Review: InterContinental London Westminster

Weekend Write-Up: London, Part I
Weekend Write-Up: London, Part II
Review: InterContinental London Westminster
Review: LHR BA Galleries First Lounge

During our whirlwind weekend in London earlier this month, we stayed at the InterContinental London Westminster. Making our stay somewhat comical was the fact that on the day we checked out, the hotel was re-branded from InterContinental to Conrad Hilton. It is now actually the Conrad London St. James.

One of the best parts about my surprise trip to London earlier this month was the absolutely wonderful hotel that we stayed at while we were there. Chris booked two nights at the InterContiental London Westminster (now the Conrad London St. James) and the hotel was absolutely amazing. Not only was the hotel gorgeous, but the location was absolutely perfect. It was a 5 minute walk to Westminster Abbey, the Thames, Big Ben, and the London Eye, a 10 minute walk to Buckingham Palace, and it was directly across the street from the St. James tube station, which runs both the Central and District lines. It really could not have been any better in terms of location and since we were in London for such a short time (less than two full days), it made a huge difference for us being able to get where we needed to go!

We arrived at the hotel at around 5PM and noticed that the signage outside had been taken down in preparation for the change-over. We arrived on August 30 and the switch was set to happen on September 1 - the day we were checking out.

InterContinental London Westminster Exterior

We made it into the lobby and were able to check in. Unfortunately, we got a room on the second floor, which meant there was no view to speak of, but that was no matter, because we really were not planning on spending much time in the room anyways. 

InterContinental London Westminster Lobby

InterContinental London Westminster Lobby

InterContinental London Westminster Hallway

InterContinental London Westminster Hallway

The entire hotel was decked out in gorgeous wood walls and accents and I really loved it. Our room also had a heavy dosage of wood and was a bit small (although that's what you expect in London), but was definitely beautifully appointed. Our room had a small hallway when you walked in that led to the bathroom and the bedroom. We had a king room with a desk and a very nice bar area with a Nespresso machine and a glass to suit your every need. The television was cleverly mounted behind a very unique glass panel and the sound was also piped into the bathroom in case you wanted to listen to Top Gear while you're in the shower. 

InterContinental London Westminster King Room Entrance

InterContinental London Westminster King Room

InterContinental London Westminster King Room

InterContinental London Westminster King Room

InterContinental London Westminster King Room

InterContinental London Westminster King Room Desk

InterContinental London Westminster King Room Bar

InterContinental London Westminster King Room Minibar

The bathroom was definitely my favorite thing in the room. It was gorgeous with really beautiful dark wood surrounding the vanity, a rain shower, separate toilet area, and a full bath tub. I didn't realize until the morning we checked out, but you can control the sound from the TV in the bathroom with a knob to the right of the sink.

InterContinental London Westminster Bathroom

InterContinental London Westminster Bathroom

InterContinental London Westminster Bathroom

InterContinental London Westminster Bathroom

The toiletries weren't particularly memorable. They were Aromatherapy Associates branded and there was a box under the sink with extra items like shower cap, shoe shine kit, etc.

InterContinental London Westminster Toiletries

Immediately outside of the bathroom was the closet, which was a nice built-in with a safe, an umbrella, an iron, and the ever-present English tea kettle.

InterContinental London Westminster King Room Closet

For dining options, you can visit the attached Blue Boar Restaurant, which features contemporary British dining (and is also fully appointed with plenty of dark wood in addition to boar head decorations) or the tea lounge next to the lobby, which serves an afternoon tea. We had breakfast at the Blue Boar on our first morning and it was a bit pricy. To be quite honest, I didn't think the food was particularly great for what you were paying. 

Interestingly, because of the transition from InterContinental to Conrad (and because of our jet lag), we actually witnessed a couple of brief transitions happening around midnight - our wi-fi, which had been a bit touch and go, went out at midnight and didn't come back for several minutes. When it returned, the network name had switched from InterContinental to HHonors. In addition, the welcome screen on the TV also switched from InterContinental to Hilton. It was quite amusing to see the changes made right before our eyes and it looked to me like the transition was going to be quite smooth, which was impressive. 

Overall, our stay at the InterContinental London Westminster was excellent and I would absolutely stay at this hotel again when I return to London. It was beautiful, conveniently located, and really suited all of our needs very well. That being said, Chris did mention that the hotel was "worth it" at the InterContinental rates, but may not be at the Conrad rates. 

Happy Travels!

Read more about my trip to London: 

Weekend Write-Up: London, Part IWeekend Write-Up: London, Part II