Booking a hotel in London England feels like it’s always a bit of a… sh*t show, I would say. Every hotel has very mixed reviews on Trip Advisor (some for ridiculous reasons, others less so).
Everything is always way more expensive than you want it to be. And there are just SO. MANY. CHOICES. But the Pilgrm (no, that’s not a typo), a London boutique hotel did not disappoint!
London Boutique Hotel
I love a good boutique hotel. When we were planning this trip, I finally settled on The Pilgrm, a very cute hotel in what felt like a modernized old building, nearly on top of Paddington Station. We were really looking for something convenient, and this little spot exceeded all expectations. We knew during our time in London we would have to take a day trip to Brighton (due to the long story with the ancestry visa). That trip would leave from Paddington. We also knew we’d be getting into the city late; our plane would arrive at 8pm London time, and then it would be at least two hours through customs and to get downtown. So we planned on being spat out at Paddington station, and just hopping across to the street to the hotel. It worked perfectly.
Getting a good deal
Because we were traveling in the off-season, I got a winter deal that included our breakfast, and it was the best included breakfast I’ve had. You can choose off the menu, and breakfast included a coffee, a juice, and a hot dish of your choice. Even if you can’t get a deal that includes breakfast, I would highly recommend eating in the hotel at least once. The room is so delightful and quirky, and really the breakfast was very good. Our deal also came with bottomless hot chocolate, from which I’m sad to say we never did benefit!
The Room
The room was small – because we chose a small room – but it was totally adequate. There was lots of hot water, the bed was comfortable, and for a London hotel, it was surprisingly quiet. We had a great view of the bedroom across the alley (not a PG friendly view!) and one evening a man did get violently ill outside our bedroom, but that’s pretty mild for London!
The fixtures in the bathroom were very cute and funky, and it had everything we needed for a three night stay.
The wifi was good all the way through our stay, and the temperature in the room stayed consistently pleasant – a real trick in a hotel.
Have you been to Malpas Village?
The Lounge
Aesthetically, the real hit was the lounge. The main lobby is a kind of cafe space, but up one level is the restaurant seating, and the breakfast nook. With three banquettes and plenty of cute chairs, it was a very popular spot. We did have to wait on our first two mornings for a space for breakfast; when we were in a hurry on our last day, we made sure to arrive early.
The servers were all very friendly, and the whole space felt very cozy.
Checking in and out was very easy, but we did have to complete a form online before arriving, sharing our passport details. This definitely made check in faster, so I’m not sure what the status would have been had we been unable to pre-register.
Location
We were less than five minutes on foot from Paddington station, even with our suitcases in tow, so location-wise it can’t be beat. We didn’t spend much time in the neighbourhood. The one night we stayed in the area, we found dinner at a little Italian place that was decent just down the street, and there seemed to be plenty of restaurant choices. For coffee and breakfast, I think we had the best spot in the block though right in the hotel!
Overall, it was the best spot we’ve stayed in London, and I would absolutely go back if I visit the city again.
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