Guest User
March 1, 2024
The Wellesley Knightsbidge in London has two faces; the genuinely friendly and helpful staff and the most inept and clumsy interior decorating ever encountered in a so-called five star (very expensive, £800 a night) luxury hotel. We were shown to our deluxe executive room # 505 which was so crammed with furnishings it was hard to even move around the bed. Shockingly, the bathroom's exterior wall was entirely clear glass that led to a tiny balcony! Thankfully there were drapes to allow bathroom privacy. We were shocked that, except for four small drawers in the nightstands there were no drawers to store things at all. The closet for hanging clothes was adequate, but still no drawers! We immediately said this was unacceptable, and after discussion with management, we accepted a "deal" on a small suite #501 for £200 (British Pounds) extra more per night. It had four adequate drawers and a tightly furnished living room which came with it. We should have merely moved to another hotel, but after weeks of travel in the fabulous UK, we were too tired. The king bed was quite comfortable although needlessly overloaded with bolsters, upholstered pillows (with no place to store them!), plus 4 nice regular pillows. But the area around the bed was only a bout 30 cm or about 12 inches. That meant at the foot of the bed only one person could access the closet or get by at a time. Had the hotel's interior designer not opted for very thick - about23 cm or 9 inch - deeply tufted head board, guests would have been a little less crammed. The room had a bit of a strange smell as maybe from a pet and the carpet and sofa were stained, not horribly but noticeably. The bathroom was nicely tiled with highly polished matched marble, so one had to be extra careful to avoid slipping. We found getting in and out of the bub too slippery - treacherous after one use. The bathroom amenities in pump dispensers barely emitted the products, but you could get enough out, if you were diligent. Unlike to many other reviewers who complain of the smoke, the all pervasive cigar smoke in the lobby and lower floors did not seep into our vents, but it is strange that the hotel has two cigar friendly lounges without emphasizing that on their website. The Wellesley Knightsbridge is proud of its name which is printed over and over on most everything, but you might want to stay elsewhere, perhaps one closer to variety of restaurants, pubs, etc.