Review: Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill

After landing in Heathrow, we made our way to the Hyatt Regency Churchill via the Elizabeth Line to Bond Street Station from where the hotel is a 8 minute walk. The ride took 35 minutes and cost 13.30 pounds or around 17 USD. Since we arrived on Sunday, I must admit that it’s possible that Uber may have been cheaper, but not necessarily as convenient or quick.

Note: Make sure to have Google Wallet, Apple Pay, or a Tap to Pay credit card ready for the quickest usage of the subways and trains. 

Anyway it was a beautiful day in London so we didn’t mind the walk from Bond Street Station at all. Temperatures were in the 70s and everyone was just in a jovial mood.

There was a bit of a line at the front desk before my dad was helped. He’s Hyatt Globalist so we usually book under his name when traveling together. On this occassion the stay cost 25,000 points per room (we booked 3 rooms), which seems like a hefty price tag, but nightly rates were going well north of 1000 GBP that Sunday night. We were pleasantly surprised to find that one of the rooms was already available and that other two were going to be available in a matter of 30 minutes. Our benefits were explained, which included breakfast in the hotel restaurant from 7am to 11am, 4PM late checkout on all three rooms, and access to the club lounge on the 5th floor. My dad was profusely thanked for being a Hyatt Globalist.

The hotel lobby is quite small, but has a stately old time elegance if you get what I mean. Although the hotel bears the name of the renowned Sir Winston Churchill, he never had the opportunity to stay here as it was established in 1970, approximately five years after his death. The hotel has 440 rooms and has been managed by the Hyatt brand since 2004. There are portraits of Churchill that can be found throughout the hotel, honoring his legacy.

Hyatt Club Lounge:

We were escorted to the club lounge to wait for our keys while my aunt and uncle (who were traveling with us) went to go get ready in the first available room. The lounge was a quiet place at this time (around noon BST) and we grabbed some coffee/tea while we waited. For some reason I goofed on taking pictures on what was available in terms of food. It was pretty much just some soft drinks, tea, coffee (from a fancy machine), and some biscuits. A lighter continental breakfast is also served in the lounge daily from 7 AM to 10:30 AM.

One of the interesting parts about the hotel was that it seemed to host a lot of people of Middle Eastern origin compared to other Hyatts where I saw lots of Americans staying. Maybe it’s because the Churchill has been playing games with award availability and they are the only ones who spend the money?

Hyatt Twin Bed Garden View Room

My sister and I stayed in the twin room, which was pretty much as standard as they come with two twin beds, a TV, a desk, and a coffee maker. The room was overall smaller than the one I stayed in later at the Hyatt Regency Blackfriars.

The restroom featured a single vanity and one of those deep soaking tub with only half a glass door in proper British style. Toiletries were by Pharmacopia, which I generally find to be ok.

Wi-Fi in the room was generally fast though I can’t say I worked much since it was the weekend and we were out all day roaming London. The air conditioner in the room was perhaps the most effective one I’ve ever seen in Europe. Our room was a virtual freezer the following morning after my sister turned down the thermostat.

Breakfast @ The Montagu Kitchen & Lounge

Breakfast is served daily at the Montagu Kitchen & Lounge from 7:00 AM to 11:00AM. And it was absolutely packed the next morning.

The breakfast spread is fairly ok if you ask me for a hotel of its caliber. It included all the usual English breakfast items, cereals, breads, and juices. There was also a menu you could order from, but I didn’t see it given how chaotic it was.

Service seemed genuinely well intentioned but they were so busy that they couldn’t keep of tables. A waiter walked me over to my table where I left my backpack and my phone while I went to the buffet. Unfortunately, by the time I came back, an Arab couple was seated at my table. Worse yet the man stated that the phone was his and that the OJ I had brought earlier was also his. I took the phone and showed him that it was mine, but he seemed disgruntled and wouldn’t budge. I just took my stuff and moved at this point to my parents table where I stood by until one of them finished. In the mean time, one of the staff members noticed my troubles and came to profusely apologize. He immediately set the table for me and brought out my cappucino.

Meanwhile, he told the other waiter to sternly explain that guests are to wait to be seated. That didn’t seem to go too well for the poor guy because the man at my table just ignored him. I truly felt bad for the staff that morning because it seems like this wasn’t their first rodeo when it came to this sort of stuff.

Location:

This is where the Hyatt Regency Churchill truely shines. The location can’t be better for exploring the best shopping and restaurants that Central London has to offer. Oxford Street is right around the corner and so Selfridges, Harrods, and many other legendary stores aren’t far. Hyde Park is a stone’s throw away and so is the Marble Arch Tube station which makes it easy to get around anywhere in Central London. I suppose that’s truely what you are paying for in terms of premium at this hotel.

Bottom Line:

I don’t think there is anything wrong with the Hyatt Regency Churchill, but I just feel as though there are cheaper options using Hyatt points in the area. The hotel’s club lounge was nice, and service accross the board was courteous, but everything else felt like it was a bit dated. There was no wow factor for this hotel given its position as a category 7 Hyatt property. I would certainly return if I couldn’t find award space anywhere else since the location is just so great.