Exchange to London?

[ronw]

Has anyone ever done an exchange to London? Any places to recommend/avoid?

 

[ralphd]

We exchanged to the Royal Garden Hotel next to Kensington Gardens in London.
They allowed us to check-in at 10:00AM.
We were given a free room upgrade.
Our room overlooked the gardens with a view of Kensington Palace to the side.
The free breakfast was nice - did not include eggs, but did include some meats.
Within easy walking distance to a tube station.
The concierage booked trips and shows.

Overall a very good experience.

ralphd

 

[rocketriter]

Was this an exchange or a Concierge Collection use of points? I wasn't aware that London had any true exchanges.

 

[Connears]

It is part of the Concierge Collection, which means you are able to choose the number of nights-not a 7 night exchange.
Connears

 

[vernon]

My impression is the consierge collection for London are pretty pricey, unless you have points to burn at most times of year you'll get a better deal paying cash. Expedia have plenty of London offers as do lastminute.com

 

[ralphd]

Originally posted by vernon
My impression is the consierge collection for London are pretty pricey, unless you have points to burn at most times of year you'll get a better deal paying cash. Expedia have plenty of London offers as do lastminute.com

There are deals in London, especially on the weekends. The two hotels in the Concierge Collection are not 'cheap' hotels. We checked the rates while staying at the hotel and the cheapest rate for the week was higher than the DVC point
I stay at 3 of the Marriott hotels in London frequently, so I track the London room prices.

ralphd

 

[ronw]

Thanks for the feedback. The rates for the Royal Garden do seem quite high for cash (as per travelocity). How does the Royal Garden compare to the Marriots you use?
What category did you book with points the superior or deluxe?

 

[ralphd]

Originally posted by ronw
Thanks for the feedback. The rates for the Royal Garden do seem quite high for cash (as per travelocity). How does the Royal Garden compare to the Marriots you use?
Better than the Marriott Marble Arch, as nice as the Rennaisance Chancery Court, but not as nice as the Marriott County Hall.
The Renaissance Chancery Court is an under-rated property in my opinion.
What category did you book with points the superior or deluxe?
We booked at the lower rate (superior I think) and they upgraded us to deluxe. The room had a nice large bath, bedroom area and then you stepped up into a sitting area with a small sofa and two lounge chairs. The sitting area had a large bay window looking out over the gardens and Kensington Castle.
The unit was quite large by London standards.

The Royal Garden Hotel does have a website.

ralphd

 

[genmasjoy]

I stayed at the Royal Garden using the concierge collection. We were given the standard room, which was overlooking the main street and were bothered by traffic noise all night. If I ever went back, it would be better to request the deluxe room, which had a view of the gardens. The hotel was very nice and the location is excellent, adjacent to Kensington Palace and Gardens, and in walking distance of a tube station. The breakfast could be upgraded for a small additional fee to include eggs and bacon. My next destination was Spain, and the concierge was helpful in arranging a private car pickup to deliver us to Gatwick airport at 5 a.m.