Hotel 41 — Hotel in London

I have to write the review I wished I could have read before booking. We booked this hotel through Costco travel for our honeymoon and first trip to London so it was a very big deal to us. To say we were disappointed was an understatement.

Starting with the good. The location of the hotel has convient proximity to the tube and is close to shopping and a few restaurants. The room was quiet for the most part* but more on that later. The bed was reasonably comfortable. We received a card and small cake upon arrival congratulating us on our honeymoon. There were candies and pillow spray gifts on our pillows every evening. The room was clean(ish) though very dated.

On to the bad. Room was small, cramped, and cluttered. Unfortunately, this hotel smells like something died in it and it was almost unbearable. We kept the window open every second we were in the room, which we absolutely dreaded returning to each night. The entire time we were in the room we had sore throats and trouble breathing which would disappear when we left for the day and reappear when we returned. THE SMELL IS NAUSEATING and it permeates the entire hotel. To the point where we couldn’t stomach eating the included breakfast anymore(which was average at best) or any of the hotel food for that matter. The sink and bath didn’t drain well and there is a three foot hike to climb into the tub which wasn’t comfortable. The clientele of the hotel is geriatric and the vibe is stuffy and uncomfortable. The staff went through the motions but no one was truly welcoming or warm. We felt tolerated at best. On a Saturday night at 10pm the fire alarm went off for a minute and there was a loud commotion outside our room. We were worried and called down to the front desk. They told us it was a drill and everything was fine. More loud commotion. They called us back two times after to tell us nothing is wrong and did we want something? Extremely bizarre! Then for the checkout they arbitrarily added £20 a day as a discretionary service charge and a £1 vague, nonspecific charity donation. There was nothing about this in the Costco fine print and this isn’t typical for London. No one I know who has stayed in London paid this. It felt like they were trying to take advantage of us being foreign tourists. We asked them to take it off and tipped our maid directly.

Overall, a very disappointing stay. Idk how this is called a 5 star hotel because it absolutely isn’t. We are no strangers to 5 star hotels and often prefer small boutiques over large chains but my God we should have went with a large chain because this place put a real damper on our visit to London. I would never recommend to my...

I chose Hotel 41 because of the excellent reviews and what seemed like personal attention to their guests. I booked this hotel for my parents, who are both in their mid-70s. Even though they are well-travelled and competent, I wanted to make sure that they had people looking out for them. Their stay was 6 nights. The other advantage to this property is its location and the fact that it is only a 5-minute walk to Victoria Station, where my parents would be taking most of their tours.

The communication prior to arrival was excellent, and I was even encouraged to forward their itinerary while in London.

Once they arrived at the Hotel, they had a few maintenance issues with their room and were feeling a little unsure. However, it is my belief that issues will always come up, especially with old, historic properties, but it is how they are handled is important.

I have been in properties, even high-end establishments, that will blame the guest for the failing or try to pass the blame in some other way. I wrote to the Hotel with some trepidation over how our misgivings would be handled.

Well, I was completely blown away by the immediate and positive response. The Hotel went above and beyond in every respect. One of the staff members even walked my parents to their tour on the British Pullman train tour. My Mom later told me she didn’t think they would’ve found it without their help, as it leaves from a different part of Victoria Station. This is just one example of many kind and courteous gestures that my parents experienced while staying at Hotel 41. On their last night at the Hotel, my Mom told me she wished she could stay instead of transferring Hotels to meet up with a separate tour. This is undoubtedly high praise and made me feel I had put my trust in the right people and the right hotel.

I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a high level of service and care, which seems to be a fleeting commodity in today’s world. The culture of the management is one of constructive cooperation with dignified and service-oriented distinction.

I can’t thank the staff and management of Hotel 41 enough for their kind engagement with me and for caring for my parents as if they were their own. It was a truly positive and...

This is a five star write-up, but there are areas for improvement. We will get there, but the staff are amazing and so is the respite that is the executive lounge. The rooms are decent size for London. We paid just over $1k per night for the king room. It was very quiet, but given that it is that much, the plumbing fixtures and overall design of the bathroom entry was puzzling. That strange European half shower window is present and getting in and out of it was an exercise in prudence (yes, I realize this is an old building in a monumentally old city, so there are limitations on revision...still). The bathroom is quite small with almost no place to put your toiletries. We were there for the height of tourist season and outside, near Buckingham Palace was a literal mob scene every day, but the 41 was a sanctuary from that madness. Drinks in the Executive Lounge are pricey, but their bartenders certainly know their way around a Cosmopolitan. Breakfast is seventy pounds for two and is quite an excellent affair. The customers are typical, upscale types that were either boisterously loud or quiet and reserved. The staff quietly put up with all of them with efficiency, though they tend to stare at you and when you pass in the hall they lay flat against the wall like you are passing royalty. This is completely unnecessary and off-putting at times, but again, they are a tremendous asset. Luggage to and from the room was flawless and they held our friends' luggage who were only with us for the day as if they were hotel residents. Dinner at the Curry Room is excellent at the Rubens Hotel which is literally attached to the 41. Bottom line: If you must visit London (another story there I suppose), Hotel 41 can be your upgraded home away from home. If you want modern plumbing and showers, you'll need to spend the extra British Pounds and go to the Mandarin or Peninsula. But you will pay dearly for that. Restaurants in the area of the 41 are outstanding, with a special note re Quilon (Southeast Indian); three blocks away and...