Sofitel St. James

I know....if you stay in a 5 star luxury hotel, expect it to be pricey. The room was just under the £300 and by the time you add breakfast and evening drinks, you won't get much change from £400. That said the rooms are good and the service is superb. Breakfast was a delight (even at £25.00!) and the service in the (rather small) bar was superb (even though a bottle of beer was over £6!)

Is this 'Rip off Britain' or just 5 star prices for 5 star service in the centre of London? I'll let you decide.

Sofitel St James is centrally located - 5 minutes walk from both Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square - meaning it is accessible by tube. Whilst on a main thoroughfare, I would recommend taking a map unless you know London well. It’s quite easy to take a wrong turn.

My wife and I stayed here for a weekend in October 2008. We found the staff to be very accommodating without being intrusive. The public areas were simple, but impressive. The interior had been sympathetically furnished to complement the archtiecture of the building. The rose lounge is unique and makes you feel as though you in someone’s home, rather than a chain hotel. The bar, overpriced as you would expect, is pleasant enough for a drink before going out or when returning. All very comfortable and secluded. The restaurant obviously has a good reputation, but with so much selection in the area, it didn’t really appeal sufficiently for us to eat there.

The rooms are tastefully furnished - genuinely antique furniture and the bed was wonderfully comfortable. Most impressive was the bathroom, which defintely has a “wow” factor. It ticks all the boxes for a romantic weekend. It would be fine for those on a business trip, although some people might prefer a larger room. The views are pretty uninspiring - in our case overlooking a flat roof.

Sofitel represents decent value for money in the area. I wouldn’t say it is truly outstanding, but delivers everything you would expect for a hotel in this price range. Would stay again and recommend. However, if you are looking for something really special, I suspect there are better options.

My favourite Hotel in London. I stay here whenever I come. In particular I like the design of the rooms. Anything but overloaded. a bit minimalistic in design, but lacking no comfort.

Expensive, but on a comparative level good value for the money.