Review: London Hilton on Park Lane

In September 2022, my father and I went on a quick three-day trip to England to catch a football game. Our base was the London Hilton on Park Lane, the first ever Hilton to land in the U.K.

It also happened to be the weekend before Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, so London was busier than ever.

Booking (September 2022)

London is notorious when it comes to expenses. On average, the nightly rate for a standard room at the London Hilton on Park Lane is about £400. 😱

We were lucky enough to offset our costs with two Hilton Free Night Rewards, one for each night. The booking itself was a standard room reward at 80,000 points a night, or 160,000 points for the stay.

During the weekend of our visit, the room rates soared to nearly £1,000 a night because of the Queen’s funeral. At that price, 80,000 points worked out to about 1.9 cents per point (cpp), which made those two free nights all the more valuable.

Location

The hotel sits right in the heart of Mayfair, with views of Hyde Park and the London skyline from its upper floors. Many attractions are within walking distance, and the transport links nearby are excellent.

Getting there from London Heathrow Airport is a breeze: a 45-minute subway ride on the Piccadilly line, then a 5-minute walk from Hyde Park Corner station.

Lobby & Check-In

In contrast to the outdated exterior, the lobby boasted an elegant interior design.

We arrived around noon, and our Hilton Diamond status worked in our favour: the staff kindly let us check in early. It felt like a true blessing, since we were utterly exhausted from a long red-eye flight.

Room (King Hilton Guestroom)

Although we didn’t receive any room upgrades on this stay, it was understandable considering the hotel was fully booked due to the funeral proceedings of the Queen.

We stayed in a King Hilton Guestroom, the hotel’s standard room, for two nights. My dad and I shared the king bed, and the room was quite spacious for the two of us.

There was an armchair by the window, and a desk with a TV showing a welcome message.

The view was okay, but I think it could’ve been better. We looked out over rooftops and trees, and I still snapped a photo at sunset.

1 / 4

Bathroom

The bathroom had a bathtub with a shower and a granite vanity with a lit mirror. Towels were stacked on a shelf above the tub.

There was also a magnifying mirror next to the sink.

1 / 2

Closet, Safe & Minibar

The closet came with an iron, an ironing board and a luggage rack. The in-room safe sat right below a shelf with the hairdryer.

The minibar fridge was empty, and a drawer held glasses and a bottle opener. If you bring your own drinks back to the room, you’re set.

1 / 4

Executive Lounge

London Hilton on Park Lane has an executive lounge that you can access as a Diamond member, or by booking a lounge access room. It’s on a low floor, so don’t expect expansive views.

However, the food surpassed my expectations. Three different spreads a day (breakfast, afternoon tea and evening canapés) is amazing for a hotel lounge.

During my stay, the lounge was open daily from 7am to 10pm, with these hospitality hours:

• Breakfast: 7 to 11am
• Pastries: 2 to 4pm
• Canapés: 5 to 7pm
• Alcoholic drinks: 5 to 8pm

Breakfast

Breakfast went from croissants, muffins and a fresh honeycomb to cold cuts and smoked salmon. The hot side covered the English breakfast staples: sausages, baked beans, bacon, grilled tomatoes and scrambled eggs.

There were also fresh fruit, cereals, yogurts and plenty of bread.

1 / 13

Afternoon Tea

In the afternoon, the lounge put out three kinds of scones (plain, raisin and chocolate) with strawberries and sauces. There were also a couple of savoury canapés, chocolate domes and orange macarons.

1 / 8

Hors d’oeuvre / Canapés

From 5pm, the evening canapés came out: breaded prawns, spring rolls, spicy chicken wings and a few salads, plus cheese and charcuterie. To drink, there was beer and cider on ice, wine and a shelf of spirits.

1 / 12

Amenities

Unfortunately, the London Hilton on Park Lane does not have a pool. It does have a gym, and it used to have a restaurant on the 28th floor.

Galvin at Windows

I typically don’t go to expensive restaurants or have much of an appreciation for fine dining (I’m more of an “eat to live” kind of guy). But I wanted to treat my dad to a special experience and spend some quality time together.

I had heard excellent reviews about Galvin at Windows, the restaurant on the 28th floor of the hotel. It has since closed.

We went for the three-course set menu, which wasn’t overly expensive at £45 per person. Since we had plans to catch a football game later on, we skipped the wine and planned to enjoy beer at the stadium instead.

Our plates were the warm pork and black pudding terrine, the cured Faroe Islands salmon, the Cornish pollock, the confit duck leg and a blackberry soufflé.

1 / 7

Gym

The gym is fully equipped. Yes, “fully equipped”, from cardio machines to dumbbells to a Smith machine.

I was eager to get a workout in, but my legs were already dying from all the walking around London. In the end, I settled for some stretching and called it a day.

1 / 9

Final Thoughts

The London Hilton on Park Lane definitely met my expectations. The building may look old from the outside, but I can tell they’ve made a continuous effort to keep the interior modern while preserving the old-fashioned decor.

I was especially impressed by the quality of the executive lounge.

While it remains uncertain whether I’ll be able to afford a £400-a-night hotel on my next visit to London, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.

Have you stayed at the London Hilton on Park Lane? Let me know in the comments!