Giafrese

Everyone always asks me where to stay when they’re traveling, and while I wish I had more experience staying at cool digs, I usually crash with friends or rent an apartment when I’m abroad. This last trip to Europe I was lucky enough to stay in some pretty cool places, and my home in London was the business hotel, St. Paul’s the Grange.

Located right next to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the hotel is located smack dab in the middle of London — in the actual, titular City of London. Swanky. I chose the place because it’s super easy to get around London, which can sometimes be difficult due to the spread out nature of the city. St. Paul’s The Grange has access to several different lines and stops, so no matter where you’re going, it shouldn’t take you too long. I flew into City Airport  from Paris, and it took hardly any time to get to the hotel.

As for the hotel itself, this is a rather swanky business hotel, at a reasonable price point. Lots of glass, a soaring atrium, and glass elevators all welcome you when you arrive. It feels very legitimate, shall we say. The room we had featured two queen size beds, which were a dream after staying in twin sized beds on the Continent, and the bathroom was spacious and fully loaded with a full size tub and a dream of a shower.

We arrived before our room was ready for check-in, and we hung out in the atrium. There was free wifi and tons of light, and it was a quiet place to relax during our stay.

Our room overlooked the Atrium, which was nice during the day. The windows are tinted so you can’t exactly see inside, but at night be sure to close the blinds. This is a buttoned up crowd, after all.

The room service menu was a bit limited and overpriced, but there were a variety of places nearby, so we never had an issue getting something to eat. All the same, it was nice having something on site, in case we did get hungry.

The hotel features a gym and a gorgeous pool, both of which I was unable to take advantage of because I, unfortunately, arrived sick as a dog and wanted nothing to do with swimming or athletics. Which is a pity, since I was genuinely looking forward to it.

Images c/o the hotel.

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