Hotel Rafayel

Friend of mine stayed in the hotel- its amazing- spacious and elegant!
I met him in the hotel's restaurant for a dinner. I was expecting a lot by the look of the menu. BIg disappointment. My starter was ok but the main (had a lamb)... I'm not a fussy eater but I just could not eat that.. I do not know if the rest of the dishes are as bad as my lamb but I would never go back there again.

Lovely hotel .

This review is solely based on attendance at a special Valentines Jazz night - I did not stay in a room or use any of the facilities. 

For Valentines night this year I purchased a ticket for Hotel Rafayel's Valentines Jazz night - complete with Jazz pianist, singer, buffet and glass of bubbly. 
Upon arrival the venue seemed very nice, located on the river with nice views. Due to the popularity of the evening we were unable to park in the hotel car park but were directed across the road to the Homebase car park.

My expectation was to be seated in the hotel restaurant and enjoy a 5* evening. However, we were directed to a seperate room on the third floor. This room had views over the river and we were greeted by friendly staff with a glass of pink bubbly. 

However upon entering the room it was very clear that the event was an eager attempt to make as much money as possible on Valentines day. There were 70 couples cramped together on tiny wobbly tables and chairs. My boyfriend and I were sat within 50cm of the couple of the tables either side of us- large encroaching on our personal space. This lack of space also provided limited room for maneuver when going to the buffet. 

The buffet was opened at 8.30pm - over an hour after we arrived, and the 140 people in the room were expected to queue in line to get their food. This took well over 30 mins for the whole room and even those that got their food first had to put up with other people squeezing past them to sit back down. 

The food itself was of very poor quality - not close to 5* standard at all. We had the selection of a chicken drumstick, basic salad, a slice of garlic baguette, a small square of white fish, plain pasta, plain rice, poor quality beef curry and a spinach based curry. The dessert was even more disappointing -  a very dry chocolate flavoured muffin with ice cream style squeezy chocolate sauce dribbled on top.

The staff who were hosting this event were very few, and although friendly, they were struggling to handle the number of people in attendance. The fact that the room was so small made it difficult for them to circulate the room to clear plates and provide water. As such, we had to ask a waiter 3 times to bring water to our table and our plates were not cleared for a long time after we finished our meal. 

The highlight of the evening was the jazz pianist and singer, which started after the meal had ended and when a majority of people had left, providing me and my boyfriend with more space to relax!

Overall a very disappointing evening. I felt very on-edge and tense throughout, and I would strongly advise against attending one of these "special" events put on by Hotel Rafayel. 

Gorgeous hotel, massive windows with views of the Thames and the helipad nearby makes for amazing views of helicopters landing.. I stayed in the suite and the bathroom has a jacuzzi with a telly. Wonderful, i'd stay again.

Review is for the SPA ONLY – did not stay in hotel.

Executive package booked (1/3 hour deep tissue + 1/2 hour thai compress relaxation massage + use of the facilities) Regular price £110 . 0

The massage was absolutely fantastic, however, the facilities were not 5* as promised more like a very nice 3* spa.

Steam Room is small and cramped, and the sauna is even moreso. Only 2 people could comfortably fit at once, and the whirlpool is also tiny. The ‘high tech’ resistance pool was out of order, as was one of the two female showers. Only one shower working, small locker room and with four other women all getting dressed its a tiny space. Steam room and sauna sit next to the whirlpool so constant noise. Cheap laminated photocopies advising of how to use the shower, and directions, etc cheapened an otherwise well thought out decor. Robes were not 5* thickness or material. With 5* facilities, guests are usually provided with an array of shampoo, deodorant, hairspray, etc.

For the amount charged, and a 5* promise, I would expect a higher level of luxury.

Therapist, however, was brilliant, near perfection.

Definitely stay here.

I've been to many Central London hotels and this is by far the best value for money. I almost feel silly for the amount of money I have wasted at 5* chain hotels to get a tiny room with a view of brick.

Yes, the hotel is in Battersea which may put many people off but the bus 170 goes from Victoria Station literally right outside the Hotel. It only takes half an hour. Plus, the hotel offers a Shuttle Service, straight to Clapham train station, which was more like a taxi service, with a very polite and helpful driver! It's free, but you wouldn't know it by how professional the driver is, even going to extra mile to open and close the doors and give us handy tips on the best route.

I took my boyfriend to Hotel Rafayel for his 23rd Birthday and so booked a Nile Suite. I really would reccomend booking this room as it is only a bit more expensive than the others and offers so much more. The room was HUGE, with a massive bathroom and a dining/lounge area. The rooms are so tech saavy. The temperature and lights can be controlled through the TV's and you can browse the internet on them too. My boyfriend and I were both thankful for the ipod Docks. The view of the river was gorgeous though it was cloudy and rainy most of the time, and I can only imagine how wonderful it is on a bright summer's day! The shower is a waterfall shower with jets and it was amazing! I never wanted to get out. Our room also came with a jaccuzzi, which for £170 is unheard of in Central London Hotels.

You can tell the staff are a little green in hospitality, they are a bit awkward and linger around the corridors early in the morning. When checking out I had a 50p bill to settle but wasn't told upfront what it was for or given a detailed bill. Still, it was only 50p and the young man seemed a bit embarassed even asking for it.

Even though the staff aren't as polished as most 5* hotels I think this makes the Hotel Rafayel even more loveable and unique. We called down to reception a couple times, once to request tooth paste, another to find out how to work the shower, and once more because our remote stopped working. Each time a staff member was up in less than 10 minutes who was polite, efficient and happy to help.

I called in with a special request before we checked in because I had gotten flowers delivered for my boyfriend's birthday and the staff were more than happy to bring it to the room when they arrived. I was so pleased when we walked into the room and the hotel had provided us with cupcakes from the cupcake shop in the lobby and a birthday card for my boyfriend signed by all the staff members - so nice and personal!

Just one thing - The hotel breakfast goes at about 20 quid per person. I am sure the food would be delicious but that is a bit pricy! Even at the Hilton we pay £10pp. There is a Wetherspoons about 10 minutes walk away where you can get a large full english for £5 until 12.00pm.

I give this hotel 5* because our stay was almost perfect and by far the best we have had in England (beat that Waldorf Hilton and Raddisson Edwardian). The Hotel Rafayel is definitely one hotel I will be revisiting time and time again.

If people gave it a chance and didn't get put off by the location it'd be a lot more popular, but I'm sort of glad it isn't.

Hotel Rafayel is one of the great additions of Battersea. In terms of beauty, interior design and style it is a class of its own. The best thing about this top boutique hotel is that I face no hidden charges there, I am one of their biggest supporters they provide me to luxury that is very economically priced for my frequent visits to London. I was always a Balkes/ Sanderson's supporter, now no more; the value is so great and quality far better.

Until now, Battersea has been known as "the middle of nowhere,” thanks to a lack of a Tube stop -- something referenced in the menus at Banyan on the Thames, the in-house restaurant at the recently opened Hotel Rafayel. The Hotel Rafayel Battersea – opened in December to be London’s first luxury hotel that has embraced cutting-edge green technologies creating minimal environmental impact without compromising on 5-star luxury, quality or comfort.

Utilising property own green principles and partnering with global electronics giant Philips, Hotel Rafayel has become one of the first hotels to adopt a strategy to minimize its environmental impact through the proactive use of low emissions technology, setting a high “green” benchmark for future luxury hotels. Imitating the hotel's same glossy style, the decked out restaurant is split across two tiers: one dominated by a long bar and stools, and the other flanked by tables and chairs.

The five-star service offered at the hotel is also carried through to the dining room, where sharp-suited waiters are on hand to take orders with a smile; the mixologist behind the bar, meanwhile, has been pinched from St Martin's Lane. And with fabulous fusion fare served beside views out over the Thames through floor-to-ceiling windows, Banyan on the Thames really does have a winning formula.

With an adjoining hotel that caters to the business crowd, it's hardly surprising that Banyan on the Thames attracts a predominantly white-collared crowd, with BlackBerry-wielding business execs propping up at the bar, conducting conference calls on their cells and downing expertly-mixed mojitos all at the same time.

The dining room, meanwhile, is filled with a mix of the aforementioned business execs, families staying in the hotel and singletons who've ventured out of their rooms for a little something to eat before retiring back to raid the minibar for a nightcap and a pack of nuts. As with any recently opened restaurant, the staff is keen and eager to please and the service is razor-sharp. The good thing about Banyan on the Thames is that, despite its sumptuous surroundings, it's the type of place you can dress up or down for; neither style looks out of place, and that's thanks to its hotel location.

The Cuisine

A measure of the quality of the food and dining

Interestingly for a hotel restaurant, Banyan on the Thames hasn't opted for the safe, food-to-please-all option. In fact, the menu is a daring fusion of styles, with an Asian theme carried across most of its dishes. Highlights on the mouthwatering menu include fish-and-chips Banyan style, fillet of sashimi tuna and rack of lamb served in a pistachio crust.

The cream of the crop, however, is the fillet steak accompanied by shitake mushrooms, green beans, sesame, and a potato rocket puree. Giving any Argentinean restaurant a run for its money, the dish really does the tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat justice.

As for the desserts, they're as decadent as you'd expect, with chocolate brownies, caramelised Indian rice pudding and chocolate Bailey's cream cups as the signature standouts. Refreshing and inventive, Banyan on the Thames proves that hotel restaurants don't always

Look down at your feet and what do you see? An ill-matching pair of socks? An ominous protruding big toe? Or perhaps the whiff of a carbon footprint? In an endeavour to put take my foot off the gas and sleep at a hotel with the burgeoning title of 'eco-friendly' I jumped on the bandwagon to sample the delights of new kid on the Thames-side block Hotel Rafayel. For a rather competitive slashed midweek rate, I opted for the Mississippi Room replete with touch glass panels in ever room, enabling heat control, light control and everything you need to have at your fingertips ;-) Staff were attentive, as I was moved fairly instantaneously to an iPod speaking room, as it was one of my absolute prerequisites prior to booking.

The evening itself was a perfect ten, you'd be hard pressed to have a better Tuesday night mark my words! For more a more extensive overview of the hotel and exclusive competition offers, check out my forthcoming interview with manager Tibor Kiss at our official London blog.