The 110-year-old Strand Palace as undergone a multi-million pound transformation and the results are pretty incredible.
The 786-room hotel has been brought up to the 21st century, with some art deco touches adding to the charm.
I checked in on a Friday night, with a friendly man greeting us on the door.
The lobby had a cool contemporary feel with polished floors and wood-pannelled walls.
There was also modern art dotted around the place, keeping my eyes distracted.
Check in was swift and we were directed to a newly-refurbished superior king on the 8th floor. Despite it being a king, the room was fairly cosy, especially the bathroom with sloping ceilings.
But with my boyfriend being just under 6ft 2ft, even the most spacious rooms can suddenly look smaller given his stature.
Perks I immediately noticed in the room included the enormous bed, a hefty Bose speaker, USB plugs by the bed and robes in the wardrobe.
I peered out the window but there wasn’t much of view, just into other windows, so I swiftly closed the curtain.
We’d booked in for dinner at the downstairs restaurant at 7pm so we ventured down to check it out.
The lifts were fairly slow – there appeared to be queues the majority of the time – but we weren’t too late to our sitting.
HAXELLS
The hotel’s main restaurant, Haxells, opens out to the main lobby area.
Despite it being open to the elements it has a somewhat cosy feel, with low lighting and booth seating.
Jazz music was playing and there was an eclectic mix of people in to dine, from older couples to solo diners to groups of friends.
We settled into a booth and a friendly waiter came over to serve up the menus.
There’s a nice concise selection of food on offer at Haxells, with a reasonable price point and British fare at the centre of things.
We plumped on the potted duck and hummus plate to share for starters, followed by the grass-fed sirloin and superfood salad for mains.
To wash it down, we kicked things off with two glasses of sparkling Chapel Down English wine.
To follow, my boyfriend went for a glass of Montepulciano (the waiter brought over a Malbec instead) while I went for a vodka martini off the classic cocktails list. With no olives, I went for a lemon twist.
Returning to the food, the potted duck was beautifully textured and the portion was generous in size.
The medium rare sirloin also melted in the mouth and didn’t last long on the plate.
From the dining room, we drifted upstairs to bed. Despite its central location, the hotel room was peaceful and cosy at night, keeping us safe from the elements.
I slept like a log in the comfortable bed and it was hard prizing myself out of it for a 6:30am rise the next day.
Before heading back to Haxells for breakfast, I took a shower.
I loved the bathroom mirror which had a de-steaming function and The White Company bathroom products, but the shower itself was a little tricky to use and it took a while for it to warm up, with low pressure.
There was a fine buffet spread down in Haxells, with everything from smoked salmon to fresh fruit on offer.
The bakery display was pretty seductive, with dozens of pastries and croissants stacked and ready for the taking.
We both commented on how good the coffee was too and the polite waiter came and delivered a whole jug of the good stuff to us.
I duly left the place and was greeted by the same doorman who showed me in.
The Strand Palace isn’t a palace but thanks to its makeover, it certainly makes for a pretty princely night’s stay.
The Strand Palace is located at 372 Strand, London WC2R 0JJ
To book a room or meal in Haxells or its other restaurant Joe Allen, call 020 7379 4737 or visit www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk
