scored a 37 of 40 points.
Location (5/5)
I loved the location of the Park Hyatt. There are caveats though, so let me first explain my take on the location. The Park Hyatt is in the Battersea-Nine Elms area of London. This puts it south of the city center and across the bridges on the south side, yet right along the River Thames.
The location worked perfectly for me because I love to walk. And London is a walkers city! I always find walking the best way to take in a city and even though I know London well, I never tire of exploring London on foot.
Walking across the bridges and to any sites you might want to see is a 15-20 minute walk. If the sites you’re heading to are further away, the London Underground is across the street from the hotel. The Park Hyatt location is well-connected to all the different Underground lines. Even going to North London to visit friends took less than 30 minutes by train.
I don’t necessarily want to be in the center of London. London is very crowded with tourists and locals. I find the city center to be saturated and for the most part too dense with people.
While I know there are many other hotels, and certainly a variety of Hyatt options, don’t necessarily let this location steer you away. You’ll see when reading the rest of this review that there are many great reasons to choose the Park Hyatt London.
Lighting (5/5)
The lighting in the suite was excellent. Each room had its own light switches so lighting was very easy to customize to my needs. Because I had a corner suite, I enjoyed all the natural light. What a treat, especially because it didn’t get dark until 8:30 or so in the evening.
All the rooms were very well lit, which is often not the case. In many hotel rooms I find myself asking if the staff can bring in extra lamps. Not in this suite!
As mentioned, the suite did have natural lighting, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout.
Ceiling light in living room of Park Hyatt London suite
Why is lighting so important?
Yes, I recognize that the average guest stays maybe two nights, but there are guests who work or just want to sit on the couch and read with proper lighting. Note to hotels: please make the lights in the living room areas adjustable and bright!
Window Access (4/5)
Having floor to ceiling windows in both the bedroom and suite living room area made a big difference. Natural lighting in a hotel room makes for a whole different experience.
And the views from the suite of both London and the River Thames were amazing. I found myself spending bunches of time relaxing on the couch and watching the local London scene.
view of River Thames from the Park Hyatt London
Give me great lighting and open window access and I’m a happy happy guest. It’s really quite rare! In this case there were no options for some fresh air from open windows, though.
The window treatments at the Park Hyatt London were stylish and matched well with the general color scheme and suite design. One level was shear, though provided more than enough privacy. The black out curtains worked well and the curtains were easy to use and customize.
This is not often the case in hotel rooms. I’m starting to prefer curtains that go up and down rather than open side to side.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching all the river action.
What I often see in hotels, and now very much prefer, are two levels of window shades, one for sun/privacy and one for black-out darkness. They are usually easy to use with the controls for the shades and they go up and down, not side to side.
When I think of hotels besides the Park Hyatt London with floor to ceiling windows that do curtains well I think of the Hyatt Centric Madrid, the Park Hyatt Busan, and the Grand Hyatt Seoul.
Bed Comfort (4/5)
The bed was comfortable for me. Firm, but not as hard as some beds at other hotel properties I’ve stayed at. And I never prefer overly soft beds. It’s possible that because this is a relatively new hotel the beds were in good shape and more comfortable than in the other hotels I’ve recently stayed at.
The pillows worked well and there were already different pillow types on the bed, so I was able to choose which worked best for me. Too often all the pillows are the same, but not in this case.
Two floor to ceiling windows in the suite bedroom
Park Hyatt suite bedroom view
Bathroom (4/5)
I’ll say right up front that this was a great spacious bathroom design and layout. Maybe even too spacious, but that’s the nature of luxury hotel bathrooms, right?
The suite had a huge bathroom with separate shower and tub. A well-appointed bathroom and dual sinks are always a plus!
A double sink is always welcome.
The main bathroom had a shower, a tub, and a separate area for the toilet. The shower had both an overhead shower and a wall-mounted one. If like me you’re not a fan of overhead showers, this dual option system is a plus.
The lighting in the bathroom was excellent.
One odd thing was that unless I missed it, there was no dimmer light in the toilet room that was activated when you entered. That’s usually a good safety idea.
There was more than ample counter space in the bathroom for any sundries you might have brought along.
One of my pet peeves in newer hotel shower stalls is that there is no place to put your sundries other than on the floor. Having a ledge for sundries is a simple thing that those of us who are now (or always did) bringing their own sundries when they travel might really appreciate. In this case there was a shelf behind the shower head. There was also a bench along along one wall in the shower. Spacious, indeed!
There were three levels of bathroom light: one full on for the best lighting and one for the vanity area and one that made the lights dimmer.
One design feature in the main bathroom that I think is brilliant is NOT having the vanity mirror attached to the wall.
I don’t know about you, but in hotel rooms I often find it awkward when those mirrors are attached to the wall. They get in the way and if you need to use them, they can only be used at a certain height or angle. And maybe the lighting isn’t sufficient in that area of the sink.
In this suite there was a stylish mirror that was free-standing and could be used anywhere. It also had an on-off switch which made it easy to use. Great idea!
One quirky master bathroom design feature that I’ll never understand!
I stayed in this suite for a week. The first day I felt enormous amounts of heat coming from the main bathroom mirror. It didn’t matter whether the lights were on or off. Heat and more heat to the point that it was uncomfortably hot in the bathroom and felt dangerous.
I tried looking for an off-switch. I looked in the closet thinking maybe something there was causing the heat. The mirror was very hot to the touch. Again, it seemed dangerous and given that I’d not experienced such a HOT mirror anywhere else, I couldn’t figure it out. Had I done something wrong, perhaps?
I finally reached out to the executive team to enquire. Maybe in reading this you’ve come up with your own theory so let’s see how close you are to the truth.
The heat coming off the mirror is meant to de-fog the space and keep the bathroom from steaming up from showering. Is it just me or for multiple reasons does this seem like a really bad design feature to you too?
For one thing, it was uncomfortably hot in the bathroom, especially by the sinks. Secondly, the shower was at the other end of the bathroom so not at all sure how effectively this heated mirror handles the steam.
My ego was glad to find out that I wasn’t the only guest to be concerned with the odd heat-generating mirror!
Okay, enough about the mirror being a heat source 🙂
One other quirk, if I may, is that there was no full length mirror in the suite. Rather odd.
There was also a second bathroom with a sink and toilet just off the entry way. Plenty of counter space but no rack for a towel. I always wonder why in second small hotel bathrooms there never seems to be a rack for a hand towel. Odd to me.
Nice to have two bathrooms in a hotel suite
Interior Appointments and Furnishings (5/5)
My Park Suite River View Deluxe matched the one you’ll see online, both in design and layout. That’s a good thing because too often guests’ expectations are set by photos they see on hotel websites. And when the photos don’t match the reality it makes sense that guests take issue.
I felt the suite design, with what was essentially a living/dining room, bedroom, bathroom, dressing area, and a second bathroom off the entry way worked wonderfully well. It was a large square and I appreciated the large amount of space. The suite had an easy flow to its layout.
Looking from the living room to the entry you can see how spacious the area is.
The dining area proved to be a great work space as well as dining area. The chairs provided perfect ergonomics for me so I was able to work comfortably. That’s rare, and I’m usually asking for a proper desk chair for hotel rooms.
Very comfortable space for dining and working
The suite color choices (the beige and light brown curtains, the light browns for the carpet, the white textured walls) and the wood throughout made the suite design seem relaxing and inviting.
Loved seeing the live orchids in the living room!
The orchids are a lovely touch.
I’m no interior designer nor a hotel room designer but I do have a keen eye for flow and how spaces are decorated. And for those of us who travel, whether extensively or on occasion, we do take notice of how a hotel room makes us feel upon arriving back from a day out and about. This suite worked so well as a quiet, relaxing respite………..like home SUITE home!
Many times in a hotel suite or room there’s either too much artwork or two little and it’s a mix and match that either doesn’t mix well or match well. The floral artwork in this suite added to the design concept and added to the calm feeling throughout the suite.
I liked that the artwork was floral. This theme was maintained throughout the suite.
The living area couch and leather chair were super comfortable. Many hotels have done away with throw pillows. Not sure why. Both the couch and leather chair had pillows. That always adds a nice homey touch.
Apologies for the dark photo. The living room is actually quite bright with lots of natural light. The set-up and design were perfect for maximizing the space!
The living room had a large round table. Sometimes when a hotel room is over furnished I ask to have a table or item removed so that I can have more floor or rug space for exercising. Nothing to move in this suite though; space abundance suite!
Suite dining room with table and chairs was well lit and served well as a dining area or work space.
Spacious, comfortable, and a wonderful place to relax after a full day of taking in London life.
The Park Hyatt London guest experience team had definitely looked into my Hyatt profile to see the items I often request when at Hyatt properties. I appreciated this and was pleased to see a Yoga mat waiting for me! And I enjoyed that even the Yoga mats matched the color scheme of the suite.
There was a large walk-in closet to the right of the suite entry way. The suite luggage and dressing area was spacious.
Plenty of room, plenty of hangers!
The entry way was missing a surface for storing keys and day packs so I moved a small stool from the bedroom to this spot and it worked well. I guess I do customize a hotel room to match my needs, but I hope not too much for housekeeping to handle upon my departure!
I liked that there were garbage cans in every room including the bathrooms and living rooms. I notice things others might not because my stays tend to be longer than average guest stays.
It’s also nice that there’s still paper pads and pen in rooms and a printed amenity card. They do still come in handy!
I really prefer a carpet and wood flooring combo for hotel rooms. This suite’s combo worked well. The suite used regular doors to close off rooms rather than pocket doors but oddly also had no full length mirror! Don’t get me started on mirror discussions again 🙂
The coffee/tea/snack area was along the wall opposite the table and chairs. It was adequate and provided enough space with a few drawers below.
Well-stocked and Nespresso coffee machine. Fridge is underneath.
The coffee counter was big enough for snacks and whatever else in the way of food goodies I had on hand. There was a Nespresso machine with a generous variety of pods on offer.
The peep hole on the entrance door is placed just right for the average height of women. That’s rare. This has long been a pet peeve of mine. Do only men check who’s knocking or ringing the bell? I think not. Easier for a guy to bend down than a woman to grow a few inches to see who’s at the door 🙂
One of the most comfortable hotel couches I’ve had in a long time. And with such great views, too.
In summing up the suite, I’d say it was totally my design taste and it functioned super well for my needs. What a pleasure to enjoy all the space and the views. It felt more like an apartment than a hotel suite.
Electronics (5/5)
Plugs and outlets were adequate. Not great but adequate. The living room could have used another outlet or two. I did need to use an adapter. I didn’t see one provided in the room for guest use, though. I asked the hotel for one and they provided two. Nice gesture!
Amenities (5/5)
The hotel does send welcome amenities to Hyatt Globalists. And in my case seemed very much customized to the guests. Not all hotels do this. Some actually have welcome amenities that vary by the day of the week so if you check in on say a Monday, you’d get Monday’s welcome amenity. Strange, but true!
There was an assortment of fruit waiting for me. Fruit as a welcome gift is my favorite. And for a sweet treat, a lovely strawberry tart. Quite delicious and I’ll admit to enjoying it soon after arriving. After all, a girl has to keep up her travel strength 🙂
Welcome amenity of fruit and strawberry tart at Park Hyatt London
The hotels I frequent know my tastes for welcome amenities. If I’m a new guest, especially to a higher end Park Hyatt property, I’ll often receive an email from the guest experience team asking about amenity choices and what I prefer.
I’ve had wonderful welcome amenities from many properties and even some I use quite often. As an example, the Andaz in Seoul gifted me a swim cap with ANDAZ written on it in bright colors. I love it!
YES on providing a Yoga mat!
I’ve started requesting Yoga mats when I stay in hotels. If you’ve ever taken a close look at the “need anything extra” card presented in your hotel room, you’ll notice Yoga mat is often listed. I’m starting to notice, though, how few hotels actually have mats.
The property provides water, and it was super generous whenever I requested more. It was also generous with whatever supplies you needed. That always leaves a positive impression on a guest.
When writing hotel reviews I often review the minibar and available snacks. The minibar and coffee area was well-equipped with a kettle and Nespresso style coffee maker. I also enjoyed the brand of tea bags the hotel provided. I’d not heard of them before. There was a mini bar fridge underneath the mini bar, which when cleared of some bottles provided plenty of space.
Breakfast Options
For breakfast there is a restaurant on the lobby level. Everything about the restaurant, from the service to the offerings, was spot on. My favorite type of breakfast setting is when a hotel restaurant offers both a menu and a buffet. I find that when a property only offers buffet style for breakfast, well how can I put this, the buffet turns into a mess. Guests create the mess and staff can’t possibly keep up with the cleaning or restocking of food items.
The space the restaurant occupies is lovely and spacious. It was the perfect way to start the day!
If you do not have access to the breakfast with your Hyatt status, the fee is 38 GBP per person. That’s about $51 USD.
What was on offer?
On the buffet side there was an assortment of both whole fruit and cut fruit. I very much prefer whole fruit over assorted fruit cups prepared by a hotel. There were local yogurt and dairy drinks, different types of cereal with homemade granola, plenty of pastries to choose from, and toppings for your bread.
On the menu there were offerings in both the small plates and hot cooked breakfast categories. Multiple egg dishes, some Asian offerings such as dim sum (because the hotel is also home to a Chinese restaurant) salads, creative beverage choices, fruit and cheese plates, and more than enough options to satisfy whatever you enjoy for breakfast.
I sampled quite a few of the items and when I asked for something to be customized, such as a smoked salmon omelet, the staff was more than happy to serve up whatever I requested. Breakfast was excellent.
I also had a few mornings when due to work I wasn’t able to sit for breakfast so I took away my breakfast. The staff was more than happy to oblige. This isn’t always the case, so this stood out as being really accommodating and I totally appreciated the extra effort on their part.
Park Hyatt London acai bowl
What Guests At The Park Hyatt London Complain About?
When I review a hotel I always wonder what complaints hotel guests have, so I ask the hotel team. This hotel’s chief complaint are ones I’ve come across a few times before.
The biggest complaints tend to be technical complaints. Perhaps the water is not hot enough or the air conditioning not cold enough.
Then there are small service complaints perhaps about food not being cooked as ordered. Or check-in or check-out didn’t go smoothly.
While I know everyone’s experience of a property is different, I did not experience any of these issues at all.
There was always ample staff at the front desk, multiple concierges on duty, plenty of helpful staff at both the restaurant and spa, and housekeeping readily available for whatever I needed.
The Park Hyatt London team definitely appreciates guest feedback and at times I saw the senior management staff present and available in the lobby area as well as at breakfast.
I did take the time to see multiple rooms of varying categories. The rooms, even the standard ones, are SPACIOUS. The design is the same as the suite with the suite living room missing. Yes, even the standard rooms have the table and chairs configuration, a large bathroom and dressing area and mini bar area. It really is about the view, so if booking a standard room perhaps reach out and ask for the best possible view for your stay.
As hotel rooms go, even at luxury hotels, I would not have been at all disappointed if I didn’t have an upgraded room. It’s one of the few properties I’ve seen where the size of the standard rooms would not be an issue at all.
Fitness and Spa Facilities At The Park Hyatt London
For me this was a wonderfully surprising benefit. It added tremendously to how much I enjoyed my stay. For some reason people who love this hotel always focus on how much I’d love the suites or the location but forget to mention the spa and pool.
Spacious pool and natural lighting provides a relaxing swim.
Spa area lounge at the Park Hyatt London
The gym is well equipped, the pool is 20 meters. The pool capacity is large but I never saw anyone else using the pool. I swam a few times though during my stay.
Lovely swim environment because the pool has natural light coming in from outside.
The pool is the biggest selling point because there is no jacuzzi or steam. Great to have a sauna though. The gym and spa are open to the public either through membership or day pass. Currently there are over 100 members so it’s a very successful facility.
The women’s locker room was well equipped with supplies and had a sauna.
In many new hotels the SPA facilities are co-ed with both men and women using the same spa and hydrotherapy areas. I understand perhaps this saves money and space but I really appreciate when a hotel separates the facilities.
Is it fair to wish for these kinds of amenities at more hotels? If you’re someone who will use the spa, pool, and gym, you will NOT be disappointed!
Hotel Service at the Park Hyatt London
You can tell I was thrilled with the hotel/suite room. The suite, despite the over anxious heated mirror in the bathroom, worked very well for my stay. I was also pleased with the service! Very pleased. This really does tie into my being impressed with the hotel.
I hadn’t met too many people who had stayed at the Park Hyatt London. It’s relatively new on the Park Hyatt scene and let’s face it, London has expanded its Hyatt footprint, providing many properties to choose from.
However, when people do talk about this Park Hyatt property they get this gleam in their eyes that told me maybe I needed to rethink my London hotel choices. Or at the very least give the Park Hyatt London a stay. I’m so glad I did. In fact, this stay has me thinking maybe I need to give more Park Hyatt properties a try. I’ve stayed at over a dozen so far and there are quite a few on my visit list!
The Park Hyatt properties are all so different, but as with many I’ve experienced, the Park Hyatt London sets a very high bar.
Housekeeping was always quick to deliver whatever I requested. If you’ve been traveling much these past few years you might have realized how short-staffed many hotels are. I did not find that to be the case at the Park Hyatt London at all.
I did have one incident where even with my DND–do not disturb–sign on my door a staff member entered while I was gone. This was quickly and professionally handled by the hotel management team and did not happen again.
Park Hyatt London privacy card instructions
The front desk and concierge team is tops. The team in the restaurant is top notch as well. Quite a few of them have been at the hotel since it opened. I know you’re thinking, well the hotel hasn’t been open all that long. But in many cases, the team that opens a hotel doesn’t stay all that long. They are hotel opener specialists!
The hotel staff level of dedication, professionalism, and pure fun in helping guests make the most of their hotel stay shows in so many ways. I had such a great time getting to know the team. I missed them the moment I left the hotel 🙂
There was never anything I asked for from housekeeping, the front desk and concierge team, the hotel management team, or the restaurant team where the staff didn’t happily oblige. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendly, warm and very helpful environment.
Final Thoughts On The Park Hyatt London
The Park Hyatt London is a unique and wonderful hotel. The hotel decor, the rooms, the views and amazing location on the River Thames, the spa, gym, and pool area—it’s amazing to think they build hotels like this from scratch. Especially when they are not huge properties in scope.
Sadly, the level of service offered at this hotel seems to be something you don’t often find at hotels anymore. That made me appreciate it even more.
It is an expensive property, whether paying cash or using points. It is the most expensive Hyatt hotel in the city and for sure a luxury property.
You’ll have to think as to whether it is a great value on points or when paying cash. I think it’s well worth the value, especially on points. And of course if you’re a Hyatt fan the choice is an easy one.
What this property offers and the service were both excellent. No doubt having the spa and pool available to me made a huge difference. If you’ll enjoy the area and the surrounding nature of London’s park and riverfront offerings, the location can’t be matched.
It is a modern hotel with a certain vibe. You’d be hard pressed to find anything the hotel doesn’t do well. If what I’ve mentioned in this review suits you, you’ll enjoy the property. If you’re a fan of Park Hyatt properties, which I am, this one ranks up there.
Every Hyatt hotel is different, every staff is different, and every guest is different, right? Some properties are bound to work better than others for what you’re looking for.
Would I stay here again?
Absolutely! Putting together this review was fun because it brought back memories of a very special and thoroughly enjoyable hotel stay in a city that for me is easy to enjoy.
I think of the Park Hyatt London as a hotel for people who enjoy mixing their hotel stay with a great, though less central, location. If you enjoy spending time in a more local area of London rather than in a super touristy area, this property is for you. That certainly includes me and if it includes you, by all means gather up your travel gear and give this hotel a try and see what you think for yourself.
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