Crowne Plaza London St James

Crowne Plaza London - St. James

Hotel Class: 4.5 out of 5 stars4.5 Stars - 5 Reviews and 852 Opinions

45 - 51 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1 E6AF, United Kingdom

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88%

of people enjoy staying here

4.0 our of 5 stars 857 Opinions

Excellent
 
367
Very Good
 
287
Average
 
118
Poor
 
66
Terrible
 
19

Our Members Say

  • kevin725 profile photo
  • Reviews: 2

5 out of 5 starsUser Rating

Had a great stay here

My partner and I had a nice stay here. We were there from 09/20 until 09/27. Room service was great. Very close to Buckingham Palace and Victoria Station. Concierge and front desk were very helpful.

Unique Quality: Computer room was very comfortable. Courtyard very nice.

  • Opinion of Price: N/A
  • Related to: Historical Travel, Arts and Culture, Architecture

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  • Derbylamb10 profile photo
  • Reviews: 1

1 out of 5 starsUser Rating

2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

Just Terrible

My wife and I travel to London and stay in the city two – three times per year. We love the central / convenient location of the Crown Plaza, St. James and have had a number of positive experiences over the past 5 -6 years.

This past visit, (22 – 24 September), was absolutely terrible.

The problems began at check-in:
- two very inexperienced young women (with no apparent supervision) at the check-in desk
- our room (booked on their internet site) only had a double sized bed; despite the fact that the internet site referenced a “queen sized” bed
- when we complained about the size of the bed and the mis-representation of the internet description, the front desk clerk told us “this happens all the time with Americans” (!!)
- we were then moved to a room with two double beds pushed together (room 229)
- while larger, this room was old, in a terrible state of repair (cracked tile, door), was very dirty (carpets stained, odd stains on the walls), was positioned on the property such that we couldn’t log on to the internet, was hot (…and the air conditioning didn’t work)
- daily newspapers we ordered at check in didn’t arrive
- “complementary” water bottle in room was already opened (creepy) and top replaced
- on day of departure, we discovered we were only provided ONE TOWEL (for two people)
- in addition, on day of departure, the apparent “supervisor” knocked repeatedly on our door asking “when we were going to leave” the hotel!!!
- No member of the hotel staff was a native English speaker – which made communication difficult; and, I believe, was used by the hotel to avoid having to deal with our issues
- (Conveniently) the front desk did not have any customer feedback forms; no customer feedback forms in the room either (surprise, surprise)
- breakfast was incredibly expensive; poorly stocked; and as above, no member of staff spoke English – other than to ask repeatedly if we’d completed their room charge form !!!

Absolutely the worst visit we’ve ever had to a Crown Plaza property.

  • Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
  • Related to: Seniors

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  • Robin922 profile photo
  • Reviews: 135

4 out of 5 starsUser Rating

As close as you can get to Buckingham Palace Gate

A interesting hotel housed in a 1700's building. All the amenities you would expect are there. The bathroom has a lot of space and a full size bath tub. In room internet for a not so cheap charge. The room is a bit small, but large enough for two people.

The carpet in some of the halls, does need to be replaced (had rips and holes) however in some ways kind of went the the hotel decor.

The restaurant offers a nice selection for dinner and informal, but still has that British class.

Staff was very friendly and helpful. The only weakness I found with the staff was the housekeeping. One day they forgot to leave us any towels. Also the ashtray next to the elevator was never touched during our entire stay! The same butt was there for 4 days.

Unique Quality: With this being a 'mature' building, you might say it has a bit of personality. Walking through the hotel is much like a maze, with narrow halls. However they have placed signs up to help you find your way. The elevators are a bit shaky, but only one broke down during our stay.

For the tourist, this is a perfect location. Being only minutes from the palace gates and a stop for the 'hop on, hop off' tour bus. You can go site seeing with out much effort.

While this hotel is GREAT for location, it also offers an unique experience to stay there.

  • Opinion of Price: about average
  • Related to: Historical Travel, Castles and Palaces, Romantic Travel and Honeymoons

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  • Paula&Matt profile photo
  • Reviews: 29

1 out of 5 starsUser Rating

Not as good as you might think

I stayed here on a Friday and Saturday night in late September 2006 on business.

Would I stay here again? Er, no.

Why not? Well, at £179/night I thought that the carpets in the hallway really shouldn't be as tatty as they were (the foyer of course is spotless), that the elevators should actually work to save me lugging baggage and laptop up three flights of stairs, and that it ought to have some decent sound insulation between walls/windows, given that it's a 4 start hotel (allegedly). It does not.

The man in the next room to me coughed, and I actually thought there was someone in the same room (I was in Room 315 in case you're interested). Noise travels down the hallways like you wouldn't believe, and if you're unfortunate enough (like me) to be situated on the front wall of the hotel facing the street, then you better pack earplugs if you plan on actually getting any sleep, because when the garbage men come round at whatever unearthly hour they did (on both nights that I stayed), you will get woken up when them empty 10,000 bottles (or what sounds like it) out of wherever it is they are emptying. A TraveLodge has better sound insulation.

Oh, and my (male) business colleague and I shared a room - a delight (not). It was a twin, but the beds were close enough so that if he mistook me for his wife in the night, we'd have been in a lot of trouble.

Unique Quality: Ha!

The noise, the carpets, the elevators. Oh, and not forgetting the big, noisy bar attached onto the side of the hotel. But it is 5 minutes walk from Buck House and Jim's Park if that's what floats your boat. Otherwise - avoid. Usual overpriced London tat.

  • Opinion of Price: more expensive than average

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  • LisaMJ profile photo
  • Reviews: 93

4 out of 5 starsUser Rating

3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

Great Location

The entrance and lobby are impressive.....polished dark wood, marble, comfy lounge sofas.

The rooms a a little less modern than anticipated after seeing the lobby (as I usually like modern hotels), although my mother described it as quaint English style - so if thats what you are after you may like it. It has everything you need, and is spotless, but it was maybe a little 'English' for my liking as opposed to International.

One plus was that our standard room no. 558 had a door opening onto a balcony, where we overlooked the pretty central courtyard with fountain. I imagine on a summers day this would be lovely.

The bathroom is spotless, marble, with great shower. In comparison with my parents rooms next door, our bathroom was smaller but he bedroom bigger, and vice versa for my parents. I personally didn't class the room as small at all. There was a lounge chair, coffee table, 2 bedside tables, a desk, TV with about 10 channels, and mirrored bar alcove, with plenty of room for the 2 of us.

The hotel apparently has a gym, although because we were only there one night we didn't use it. There is also a sauna and jacuzzi but no pool. Also within the hotel are 3 restaurants, and 2 bars. The bar we have visited many times before on previous trips is Zanders, which has the longest bar in Europe. Expect to pay a good £20 for a round, the same applies to the Hampton bar inside the hotel, where a Baileys, 2 whisky & Cokes and a Mai Tai cocktail were £28.

Victoria tube station was baout 5-7 mins walks, past several cafes, cash points and if you must, a Mcdonalds & Burger King - all around the Victoria area.

St James Park tube station is closer, although we didn't use that one.

Unique Quality: The best thing for me was the location. It's not too far from the tube, it's on Buckingham gate which always feels very 'London' to me, and you are only 2 mins walk from the Queens house so that can't be bad.

One of the best parts was getting off at Green Park tube station, and walking through the park, past the palace and then to the hotel, in total only a 15 minute walk.

As a general rule, I really woulnd't worry which area of London you stay in, as long as it's relatively safe, and you are near a tube station, then you are sorted.

  • Opinion of Price: about average
Crowne Plaza London St James Photo: Courtyard of Cronw Plaza Buckingham Gate

Crowne Plaza London St James Photo: Courtyard of Cronw Plaza Buckingham Gate

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More about Crowne Plaza London St James

Enjoyed the Crown Plaza St. James Hotel and Suites

by TripAdvisor Member Rosebud9802

My family and I stayed at the Crown Plaza St. James Hotel and Suites on the nights of August 21st, 2004 and August 22nd, 2004. I had e-mailed the hotel previously requesting to check-in early because our flight arrived into the London Heathrow airport at 7:00 in the morning. I received a response within 24-hours from the manager who would be happy to add on to our reservation that we would be checking in early.
The Crown Plaza is in an excellent location and within walking distance to the major tourist attractions in London. Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and the pier where the boats embark for rides on the Thames are all about a 10-15-minute walk away.
The concierge was very helpful in arranging our tours and taxis. The whole staff was very polite and courteous.
The hotel has a business center, spa, game room, store, and restaurants.
The room we stayed in was the typical European style room. Our room had a balcony and overlooked the garden, patio, and restaurant, which was very lovely. The hotel was very clean.
The only negative I have about the Crown Plaza was there were only two small elevators. The first day we were there the 2nd elevator was not working. Therefore, only one elevator was working and it was incredibly slow.
Overall, I would definitely stay again and recommend the Crown Plaza St. James Hotel and Suites to anybody traveling to London. The Crown Plaza is expensive, but very well worth the money.

Will be back to the Crowne Plaza for our next London visit

by A TripAdvisor Member

My husband, sister-in-law and I thouroughly enjoyed our stay at the Crowne Plaza St. James. The location is excellent in regards to all tourist attractions, the hotel is beautifully kept, and the rooms were the largest I have ever seen in several trips to Europe. I especially appreciated the large bathroom with the heated towel rack! We stayed in a king superior room, which I would highly recommend for it was much larger than my sister-in-law's deluxe for not that much more money.
The afternoon tea served in the Hamptons lounge was one of the best we had in London, and for a very reasonable price. Another hotel restaurant, Bistro 51, is over-priced with bad food and bad service, and I would not suggest this location as a worthwhile dining location.
The one word of caution that I will offer to those thinking of making a stop at this hotel is to ask for a room in the front side of the hotel. The backside of the hotel is essentially the playground for an elementary school and the windows offer absolutley no relief from the noise. If you like sleep stay in the front half of this hotel, or hope that the kids are on holiday for the majority of your vacation (as they were for ours).

Rooms need to be cleaned properly

by TripAdvisor Member Kramax

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza St James twice during August 2004. The first time I got a deluxe room and it was great, found a slodge of jam (raspberry!) on the inside drawer of the desk, but aside from that, the room was great with a hallway and a great, clean bathroom, which was quite large. The staff were fine, no complaints, some queues at reception both times, but hey, utilise express checkout. The second time I stayed, it was in a standard room and what a come down! The bathroom floor was dirty and the tiles in the shower were smeared and had not been cleaned prior to my arrival. The standard rooms are fine for space though, and not poky. The bed was very soft, so if you have a bad back, better to stay elsewhere. The meals were fine, no complaints and the staff good. There is an ice machine on every second floor which is handy. I think if the staff were trained on how to clean a room properly, the place would be more desirable. If I had booked the standard room first, I would have skipped the Crowne Plaza a second time.

Great location in London

by TripAdvisor Member neil1

We enjoyed our stay at the Crowne Plaza St. James. The hotel is in a good location between Victoria Station and St. James underground. For some reason there were no taxis at Victoria Sta. when we arrived, so we had to walk to the hotel. A hassle with luggage, yes, but I asked for directions in a local shop. The three people working there all knew exactly where it was.
We had the standard room which was fine. The bathroom was large by London standards. We requested extra bath towels and received them everyday without any problems. Face cloths seemed to be in short supply; a few days we did not have them. I requested them and they did find them.
We had no problems walking from St. James tube station to the hotel after dinner or theatre, as this is probably one of the safest areas in London-no need to waste money on taxis.
Another advantage to this hotel is that it is not on a busy street, so it does not have the noise problems so common with most European city hotels.
Just down the street is the Albert pub, whose upstairs has an excellent carvery style restaurant for reasonable prices.
One word of warning though: Do not make outgoing calls from the hotel room. I inquired at the front desk what the cost was (it is not posted anywhere in the hotel info. book in the room) and was told 30 pence per minute. Two local phone calls totalling 8 minutes cost amost 26 pounds-more than 10 times the rate they told me. When I asked about this charge, the reply was that the number I called (in London) was a mobile phone, and thus more expensive.

Dirty room and poor service. Stay somewhere else!

by A TripAdvisor Member

I booked into the Crowne Plaze St James's for a one night stay in December 2004. At check in, I was told that I had been allocated a suite. Obviously I thought this was a bonus - however, the suite turned out to be in a different building which trades as 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and is not even part of the main hotel (it requires a walk across a courtyard into a different entrance).

The suite was by far the dirtiest and most tired hotel room I have ever stayed in (and I stay in hotels 3+ nights every week). The carpets and walls were stained, the wallpaper was torn and there was mould on the walls in the bathroom. The table in the living area was broken and none of the furniture matched properly. No room service was available. Overall, the general ambience was that of a student flat which hadn't been refurbished since the 1970s.

I had arrived late at night and so decided not to make a fuss that evening (how British!), but instead to make some comments to the staff at checkout the next morning. Having expressed my disappointment to the reception clerk, all I got was a generic "I'm sorry" but no sense that the clerk was at all bothered or thought it a problem. I then asked to speak to the duty manager who, after a 5 minute wait, arrived and offered to make sure I had a good room on my next visit. Talk about missing the point.

There are lots of good hotels in London - my strong advice would be to avoid the Crowne Plaza St James's and stay somewhere else.

Forum Posts

Help with Transportation from London Hotel to Heathrow

by tdaydesign

What is the best way to get from the Crowne Plaza St James to Heathrow airport for 3 people with lots of luggage? Any idea of the cost?

Re: Help with Transportation from London Hotel to Heathrow

by Karensa

Try this website. You can book a taxi ahead of time and they will give you a set fare so even if you're stuck in traffic on the trip to Heathrow, it will be the fare you were quoted.
http://heathrow.airporttaxis-uk.co.uk/qqto.htm

I think you have to pay in advance though.

Re: Help with Transportation from London Hotel to Heathrow

by tdaydesign

Thanks to everyone for the info. I have booked now, one less thing to worry about!!
Toni

 
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LisaMJ profile photo

 The best thing for me was the location. It's not too far from the tube, it's on Buckingham gate which always feels very 'London' to me, and you are only 2 mins walk from the Queens house so that can't be bad.

One of the best parts was getting off at Green Park tube station, and walking through the park, past the palace and then to the hotel, in total only a 15 minute walk.

As a general rule, I really woulnd't worry which area of London you stay in, as long as it's relatively safe, and you are near a tube station, then you are sorted. 

14614 members live in London

 
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 Crowne Plaza London St James

We've found that other people looking for this hotel also know it by these names:

Crowne Plaza London
London Crowne Plaza

Address: 45 - 51 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1 E6AF, United Kingdom

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