The Athenaeum Hotel

We stayed here in May 2916. Our stay got off to a very bad start, disastrous actually.
BEWARE: If you are over 65, helping others with their bags, and on a long trip with heavy bags, you darn well better be prepared to carry all your bags up a narrow, twisting stairway while not even knowing whether or not you’re headed in the right direction. There is a rather obscure sign – it’s just not placed where it would do a new arrival any good. It’s posted at the top of that flight of stairs, a route you must first navigate while you’re not even sure whether it’s the right way.
If we hadn’t pre-​paid for the room, I’d have gone somewhere else once I tried to make the turn in the staircase. Assuming I’d even be able to make it back down!
During our 3-​day stay we did occasionally see a doorman. But be prepared and forewarned: you may have to do this all on your own.
Once checked in, everything was all right.
The room was spacious, well-​decorated, stylish and clean. Ours had a Nespresso machine. Although I’ve had 3 Nespresso machines, I needed help to learn the tricky way this one operated.
The breakfast was good (see photos) but incredibly expensive.

Prime location, beautiful rooms, yet not a great experience. The current construction is just awful. There is a loud jackhammer pounding away for most of the day. The noise reverberates through the entire hotel on every floor. The hotel’s iconic façade is buried under plywood. The front desk is the size of a suitcase, with no place to sign check-​in paperwork or sit when your room is delayed. Call the front desk from your room phone and you’ll wait for over 5 minutes with no response before hanging up in frustration. I repeated this over ten times. Then called from an external phone and magically reached someone immediately. They seem very short staffed and while they’re apologetic to how this affects you, that’s all you get, an «I’m sorry» with no attempt to make right.

My boyfriend and I came here for the High Tea/​Afternoon Tea and it was probably one of the best experiences I have ever had.
When I knew we were coming to visit London I made it a goal to have a great Afternoon Tea experience and this was a great choice! I am glad I made the effort to find this place.
The tea room was absolutely beautiful and the view out the window where they sat us was so pretty, and the staff that helped us was so nice and kind, even knowing we had absolutely no idea what to expect they made our time there really enjoyable! I just wish I remembered the names of the two gentlemen that waited on us that day.
The food was beyond delicious. I loved pretty much ever sandwich they had to offer and the other treats were so good. I think my favorite on the tower was the Champagne Jelly.
I know the next time I travel to London this will definitely be somewhere I plan to visit again. The hotel alone is gorgeous and in a great location!

My stay at Athenaeum was a good one but, though it was slightly disrupted by construction. The hotel’s main lobby and spa are both closed for renovations, leaving a makeshift entrance through the side of the hotel, the front desk situated in a hallway on the first floor, and breakfast service moved to a small banquet room. None of these things had a significant impact on my stay. There wasn’t any noise to speak of. It only made things feel a bit cramped and congested. But I was surprised that hotel did not notify my of this work prior to my arrival. And I did witness a few other guests arrive disappointed.
Beyond that I was quite pleased. The room was fairly spacious by European boutique standards, and well appointed with an espresso machine and kettle, mini bar, iron, hair dryer, a towel rack, and bedside control panel for the lights and air. And everyone from housekeeping to the front desk was warm and friendly.
I’ve been to London serval times, but really enjoyed the location as well. Situated in Mayfair and across the street from Hyde Park, you can cover a lot of ground from this vantage point. It’s a upper class neighborhood with lots of high end flats and expensive cars. But it’s also close to some great dining and many major tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, Parliament and Big Ben.
I would highly recommend the Athenaeum for tourists and business travelers alike. But be aware that in the near term you might experience some minor inconvenience until construction is completed.

Atheneneun hotel, London
This gem of a hotel is conveniently located to almost everything of interest in London. (In Mayfair on Piccadilly) I can’t imagine better service, attention and friendliness of all who work there. Their breakfasts are complete, their restaurant and bar have a cozy atmosphere conducive to having drinks with friends. There is a 24 HR gym and spa for treatments plus a steam room, jacuzzi and sauna where one can unwind with a glass of champagne. Our suite was luxurious and large. From the moment one arrives, we felt well taken care of by a helpful staff.

The last time I visited, I had the good fortune to be upgraded on arrival to the apartment instead of the standard double we had booked. This is the best hotel I have stayed in London and I love it for the attentiveness of the service, the food and the location.
The mini bar is usually complimentary for anything except alcohol, but on this occasion the alcohol was included. There is lots of little nice extras like the DVD lending library with a good sized collection of films. The pillow menu with a few interesting choices. Friendly doormen, concierge and general staff. The spa is quite small but very luxurious. I would love to return in the near future.

There is a spa at this hotel, it is absolutely incredible. Me my mum and my sister go there at least once a year usually for my mums birthday treat. You have the dressing room to yourself, the jacuzzi and sauna is always empty and we can all have our treatments in the same room. If you’re lucky and get a deal you can have two 30 min treatments for £50! Worth a visit!

Update– the second paragraph is still as it is but pls read this first part of my update. The safe in the rooms were lock so I’m unable to save my valuables in it. So, I left my pound and dollars in my traveling bags. Beware, they steel at the hotel. I have money untouched in a wallet inside my bag (this money was save for our next destination) but we now open the bag to plan our trip for the next destination and saw that the money £1,440 and, $ 400 has been stolen from a wallet inside of my travel bag. This bag is in the closet they must have gone through it a few times to dig out the wallet. I was never there when my room gets cleaned. I never checked the bag with money because I didn’t need it. But now all the money is gone. Hotel said, «Sorry!»
This didn’t change what I feel about the hotel and the area but the employees are not trusted and the hotel 5 star hotel should take action for this!
Old post:
I love this place especial my room. The breakfast nock is on a edge looking /​facing the street and the Green Park. Feels like you’re seating on the bridge with all the cars driving pass. I love it at night. I seat and stair and feel like I’m on a glass elevator but attached to my bedroom with the palace just across the green park and Hyde park a walk away. Ask for a room with the view. They might be nice enough to give the room…:). The hotel is also seated on the center of the city. Walking distance to everywhere like Hyde park, green park, Piccadilly, Mayfair, soho, Chinatown, bond st, Leicester sq, There’s spa, full whiskey bar, breakfast, 24 hours gym and it is a cute 5 star hotel with mirrors all over the room.:

I stayed here for my entire 5 days stay during my short stint of a visit in London. I write for a living and I sure did love ordering a meal at 3 in the morning and still get excellent service with a hot meal and courteous staff at all hours of the day. Loved the concierge, the amazing tea room and even the cleaning crew – such lovely folks. Will be back again for my 5 day stay come January :)

Not a bad little hotel!
The rooms are clean, the beds are VERY comfortable. LOVE the fluffy feather pillows.
The front doorsmen are dapper and helpful and polite.
Digital TV with additional features such as music (which I like, as background music while working in the room). Spacious bathroom.
Not a fan of all the mirrors, but that is a personal taste. Also, this hotel has a rare feature in that everything (except alcohol) in the mini fridge is FREE ! What? That’s novel.
Docking a star for having outrageously expensive breakfast options. I’m in a rush before starting the day, and didn’t have time to go wandering off before leaving for the office.
Also, has thin walls. As I type, I can hear my neighbors, and you can often hear street traffic. I’m on the 7^th floor, by the way. SO try to be on a higher floor or you will hear cars, as Picadilly is a busy street.
Also, you can hear everything in the hallway. Everytime a neighbor opens a door, I freak out a little because it sounds like someone is trying to enter MY room. Eep!

Large airy restaurant. Was very quite on the day we went, so service was good. Food nothing to rave about. Pretty much the usual hotel fare

The Athenaeum is on of my favorite hotels in the world. It’s really wonderful and the people there are tremendous. Now here it comes. It’s missing something. The long– serving and visionary hotel GM Sally Bullock moved to South Africa in 2007 (and then sadly passed away there at only 59!) As such, i think it’s missing the impresario’s touch that made it famous alongside the beloved and gossipy concierge Donald, who has since moved on into retirement. All that said, much of what made me fall in love with it is still there lying dormant.
–The lobby is a sea of too much furniture and there’s so many magazines and newspapers everywhere it looks like a tired doctor’s waiting room. The lighting over the lobby doors is a ghastly kitchen-​like fluorescent quality that women of a certain age really hate (where’s Sally?!?) and the gym and spa-​area itself is in need of a pick me up.
–It was raining out the other day and i was hoping to walk around town with a great big umbrella that would act as an advertisement of my affinity to the Athenaeum and i got an old, used recycled umbrella that someone had left behind.
–Annoyingly, the lights in my room were set to a timer and if i was reading or lying still they would go out and i would have to get up and turn them back on.
–Then there’s the vibe. There’s a lovely new front desk reception manager named William and a great and helpful concierge named Duncan and overall i really like the people. The hotel is missing a ringleader or a master or mistress of ceremonies The GM of the Athenaeum is the GM of an institution and while they can never be expected to be another Sally, they have to bring their own stamp to the product.
Sadly this is what’s missing.
[Helpful Hint, they should keep records on guests that have stayed there more than once and welcome them back on arrival. I’ve stayed there about 8 times in the last 15 years and no such greeting was forthcoming.]

Had afternoon tea here with my bestie. Very nice tea room with excellent service. I was able to get my coffee before the tea and there is also a champagne selection which comes with unlimited sandwiches, macaroons, scones, mince pies, and so much more. The tea selection was pretty interesting.

Given other choices along Picadilly. You can do better. Folks are nice and the décor is unique, but the rooms are below average at best,

I thought the décor was a drab «1970s modern» look badly in need of an update — certainly not one of the nicer looking properties in this area. The fabric on the benches out front are stained and have burn holes in them. My experience with the bar service was terrible. They have a very nice range of whiskies but the bartender didn’t know anything about them, to include the reason the Lagavulin 12 was priced at two pounds higher than the 16 year old Lagavulin.
Although the lounge was nearly empty, The server seemed unable to handle more than one table at a time, walking back and forth to the bar for each drink instead taking several orders at a time and then delivering several drinks in a batch.

I’ve stayed at the Athenaeum twice. Both times the customer service has been exceptional, the doorman even remembered my name from my earlier visit. The regular hotel part is standard European size but with the tasteful design choices of a boutique hotel. The serviced apartments give you more space of course with a living room and kitchen. They are especially good for families with children as they can accommodate you with complementary movie rentals, a Wii, board games, and even bikes.

The Athenaeum is too perfect for words. I came here for afternoon tea and everything from the service to the atmosphere to the food was incredible.
We were seated for the 3:00 PM session in the garden room and didn’t have to think twice before ordering the champagne pairing with our tea. The garden room is a beautiful space decorated with fresh cut flowers and we were promptly given a selection of teas to choose from. I had the peach infused black tea which was fruity and tasted great with a bit of honey.
After our individual pots of tea arrived, a server came by with an assortment of finger sandwiches. These were all delicious but the most memorable was definitely the black forest ham sandwich with a red onion marmalade. I must have wolfed down about 6 of those babies in the span of two minutes. Then came what to me is le pièce de résistance — freshly baked scones and toasted crumpets which were still warm to the touch. The homemade lemon curd, strawberry jam and clotted cream were all accompaniments that were nothing short of amazing. Then just when I thought my stomach could hold no more food, the waitress rolled over the dessert cart. Never have I seen something so beautiful — shelves of cakes, mousses, and tarts lined the display case. The server must have seen my eyes bug out in excitement because she gave me a wink and said that unlimited desserts were part of the tea service. As a result, I ordered the elderflower jelly, strawberry tart, cheesecake and chocolate cake all for myself.
Not only was everything delicious, but the service was so polite and attentive. Afternoon tea can sometimes feel stuffy but the servers do a great job at making you feel welcome and ensure that your experience is wonderful.
Be sure to make reservations in order to secure a spot for their tea sittings as this place seems to be very popular. There is an online reservation system on their website which makes it easy peasy.

This is my favorite hotel in London, it’s also the only hotel I have ever stayed at in London, so take that how you will.
Reasons I love this hotel.
Staff — Very accommodating, helpful, excellent concierge and basically treat you in a manner you would expect from a hotel of this class. One note, we were on our honeymoon and they upgraded us for free as a special treat. They also laid out candles and rose petals and chocolate for us free of charge. Very thoughtful!
Rooms — Large, beautiful views of Hyde Park, mini bars stocked with FREE snacks. The beds were so comfortable and the bathrooms were gorgeous. Only thing I could think of that was a negative was that the rooms didn’t have a ton of old character or charm. Still, they were beautifully decorated and little touches reminded you that you were in London. Being a fan of modern architecture I loved it.
Tea — Best afternoon tea in London. The tea selection is fabulous, they sandwiches are a mix of classic and modern, the scones are amazing and they make their clotted cream in house and it is the best in the world; same goes for their strawberry jam and lemon curd. I don’t really like dessert so I just ate more scones, but the hubby loved their dessert cart.
Location — This just can’t be beat. It’s two blocks from Green Park station and minutes from anywhere in a Cab.
Overall this is one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed at and I am proud to stay I have stayed at some of the best in the world. If you want to make your stay to London memorable I would recommend coming here.
Bonus: We saw Gary Oldman checking in while we were waiting for a table for our tea. The staff didn’t treat him any differently than they did us. (plus OMG it’s Gary Oldman)

I liked the Ath, I’d definitely recommend
The purpose of my visit was a spa day with a good friend
Nestled cozily on Piccadilly, heart of Mayfair
Across the road from Green Park, a short walk from the tube, and there.
The service upstairs was exceptional, doorman quite kind
He had pep in his step and a twinkle in his eye,
In Central London early Thursday morning, that’s hard to find.
Wasn’t crazy about the lobby décor, it was a bit eclectic
But I guess that’s a part of the charm, so I overlooked it
Served straight away, to the lower ground floor.
A selection of magazines so one could never be bored
Greeted at the counter, straight to the dressing rooms
Which were so tiny, could hardly turn around, felt a bit entombed
After a quick change, we perused the services there
Fair reader, be warned the prices may give you quite a scare.
So we settled on two each, for xxx quid
It was spendy, but find a voucher on LastMinute, we did.
I sipped peach juice while my companion chose sparkling water
Also had a selection of nuts and magazines, but not much other fodder
But on to the services, four I can speak of
The massage, facial, body wrap, exfoliation, including full use of the hot tubs.
My companion chose the massage and body wrap
We both thought she would be mummified, but it was not that
Covered in some sort of mud, and wrapped in plastic
It was not what she hoped for, and left her feeling a bit inelastic
She also did not really enjoy the massage.
And was not reduced to the typical oohs and ahhs
Meaning, they did not relieve all of the tension
And left her back feeling the same-​though too polite to mention.
I quite enjoyed the facial, it was my favourite service.
My face felt clarified, cucumbers on my eyes, as nice as a granted xmas wish
But the body exfoliant was cold, they could have warmed it.
But then again, we know I am not one to nit pick. ;)
The wet area was nice, though a bit small.
Controllable jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, they had it all.
Out of all my spa experiences, I must say
The Ath was nice, but not my fav by way.

This is a true 5 star hotel. I love it here and really consider it to be my London home. The rooms are spacious, the beds are comfortable, the free wi-​fi is reliable and fast, there are towel heaters in the bathroom and the snack bar items (alcohol excluded) are completely free. If you go on a jog, the doormen hand you bottles of water and a towel upon your return. The gym and jacuzzi facilities are wonderful. The employees are very friendly and the concierge is helpful. If you are ever wondering where you should stay the next time you’re visiting London, look no further! This is where you need to stay!

Ich hatte letzte Woche meinen afternoon-​tea da. Naja, war ein wenig enttäuscht. Das hotel war eingerüstet und das Gartenzimmer war eher eine pink farbene Höhle. der Tee war ok, wenn auch wenig und die Häppchen das selbe. Der Preis war mit £25 eher hoch.

Das Athenaeum Hotel & Apartments ist ein freundliches 5-​Sterne Londoner Luxushotel in Familienbesitz. Es befindet sich in Piccadilly mit Blick auf den Green Park, wenige Gehminuten vom Buckingham Palace und vom West End entfernt.
Der Service ist ungemein persönlich — was für den Gasts getan werden kann, wird getan. Ein ganz besonderes (wenn auch kalorienreiches) Erlebnis ist der Afternoon-​Tea.
Der Preis war für die Gegend durchschnittlich (230 GBP).
Der Fahrstuhl ist winzig, und da das Gebäude 10 Stockwerke hat, muss man manchmal eine Weile warten. Sehr schönes, geräumiges Zimmer, Bett ebenso. Von den warmen Handtüchern im Bad war ich sehr beeindruckt.
Obwohl das Hotel an einer Hauptstraße liegt, war es absolut ruhig!
Gerne komme ich wieder!