Part of the charm of London is its old buildings and townhomes which often get converted into unique hotel rooms. Not so charming are the small hotel rooms which limit to two people (maybe three) in a room. It gets tricky (and expensive) when traveling with your family of four or more, in groups or with friends who just want their own bed. In the U.S. we are spoiled with standard rooms that have two double beds (double double) that sleeps four quite easily or a king room as standard. Rarely do you see a single twin room for one in the U.S. Finding lodging in London for four can get expensive if you need to split into two rooms, rent a furnished apartment or go luxe with OneFineStay London until now. Now with the conversion of the Cumberland Hotel, one of the largest hotels in London with over 600+ rooms, the new Hard Rock Hotel London has many room configurations, including a double double room (2 Queen beds) that sleeps four in a Family Room.
Bonus is that they also have single rooms which is a nice option for solo travelers, business travelers and families that are bringing grandmom with them (my mom loves her own room).
The Hard Rock Hotel London opened earlier this year and I was able to stay and tour the property a few weeks after it had its soft open (a soft open is the time to get kinks out with staff training and learning of the new property before grand opening). The Hard Rock brand is all about rock and roll and yet the hotels while showcasing the memorabilia are also keen on room design and comfort that isn’t cookie cutter.
Hyde Park Location off of Oxford Street
The hotel is located across from Marble Arch and Hyde Park, next to the Marble Arch tube station and Pret café at the end of Oxford Street (classic shopping)., the Hard Rock Hotel London has a good location to base yourself at and explore the city. The property plays host to many groups, including the tour buses outside, as well as meeting & events. There are a line of black cab taxis outside at the ready for your adventure. Starbucks, pubs, eclectic cafes and restaurants are all around the property as you walk away from Oxford Street.
One of my favorite shops is Selfridges’ Food Hall, a short walk away on Oxford Street. I buy my shortbread biscuits (cookies) there as well as all my favorite chocolates (Melt is a new favorite made in London chocolate) and Blondie’s Kitchen cookies and brownies. If you walk away from Oxford Street and the hotel into the streets of Marylebone, you have great pubs, restaurants like The Grazing Goat for Sunday roast dinner and the amazing art at The Wallace Collection (free entry). Marylebone High Street has lots of boutique shopping, restaurants and pubs.
Tip: First Time to London? Read my London Travel Tips
Hard Rock Hotel London Lobby of Rock and Roll
The Hard Rock Hotel London lobby is filled with the rock memorabilia you are used to seeing at the Hard Rock Cafes and other Hard Rock Hotels around the world. What is unique about this property is that the circular lobby bar faces the café and the stage where live music is presented nightly for free. You can get the chance to discover new music and musicians while enjoying a drink at the bar or eating in the café with the classic Hard Rock café menu.
There are also couches and seating areas between the entrance doors and the front desk which seemed to be filled with people all day and night long.
The lobby also has a Hard Rock Hotel London shop with pins, t-shirts and uniquely London items. For Hard Rock pin collectors, there are exclusive hotel pins.
The concierge/bellman desk is in the middle of the space along the wall and the VIP Check In /Concierge Lounge is behind the standard check in area.
The art and memorabilia are quite special with clothing, handwritten notes and other unique objects. The highlight is a handwritten note on Cumberland Hotel letterhead by Jimi Hendrix
Check In Snafus
The staff were lovely at check in as I arrived a bit before standard check in. I expected to drop my bags and wander over to Selfridge’s Food Hall a short walk away, but they had a room ready for me. Or at least they thought they did. The staff were still learning the room configurations and the computer system at the time so long story short there was a problem with my room assignment.
A few problems actually as I booked a Deluxe Queen room and was given a double room at first (full bed) on the 8th floor. I returned to the front desk and was assigned a new room which they thought was a Queen – it was a Superior Single room on the 7th floor. On the third try (third time’s the charm), the longtime bellman of the Cumberland Hotel was consulted and I was upgraded to a Deluxe King Room on the 5th floor. He confirmed that room # x was a king (where was he with the other room assignments?). The front desk staff were obviously mortified by the errors and issues and I did speak with management on site and after my stay. I chalk this off to soft opening and learning curve. I was offered a few amenities to choose from as an apology – I accepted two free drinks vouchers.
Room Tip: Always be mindful of what room you booked and if you have any questions about the room assigned, speak to a staff member, front desk manager or other manager when onsite so they have the opportunity to correct it immediately. Please don’t wait to bash anyone on TripAdvisor or other travel site after the fact. Staff are keen to make it right when informed.
Elevators, Design and Musician Photos
The elevators are nicely managed with key card assignment. You tap your key card and are sent to the assigned numbered elevator bank. This controlled the usage quite nicely. During my stay, the elevators were quick and most times I was the only person using the elevator.
The hallways are long corridors of black, grey and photos of rock stars on the walls. My landmarks on the floor were turn right at Oasis and right at Sia.
Tip: The hotel is massive and all floors are the same color so find your rock star landmarks to make the trek to your room easier.
The Deluxe King Room Hard Rock London
As I exited the elevator bank, I made note of the Oasis band member on the wall to ensure I went the right way. When I opened the door, the room was obviously much larger than a normal London room. Not only did it have a large King bed, it also had a desk, entertainment area and room to move. In the US we call this a normal sized room, in London it is massive and not the norm. The full length mirror had markings of the height of famous rock stars. Of course, Prince was short which we knew but other details were surprising. I was taller at 5’9” than most. Cute rock and roll history in the decor.
The bedding was decorated with musical notes and the theme carried throughout the room in subtle details. There was a closet with two robes, two pair of slippers, and a coffee/tea maker, and safe, hair dryer and iron/ironing board to use. The minibar was stocked with options and the refrigerator included two bottles of water complimentary. For those coffee readers, there was a Nespresso machine which I heard is a good thing.
The Hard Rock Hotel London Bathroom
The bathroom had a window that opened out which is always nice to have fresh air. The newly renovated area had marble flooring and a sink vanity with a good amount of Rock Spa toiletries. I had to step up into the shower and of course couldn’t figure out dials and switches (it has multiple settings and options) and was soaked with my first time use. The other room categories may have a tub/shower combo or just a shower option like I had.
Tip: If you need a specific bathroom configuration make sure to put in reservation, confirm before arrival and then make sure you confirm at check in. My mom in her late 70’s prefers a walk in shower with no steps.
Entertainment Options
The television had a plethora of options and information on it. Did you know you can order up a guitar to play in room? Or stream a custom playlist? Or even have a turntable and vinyl records delivered for an in room experience? Music is front and center. Sport was not.
The television options at the time did not include sport stations which was quite surprising to me in the land of football. It was a Sunday when Formula One (F1) was on as well as a few major football (soccer) games and yet none were available on the in room television. Thankfully I went to the pub around the corner. You can use hotel wifi to connect your phone to the TV for streaming options (didn’t work for me during my stay as I was going to stream live F1 from my cable tv app).
Tip: Talk to the Concierge if you need help with the television as he was quite nice to offer a few folks to help me.
Hard Rock Hotel Breakfast
The lobby restaurant uses the circular stage shelf to feature a buffet breakfast (was included in my rate). You won’t go hungry with the many options available in hot and cold plates. I did ask for special order eggs over easy as I’m lactose free and many items in buffet were not (i.e. scrambled eggs). The staff were very attentive and accommodating.
Hard Rock Hotel Lunch
For lunch on the day of check-in, I ate in the lobby as it’s been years since I’ve eaten at a Hard Rock Café. I ordered the classic cheeseburger and fries (chips) which were fine as standard fare. The staff were still finding their rhythm with the new hotel and restaurant but were attentive nonetheless. I had a lovely conversation with my server about F1, sport and America.
Other Room Types at Hard Rock Hotel London
Given the mix up at check in, I was able to take photos/video of the other rooms configurations and then had a tour with the Sales Manager. The décor and design is pretty standard across the room options which was nice to see. The Suite option was quite large and for those on a longer visit this is a nice option.
Superior Single (Twin Room)
Finding a single room in London isn’t that easy so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Hard Rock Hotel London in converting the Cumberland Hotel added single rooms. While we all don’t love a twin bed, this option was not that bad. If you want to upgrade your lodging this is a great place to do so. The pricing of the room is reasonable and the website offers promotions, packages and special add ons.
Double/Full Room
This was the first room that I was sent to. It had the bathroom upon entry and then you entered the bedroom. Small room, sleeps two. The room configuration may vary as the historic hotel has so many shapes and sizes. Despite the small size for two, everything you need is within arm’s reach and very comfortable for a few nights.
Deluxe Queen – the original room I booked.
Standard Queen room with all the room features of the other rooms. Funny that I never got to see the room that I booked. During the room assignment mix up and the sales tour, the queen room was not on the agenda.
Deluxe King (see my room info above)
Good amount of space for two people for a comfortable stay of more than one night.
Double/Double (2 Queen Room) – great for families of 4
Popular option so will sell out quickly in my opinion. Two double beds that sleep four comfortably. Kids will like the burger/fries in the lobby, parents will like the breakfast buffet and the modern design as well as the comfort of location. Given that so many London hotels limit the room to three guests, the extra space will matter for a family of four. We did not tour this room type.
Rock Royalty Junior Suite London
The Suite had a wonderful walk in closet which you can easily unpack two suitcases and still have room leftover for shopping! The bathroom has both a shower and a separate tub. The king size bed sits on one side of the room which the living space with couch, desk, chair and bar are on the opposite. It’s a good configuration especially is you are staying longer than a few nights or need entertaining space.
Final Thoughts – Hard Rock Hotel London
The Hard Rock Hotel London is shiny and new. It was quite lovely and my stay was good. I chalk off the check in snafu to being a new hotel still training staff and learning the system. It is a familiar brand of hotel for American families who may have stayed at properties in Orlando and elsewhere. There’s no culture shock here, you can deal with that later trying to figure out what “bubble and squeak” is on breakfast menus and looking left at crosswalks.
As the hotel is massive and they need to put heads in beds, there is a good chance to find great rates in comparison to other hotel options in the city. I keep going back to the word “comfort” and the Hard Rock Hotel London is a comfortable hotel escape in London. Knowing that you can easily explore London by day, enjoy rock music in the lobby at night and retire to your luxury room for the evening no cab required is a nice option. Just remember which rock star is your beacon to finding your room (am assuming you had a few pints as it is London).
