Hyde London City: Why you should stay at this heritage hotel near St Paul's Cathedral
First impressions: I was immediately wowed by the hotel's exterior – it's in the historic Spiers & Pond building, formerly a hotel that opened in the 1870s, then converted to office use in the 20th century. The grand Victorian 7-storey building is across the street from the even grander Old Bailey, and it's a delight to stay in a hotel with such character.
My check-in was wonderful thanks to the personality of Robert O'Reagan, the Irish front desk assistant, who gave an incredibly warm, personable welcome. Apparently he has now been promoted to Events Executive, which is a well-deserved move if my experience was anything to go by.
Rooms: There are 111 rooms in the hotel. My VIP City Views room on the fourth floor looked directly at the Old Bailey, with a peek of St Paul's dome behind it. A feature wall behind the bed had jungle-themed wallpaper – birds of paradise, leopards, tropical plants and flowers – the colours complementing the racing green leather and velvet-look curved headboard, and the plush mustard full-length curtains.
A small desk doubled as a drinks station, with a Lavazza coffee machine and mini-kettle, wine glasses, complimentary tea and coffee and, on arrival, a fruit platter and absolutely delicious house-made chocolate truffles. The only drawer space concealed a safe and a mini-fridge, and there was no wardrobe, just two hooks by the front door, with a few hangers. This meant I had to leave my suitcase open on the floor and could only hang up a few items – it made my room feel constantly messy, which I didn't like.
The queen bed was luxuriously comfortable with plump pillows and luxe white linen. The huge TV had a range of freeview channels, as well as capability to connect to your own devices and stream from apps like Netflix, YouTube etc.
Bathroom: The large space looked modern and stylish, with green and white floor tiles, walls with white tiles combined with green geometric butterfly print wallpaper, and the toilet and shower concealed in separate cubicles behind frosted glass doors.
Toiletries were Malin & Goetz brand, in large refillable bottles, and there were both rainhead and standard shower heads.
Slippers and robes were given a modern twist, too. The slippers were actually Hyde-branded cushioned rubber slides, and the robe was a towelling cape with a hood, like the towel-robe combos you see kids wearing at the beach after swimming.
My one bugbear with the bathroom was that there were no hooks anywhere, so you can't hang your towels up after use. Again, it felt very messy to have them draped over the luggage rack, or hanging from door handles. Hopefully, an easy fix for the hotel.
Food & drink: The ground floor is home to Leydi, a Turkish restaurant open all day. Breakfast was included with my stay, and I tried something different every day: spiced granola, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, and the epic Turkish platter, which was an incredible way to start the day. A silver plate was jam-packed with boiled egg, feta, tapenade, tahini, salad, peppers, a simik (Turkish-style bagel), jam, kaymak (cream cheese) and honey.
A friend joined me for dinner and we were delighted with our meal – starting with innovative cocktails, followed by Turkish wine, we then enjoyed bread and a range of dips (taramasalata, houmous, babaganoush, and a chilli butter), followed by a chicken shish and lamb kofta. It was all delicious and presented beautifully, and the staff were friendly and hospitable.
Facilities: Wi-Fi is free and fast throughout the hotel. There's a small gym in the basement, with Technogym bikes, free weights and the option to take virtual fitness classes by selecting from an interactive TV screen.
There's no spa on site, but you can book a treatment to come to you – Hyde has partnered with Ruuby, an on-demand beauty and wellness concierge, so you can book massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, with the spa therapist coming to your room for the treatment.
In the neighbourhood: There's a historic pub, The Viaduct Tavern, across the road, and some great dining options in nearby Paternoster Square.
Visiting St Paul's is a must, and fortunately, I had a Go City pass, which gives up to 50% discount on entrance to dozens of London's best tourist attractions. An Explorer pass starts at £ 54 ($121) for adults and £39 ($87) for children and gives free entry to two attractions. Given regular entry to St Paul's costs £ 26 ($58), a pass makes for great value if you plan to hit many tourist hotspots.
Accessibility: Accessible rooms with larger bathrooms and grab rails are available, and the property is equipped with two lifts for easy access to all areas. There is also a separate accessible entrance.
Sustainability: The hotel follows the sustainability policy set by its group owner, Ennismore. Highlights include bathroom sinks made from recycled plastic and a commitment to being 100% single-use plastic free.
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