FIRST IMPRESSIONS The Hilton London Euston is made up of two Victorian town houses joined together. It has had a few previous incarnations: as a Cora Hotel it was burnt to the ground in 1989 and after a rebuild and refurbishment it became a Scandic Hotel in 1991 and Euston Plaza Hotel in 2001. Hilton took over the property in 2004 and a year later updated the public areas and guestrooms. It looks more like a contemporary town house inside than its exterior suggests. Reception was busy when I arrived at around 6.15pm on a Thursday evening but I was told someone would be with me soon and they were. I also noted you do not need a key card to enter the lifts to the rooms.
WHERE IS IT? Off the main Euston road in Bloomsbury, the hotel is a five-minute walk to London Euston station and a 15-minute walk into Holborn and Covent Garden beyond. Week-night business is dominated by travellers coming from the north through Kings Cross and Euston.
HOW MANY ROOMS? 150, either standard or deluxe. The latter offer bathrobe, slippers and mineral water, as well as magazines and a newspaper.
ROOM FACILITIES All rooms have tea and coffee-making facilities, air conditioning and TV. Wireless and wired broadband is available in the bedrooms from £15 for 24 hours. Not all rooms have a minibar – some just have fridges, which apparently more and more guests are requesting. I stayed in a deluxe room, which was spacious and comfortable with modern décor and black and white photos of London streets on the walls. There was ample space at the desk area to do some work. The bathroom was small, with the shower and bath together, and the toiletries were Crabtree & Evelyn. My room was on the back of the hotel and it was peaceful, although walking round the next day I noticed the front was just as quiet.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS Woburn Place Dining Room is set in a beautifully adapted conservatory space at the back of the hotel, with brick walls and white steel girders from the previous outdoor space. The décor is polished wooden floors, plants and dark wooden tables. It is a lovely bright and airy space and has mains from £9.95 (pasta) up to £17.95 (8oz fillet steak) and starters from £5. The bar is off the lobby on the left, furnished with olive and cream chairs and a large plasma-screen TV, which seemed to dominate the proceedings while I was there. It seemed quite a small bar for the size of the hotel, but perhaps it was because it was busy. There was a fireplace and some comfortable sofas too. Breakfast is served in the Mulberry Room downstairs, which was part of the renovations and is a small room with dark wood tables and olive chairs. It was quite busy when I had breakfast. The queue for cereal and toast was too long for me to wait, but the cooked breakfast was tasty, as were the muffins, pastries and fresh fruit juices.
MEETING AND BUSINESS FACILITIES The hotel is ideally placed for meetings with business passengers arriving at Euston and Kings Cross St Pancras stations. The largest space is the Stevenson room, which can take 110 theatre-style, and there is a private breakout area. There are three other rooms but not with daylight. There is no business centre as such but two computers are available next to the Mulberry Room to check email and reception can help with other services. There is wireless internet access on all floors, charged at £35 for 24 hours, £4 for one hour.
LEISURE FACILITIES The gym is a very attractive space, an atrium with Victorian touches and a circular raised platform with the cardiovascular machines. The gym is a Profile Health and Fitness Centre. The personal trainers are degree-qualified or above and can offer full dietary planning with exercises to suit each individual. This is essentially a free body MOT and well worth the effort – relax afterwards in the hotel's sauna. Open 0700-2100, 0010-1600 at the weekend. Outside membership is £35-£42 per month and it is free to guests.
VERDICT A well-located hotel, perfect for train travellers and those who want to be in the centre of the action without the noise which goes with it. The restaurant and gym were particularly impressive and really lifted the feel of the old town house.
PRICES Fully flexible internet rate for a midweek stay in mid-April started from £175 room only.
CONTACT Hilton Euston, 17-18 Upper Woburn Place, London, tel +44 (0)20 7943 4500, hilton.co.uk.
Felicity Cousins
