THE HOTEL
Located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, close to Hyde Park, Bond Street and Oxford Street, the 270-room London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square celebrated its 40th anniversary in June 2025. This year it also refurbished its Mayfair Suites with new breakout areas, Barista-style coffee stations and an expanded catering menu. Its M Club Lounge was also upgraded and the lobby was refreshed to have more natural light and a new an all-day lounge area serving tea, coffee and light snacks. All this was done with the business traveller firmly in mind.
THE CHECK-IN
I arrived at around 5pm with an hour to get showered and changed for an event at a nearby hotel. There were plenty of waistcoated staff around to welcome me and quickly check me in. With a small overnight bag, I politely turned down the assistance of a porter. As I made my way to the lift, I noticed how the ceiling lights of the Art Deco-style lobby reflected on the shiny black and white marble floor. I stopped to admire a table covered with vases of beautiful pink and purple flowers.
THE ROOM
My top-floor One Bedroom Suite, 614, was super spacious and followed the black and white colour scheme of the lobby, giving it the same modern Art Deco-feel.
At one end was a living area with a desk, dining table for four, a large sofa, Nespresso machine and a 42-inch flat screen TV. A small corridor in between had wardrobes down one side and a bathroom on the other with marble tiling, a bath and integrated shower – both handheld and overhead.
At the other end of the corridor was the bedroom, with views across the treetops of Grosvenor Square, a super large kingsize bed and another TV. I appreciated the welcome note, a plate of macaroons in rainbow colours, a Marriott Bonvoy branded notebook, chocolates and a miniature bottle of fizz.
Double glazing blocked out any traffic noise and I slept really soundly. My only tiny criticism of the suite was that I had to scrabble around behind a chest of drawers to unplug a lamp to free up a power socket for my hair straighteners. It was the only plug socket close enough to a mirror. It’s a problem I’ve encountered at other older hotels.
Other suites in the hotel come with private balconies while the Park View Wing features a row of 11 interconnecting rooms overlooking Grosvenor Square and with access to a hidden garden. This wing is popular with extended families, dignitaries and larger groups and has a variety of room types, including Deluxe, Executive and One Bedroom Suites.
THE FACILITIES
Suite guests and members of Marriott Bonvoy have access to The M Club Lounge in the lower ground floor, which serves drinks and refreshments all day – and much more than the usual nuts or olives. I popped in to check out the early evening offering and there was an array of hot and cold snacks, cheese and biscuits, cookies, fresh fruit, wines, draught lagers on tap, soft drinks, teas and coffees. It was what you would expect in a business class airport lounge. The design of this basement space, and perhaps the lack of daylight, also made it feel like an airport lounge. Separate work zones have tables with pop-up plug sockets.
A buffet breakfast was served in the M Club Lounge the following morning and had all the hot breakfast essentials – eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, beans – plus a choice of fruits and yoghurts, cereals, pastries, muffins, cold meats, cheese and salads, fresh fruit juices. It was busy and the staff kept everything replenished.
Guests who don’t qualify for the M Club Lounge can go for an à la carte breakfast at the hotel’s Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, which does American-style grilled food for lunch and dinner too. Another restaurant, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, serves modern Asian cuisine.
The highlight of my stay was a visit to the hotel’s 1920s inspired speakeasy bar, The Luggage Room, which had come highly recommended. The entrance is just to the left of the hotel’s main entrance and, in true speakeasy style, you have to knock and wait to be welcomed inside, down the stairs. As you might have guessed from the name, it used to be the hotel’s left luggage room but has been transformed into an elegant drinking hole with luxurious marble, leather and wood. My colleague and I sat at the bar and watched the expert bar staff meticulously make our cocktails, pouring us a glass of fizz while we waited for each one. Cocktails are £20 and worth it! The bar got busier as the night went on. It opens till 2am most evenings.
As well as 11 versatile meeting and event spaces in various shapes and sizes, the hotel’s Westminster Ballroom is one of London’s largest pillar-free venues hosting up to 900 people. I attended an industry event in the ballroom a few weeks after my stay and the service was top notch. Guests also have use of the hotel’s 24-hour gym.
THE VERDICT
A safe, solid choice for a business trip to the capital. The M Club Lounge is nice for a pre-dinner drink or meeting but personally I prefer rooms with natural light when having breakfast. The Luggage Room is definitely worth a visit and I’ll be going back to try more of the delicious cocktails.
THE DETAILS
Lead-in rate a One Bedroom Suite is £1,100 a night. marriott.com
By Bev Fearis
