I discovered a cool new London boutique hotel, not surprisingly given it’s high tech features, on Twitter recently. With their fun Twitter and Instagram feeds, friendly online personality and reputation as one of the most high-tech hotels in the world, I was thrilled when Eccleston Square Hotel invited me to come check out all of their amenities for a night.
Eccleston Square Hotel is the most tech-saavy hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The bou”tech” (see what I did there?) hotel has just 39 rooms and this definitely lends to the atmosphere of feeling like you’re a guest in a friend’s home. Owner Olivia Byrne is even there to greet and chat with guests herself and I enjoyed sitting down with her to learn a little more about what inspired her to open a hotel at just 23 years old and put in all these high-tech features.
My Signature King Room
It’s a good thing I’ve been to London loads of time and that it was a little rainy when I arrived, because I definitely didn’t want to leave the cozy Eccleston Square Hotel. I used the in-room iPad, which basically controls every facet of your stay, to browse the menu and order some room service from the hotel’s restaurant, Bistrot on the Square. You can even select the time you want it delivered.
Selfie with my 3D glasses
I also ordered a movie from the complimentary selection of 3D Blu-rays available to watch on your in-room 3D television. Both my room service and movie arrived shortly, along with a pair of 3D glasses. These weren’t a disposable pair of ridiculous looking paper glasses like you get at the movie theater either; they were very comfortable and light to wear.
After finishing my room service, I again used the iPad to indicate the tray was ready to be cleared. I selected the option that the tray would be outside the door, paused my movie to place it outside and kicked back on the Rolls Royce of beds. Billed as the world’s best bed, the Hastens massaging bed retails for more than £12,000 each and every one of the 39 rooms has one. It can be adjusted to contour to your body and has a variety of massaging features. I’m like the Goldilocks of hotel beds and this Hastens bed was definitely just right. When the massage feature is on, it is a little too loud to actually sleep with it on. I did enjoy the massaging feature while watching my movie though!
The room is equipped with touch pads to control the lights, curtains and temperature. Even the do not disturb is a light controlled by touch pad, which I loved so I didn’t have to fight with the door hanger than inevitably always falls off the door when coming in and out of the room. But my favorite touch pad feature was the ability to turn the see-through glass of the bathroom to frosted glass with just the touch of a button. I’ll admit I was like a little kid who flicks the light switch on and off repeatedly.
The bathroom also had a very nicely sized walk-in shower with three different shower heads to choose from, including a high-pressure double rain shower. The mirror is a steam proof mirror with built-in tv, which is perfect since I always steam up the mirrors with my hot showers. The marble floors were also heated and who doesn’t love heated floors when it’s chilly outside? My only complaint about the bathroom is that there were no outlets to plug in my hairdryer and straightener. That the hotel stocks my favorite L’Occitane beauty products made up for having to set-up my compact as a make-shift beauty station to dry and straighten my hair.
The in-room iPad and Eccleston Square Hotel app work as a digital concierge
Perhaps one of the best tech features of Eccleston Square Hotel though is the app, which acts like a digital concierge. You download the app to your phone or iPad and order room service or a drink to be waiting for you when you arrive back in the hotel, make dinner reservations at Bistrot on the Square or arrange whatever else you need to from the concierge.
Eggs benedict at Bistrot on the Square
Breakfast can also be ordered right from the app and delivered to your room, but I chose to actually go downstairs and enjoy the beautiful space that the restaurant is in. If you snag a window table, or if it’s nice enough to dine outside, there is great people watching as Londoners from the neighborhood make their way to work. I actually prefer that the menu is a la carte and I selected eggs benedict, my breakfast indulgence, and a pot of tea.
Some of the other things I loved about this hotel are that the wifi is free (and fast), there is a cocktail happy hour each afternoon and drinks are surprisingly affordable for both London and a luxury hotel, complimentary pots of tea can be delivered to your room daily from the app or in-room iPad, and that hotel guests have complimentary access to the neighborhood’s private garden and tennis courts. The concierge can even arrange picnics in the garden.
Eccleston Square Hotel is fantastic and terrific value. I loved the hotel, friendly staff, small touches like free wifi and complimentary bottled water regularly re-stocked and the location (just a few minutes walk to Victoria Station). And while this hotel is absolutely perfect for business travelers with its high-tech amenities, it can also easily be a luxe romantic retreat.
Know Before You Go
Eccleston Square Hotel hosted me for a one night stay in order to bring you this story. However, Luxe Adventure Traveler maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and enthusiasm for travel are entirely our own. This article contains affiliate links. When you book on Booking.com
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