Just five minutes from Victoria Station - and metres away from Winston Churchill’s old abode, is the chic family-run boutique hotel Eccleston Square Hotel. This five-star establishment is steeped in history - its Georgian terraced building was once a sparkling gathering place for royalty and nobility, and in the 50s it was the P.M Boys Club - a hostel for boys aged 15-18 who worked in the London hotel trade. Today, it’s a unique London hotel, which combines sophisticated interiors with hi-tech touches. It’s probably worth staying here for the beds alone - if you've never experienced a Swedish Hästen massage bed in action, you’ll be absolutely blown away. Read on for our honest review.
Location
A few blocks away from Belgravia - one of London’s most upmarket neighbourhoods - and overlooking the famed private Eccleston Square Garden - the hotel’s location is a winner. It’s a brisk five-minute walk from Victoria Station, but you’d never know it - the street is so calm and quiet. Close by you have Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and several famous theatres - but the icing on the cake is being a few doors down from Winston Churchill’s house (he lived there 1909-1913) and it’s definitely worth going to snap a picture of the blue plaque which proves it. We took an Uber into Covent Garden for £14 and we were there in less than 20 minutes.
Style and Character
The Eccleston Square Hotel is compact yet doesn’t feel cramped - every inch of the hotel has been well thought out and tastefully decorated. The decor theme is a colour wash of blue and grey with colourful pops of mustard cushions and throws.
© Victoria GibbsThere’s a definite masculine feel, with marble surfaces and leather headboards in the rooms, and the minimalism contrasts with the grandiose crystal chandelier-style light fittings which hang above the hotel reception and in the new Minotti guest Lounge. There’s no clue about the chic interiors from the outside - the 19th Century facade of the building is Grade II listed and looks like it’s from a bygone era.
Rooms
The state-of-the-art rooms are the gem in the crown of the Eccleston, and we had the chance to try two of the elegant smart rooms, each with its own individual charm – the Balcony room and the City room.
Walking into the chic monochrome Balcony room, bathed in natural light, your eyes can’t help but be drawn to the view through the gorgeous French doors leading to a terrace overlooking Eccleston Square’s award-winning gardens. The terrace includes a table and chairs, which on the sunny day we stayed there on a business visit, was the perfect place to work while enjoying the surroundings.
Meanwhile, the City room, with artwork representing iconic London landmarks, has its own stunning feature - a view of the London skyline.
Of course the rooms come with the types of amenities one would expect from a hotel of this calibre - a Nespresso coffee machine and mini-bar with two bottles of Evian water, as well as a bathrobe and slippers, umbrella, and adorable shopping bag emblazoned with the hotel logo. Plus of course, a giant 49in Samsung smart TV for Chromecasting our favourite Netflix shows.
But if there’s something that makes the Eccleston Square Hotel stand out, it is details, details, details - ones that go above and beyond. Everything about the rooms is designed for comfort, convenience, elegance and functionality, from the three-way full-length mirror and exclusive room fragrance spray, to the tablet provided as an in-room 'concierge' to plan your visit, request services from the desk or even control your TV.
"As this was my first time in a ‘smart hotel’ I had so much fun exploring the hi-tech functions (and yes, I was thankful there was a ‘How to Use the Room’ video)," says HELLO! Online Lifestyle Editor Karen Silas. "I especially loved the bedside touch controls - lights of course, but also the ability to open and close your curtains, or light up your room’s do not disturb sign, for example - right at my fingertips."
Let’s talk about the massage bed...
The Hästens massage bed, handcrafted in Sweden, is no doubt the highlight of the rooms, even while competing with the beautiful views. The bed was BEYOND comfortable and ventured into heavenly cloud territory.
Remote control in hand, you have not just the ability to raise the head and foot of the bed but there's also a vibrating massage function for head, foot or full body. "It was so soothing it put me to sleep immediately - I don't even remember the massage function going off automatically after 30 minutes," Karen enthuses.
© Victoria Gibbs...not to mention the ‘smart’ bathroom
Whenever staying at a hotel, you should pay very close attention to the bathroom, because that’s where you can really see the true quality of your accommodations. Let’s just say the Eccleston Square Hotel did not disappoint, with the smart functions carrying right into the beautiful marble bathroom.
© Victoria GibbsGlass-walled bathrooms to let in natural light are a big decor trend that's not to everyone's taste. But the Eccleston’s hi-tech bathroom has the solution with touch controls for a ‘Smart Glass’ privacy tint - just touch the button and like magic (well, modern technology) the transparent glass becomes opaque.
It’s supremely modern but the technology never overshadows the ever-present comfort and relaxation factors, which are also infused into the bathrooms, with L’Occitane toiletries and a shower with three different shower heads: a rain shower, fixed and handheld.
Service and facilities
Featuring chic Italian design, the Minotti Lounge, with its cosy fireplace, is a lovely place to relax alone or with friends. If you’re on business, as we were, and need a professional meeting space, the Minotti meeting room – centred around a 103” LED Panasonic Screen – is as modern and luxurious as the rest of the boutique hotel. It has a 14-person capacity and is available for hire (£90 an hour).
© Victoria GibbsDining
Dining has a casual vibe - there's no full in-house restaurant, but, exclusively for guests, the hotel offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For breakfast, you can choose from à la carte morning staples like breakfast bowls and bagel sandwiches, or the light but delicious Continental Breakfast buffet (£14.50), with an array of freshly baked pastries as well as a seasonal fruit selection, cereals, and yogurt. For lunch and dinner, there’s a full menu of bar food – salads, burgers, and the like – and room service, too.
The hotel staff were so helpful and friendly and gave fab suggestions for nearby eateries, including the Chestnut Bakery just a short walk from the hotel, which we truly enjoyed.
Value for money
A five-star hotel in a quiet and extremely well-connected part of central London for this price is well worth it. Rooms start at £220 incl. VAT per night. Book via booking.com
Why you should trust us
As well as being a lifelong travel enthusiast, Katherine Robinson has been reviewing hotels and travel experiences for HELLO! Online for the past decade. Having stayed in hundreds of different hotels across the globe, from boutique hotels on the clifftops of Iceland to overwater cabins in French Polynesia, she’s seen every type of hotel imaginable, and knows what’s fab and what’s drab, and will always tell you the truth.
Karen Silas is a MAD-SEA frequent flyer, and when it comes to travel, her great joy in life is staying in fabulous accommodations, whether five-star luxury hotels, little-known hidden gems or dream AirBnB villas, everywhere from rural areas to major cities and small towns. Her most passionate travel hobby is experiencing Spain's idyllic Paradors– historic buildings ranging from monasteries to castles which have been converted into luxury hotels – having visited 36 of the iconic hotels during her 20 years living in Madrid.
