Lee L.
Yelp
There's probably no one "perfect" location to book a hotel in London - there are so many things to see that it's hard to find something that it truly central to the highlights - but the Me Hotel (or is it Melia? I really don't know) located in the Covent Garden / West End area comes pretty close.
Past experiences with European hotels has taught me to expect small, cozy rooms and even smaller bathrooms. When searching for a place to stay in London, I wanted a place that was a little more spacious, and this one came up. It was far, far more expensive than any other hotel that I've stayed at in my entire life, but after two years of having our travels thwarted by Covid, I was willing to splurge.
The entrance to the hotel takes you past the concierge desk and the funky, modern lounge. The concierge walked us to the elevators and up to reception on the first floor (my fellow Americans would refer to it as the second floor, of course). The reception lobby was stunning - an atrium reaching high above us, with a sealife-themed light show on the walls. We got checked in and were given a complimentary glass of prosecco, and then went our rooms. The rooms were indeed large; one room had a king bed and the other had two twins, all with extra pillows and soft bedding. Each room had a small table and two chairs by the window which looked out over the theatres across the street. The bathrooms were bright and warm; the rain shower was especially enjoyed. The towels were oversized and the amenities were high quality. Complimentary coffee, tea, and bottled water was available in the room. We liked playing around with the LED lighting options - I particularly liked the purple hue.
With regard to service, this place is tough to beat. We had turndown service every evening, which was basically like a second housekeeping with bottles of water and chocolates placed on the bedside tables. The concierge was able to get us Friday night reservations for a nearby restaurant after we had struck out in our attempts to secure dining arrangements. Recommendations for activities, pastries, meat pies, and even a place to get tested for Covid prior to departure were always available. Everyone seemed genuinely interested in ensuring that our stay was perfect.
Alas, not everything went according plan. Upon arrival, my kids detected a dampness in the carpet, but we just assumed that someone had spilled some water. After spending three nights in that room, we discovered that there was, in fact, a seepage of water from the bathroom into the living area, creating a musty odor. We contacted the front desk staff, and within minutes they came to our rooms and acknowledged the problem. The manager on duty immediately set about moving us out of the affected room. He offered us a bottle of champagne for our trouble, which we declined, but when we asked if they could send up some light snacks, they gave us an immediate 50% discount, but at checkout they removed the charge altogether. Very nice.
Ah, the location. The hotel is conveniently located to a couple Underground Stations, including the Covent Garden station with a train that goes all the way to Heathrow. The Charing Cross station is also a very short walk away. But for us, we had no need for any public transit, as we were able to walk everywhere - Buckingham Palace, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, Tate Modern, British Museum, Tower of London, Borough Market, National Gallery. Some of these are a little farther away - the Tower of London is about 2 miles from the hotel, but it's a easy stroll if you're not in a hurry. The bottom line is that you'll see a lot of London from simply going out the front door of the hotel and then choosing a direction in which to walk.
So, this was an excellent experience, even with the inconvenience of the room change. It was very expensive, but entirely worth it for us.
