STAFF REVIEW: OVERNIGHT STAY AT THE COLONNADE HOTEL WITH LUXURY AFTERNOON TEA

Arriving at Warwick Avenue Tube station, it only took a moment to find the beautiful Colonnade Hotel. As we walked closer, we were struck by the building’s history. A blue plaque is placed just by the front door, bearing the name of Alan Turing – the genius mathematician, cryptanalyst, logician and scientist. He was born here, in 1912, back when the building was a birthing hospital. Today, the hotel feels like a lavish historical building, filled with beautiful antiques and reminders of the great past.

As Rebecca and I stepped through the doors, we were greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. We waited for a moment in the hotel’s decorative lobby area, until the smartly dressed receptionist called us over to check-in. This was quick and easy, and it helped that the receptionist was extremely friendly and informative. We were handed our key and eagerly made our way to the room.

Stepping up the traditional staircase, we arrived at our bedroom door. Once within the room we were amazed at the size and interior with smart colour schemes – ours being green and gold, which suited the room perfectly. My favourite aspect of the room was the floor to ceiling windows with large cosy curtains – oh, and the comfy beds!

Once settled in, we made are way downstairs for afternoon tea. Arriving in the newly refurbished restaurant, Banu, we were handed our prosecco, which complimented the afternoon tea perfectly! We enjoyed a selection of finger sandwiches, freshly-made scones with cream and jam, and several bite size cakes – my favourite had to be the carrot cake!

As we finished our last mouthfuls, we headed back upstairs to our room – this time using the hotel’s well-known lift. This is one of the oldest operating lifts in the UK – used throughout the time of the birthing hospital, since 1886. Reminders of the hotel’s history were everywhere, and certain rooms were even named after famous guests – The Sigmund Freud Suite, for example.

As evening crept up on us, we felt at home in our room, and the delightfully comfy beds made the stay even better. I slept wonderfully. As morning arose, we headed downstairs to tuck into our breakfast. The breakfast menu was perfectly sized. I enjoyed scrambled eggs, with smoked salmon, while Rebecca had bacon, sausage, and eggs. It was delicious and a perfect send-off from the wonderful Colonnade Hotel.

Rebecca and I thank the team at The Colonnade Hotel for having us for our Overnight Stay and Afternoon Tea – we had a brilliant experience, and I couldn’t fault it in any way. We will be back!