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Threadneedles is a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel that sits within the boundaries of the City of London (London’s primary financial district) and it’s a property that I visited in the lead up to Christmas (you’ll probably spot some Christmas decorations in the pictures included in the review).
This review of Threadneedles is based on a single night stay, but because the property isn’t particularly large and because it’s more a of a boutique hotel than a major tourist hotel, that was more than enough to give me a very good idea of what the hotel is like and what it offers.
The admin
- Length of stay: 1 night
- Cost of stay: £280/$355 (including taxes/fees)*
- Paid with: A UK-issued American Express Card*
- Elite status at time of stay: Lifetime Titanium
- Points earned from the stay: 8,293 Points (3,310 Base + 2,483 Elite + 1,000 Welcome Gift + 1,500 Marriott Promotion)
- Upgrade instruments used: None (my Suite Night Award request did not clear)
- Upgrade received: Yes – from a Deluxe Guest Room (1 Queen) to an Executive Guest Room (1 King)
*I managed to reduce the cost of the stay to £200/$255 thanks to a UK credit card offer that I was targeted for (I’m fortunate enough to be able to hold US and UK credit cards).
Getting there/location
The simplest to way to get to Threadneedles if you’re flying into Heathrow and using public transport is to take the Elizabeth Line train to Liverpool Street station and to then walk (7 – 10 minutes) to the hotel.
The closest Underground (Subway) station to Threadneedles is called ‘Bank’, but if using this station make sure you exit it at the Bank of England exit as, otherwise, you may give yourself a longer than necessary walk (Bank station has multiple exits that are not all close to one another).
Don’t be put off by the fact that the property is located in a financial district. The City of London (traditionally nicknamed the Square Mile) is one of the most historic parts of London and while the streets immediately around the hotel can be quieter at weekends than during the week, there is a lot to see and explore in the surrounding areas and a number of major London landmarks are within walking distance of the property (St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London are all within 15 minutes’ walk).
TFM tip
Because Threadneedles is located in one of London’s two financial districts, you will often find that rates are noticeably lower for Friday and Saturday night stays. This can make Threadneedles a comparatively “cheap” place to stay when the more central properties are charging the ridiculous rates that now appear to be the norm.
The brand
Properties within Marriott’s Autograph Collection are properties that like to keep a degree of independence but that also like to have marketing access to Marriott’s pool of Bonvoy members.
This means that these properties are often on the smaller side, they can often feel a little more boutique-y than regular chain hotels, they usually have more character than the cookie cutter properties generally associated with the big hotel chains, but they still participate fully in the Bonvoy program (these are full-service properties).
Upgrade request
I applied a Suite Night Award request to this booking and, as is usual for me, I didn’t bother requesting anything below the level of a suite* (and I didn’t request the ‘Deluxe Suite’ because I would prefer a regular room with a king bed to a suite with a queen bed).
The Suite Night Award request was declined but, on the day before I was due to arrive, I noticed that my reservation no longer showed me as being booked into a Deluxe Guest Room (1 Queen) but an Executive Guest Room (1 King). That was good enough for me.
*As a Bonvoy Titanium member, the Bonvoy terms and conditions say that even without using an upgrade instrument, I should expect to be upgraded to the best available room at check-in (this includes suites) so I don’t see the point of (potentially) wasting a Suite Night Award to get a room that I would likely get anyway thanks to my elite status.
Check-in
Joanna and I (Joanna was with me on this trip) were offered a choice of wines as we waited to be checked in (a nice touch) but as the agent we were dealing with seemed pretty efficient (we were getting through the admin very quickly), we declined.
I was given the choice of 1,000 Bonvoy points or a £10/$12.60 food & beverage voucher as my elite Welcome gift and despite valuing the points at less than the value of the voucher, it was the points that I chose (I was pretty sure that outside of breakfast, we wouldn’t be spending any time in the hotel bar or restaurant on this 1-night stay).
As part of my elite status benefits, I was also given a voucher for complimentary continental breakfast (for two).
It’s not unusual to be offered a complimentary continental breakfast at Autograph Collection properties but it’s also not a rule that only continental breakfasts are included as part of the elite benefits offered – some Autograph Collection properties (e.g. St Ermins, which is also in London) will offer a full (hot) breakfast as well,
The communal areas
There aren’t very many communal areas at Threadneedles, but the areas that guests can access are beautiful.
The hotel has 75 rooms and suites, it is built inside a former bank building and has only been in its current guise since 2002.
The building that houses Threadneedles was constructed in 1856 and was the head office of the London, City and Midland Bank from the 1880s – there are a few images of the original bank in the hotel lobby.
The hotel bar (to the right of the main lobby atrium) looks like a nice place to spend some time…
… and the overall feel of the property is one of elegance.
The property has just 5 floors and a single elevator (which is quite small) and a little unusually, it doesn’t have its own gym. Guests may be able to access one of the local gyms courtesy of an agreement that the hotel has with the gym, but you should check this before booking if access to a gym is important to you.
The room – Executive Guest Room (1 King)
With the building dating back over 150 years, the hallways aren’t particularly wide and potential guests should be aware that there may be a need to negotiate one or two steps on the way to to rooms (anyone with mobility issues should make sure they ask a hotel porter to bring their bags to their room).
Our room was on the 4th floor and at the end of one of the hallways.
Just inside this Executive Room’s door is a small hallway with the bathroom straight ahead, closets to the left and the sleeping area to the right.
The sleeping area is a good size and as the room’s name suggests, features a king-size bed.
It should be noted that this is a king-size bed based on UK sizes and not US sizes (US king beds are wider than their counterparts in the UK).
As well as the bed, the room is home to two armchairs, a desk and a desk chair.
The power outlets on the desk are unusually international with two UK outlets, a US outlet, a European outlet, and two USB-A ports.
That’s quite impressive and modern as most properties that I’ve stayed at in the UK don’t offer anything other than UK outlets and USB ports (and that includes a number of properties that are considerably newer than Threadneedles).
The hotel does, however, show its age when you take a look at the bedside tables with no ready access to AC power on either side of the bed.
Sensibly, the hotel has provided lamps that have a USB-A port on either side of the bed …
… but if you need bedside access to AC power, you’ll have to be prepared to bend down and look under the bedside table and (on one side of the bed) unplug the clock/radio.
The room’s closets are suitably large …
… and are where you’ll find much of the standard equipment that you would expect to find (iron, ironing board, robe, umbrella, room safe, and minibar) as well as a less standard item – a free-standing radiator.
Despite our visit being in the middle of winter, our room was always warm so I’m a little confused as to why the hotel feels the need to provide a free standing radiator. That’s not a complaint (perhaps some people like such a thing), it’s just an observation.
The in-room safe is wide enough to hold a 16″ MacBook and large enough to fit a good number of items that guests may wish to lock up, and while the contents of the minibar aren’t exactly impressive …
… they are included in the room rate so there’s no risk of being hit with an outrageous bill if you get thirsty in the middle of the night and have a hankering for a soda (or a beer).
As is pretty standard nowadays (at hotels like this one), there were two complimentary bottles of water waiting for us in the room …
… and as well, as the tea making facilities in the closet, a capsule coffee maker is provided.
The bathroom is of a good size, and offers both a tub and a standalone shower.
And despite recent moves to have them withdrawn, miniature toiletries are still being offered (Elemis branded).
The final aspect of the room that’s worth commenting on is the view – on this occasion we didn’t really have one as the windows were steamed up.
The truth is, however, that even if the windows had been crystal clear there wouldn’t have been much to look at as most of the buildings in this part of London are pretty close together so we would almost certainly have found ourselves looking at rooftops or directly at another building.
This isn’t a property that you choose for the views!
Here’s a short video showing a quick walkthrough of the room:
Breakfast/dining
Breakfast is served in a restaurant area adjacent to the hotel bar called the Grand Room …
… and this was the only part of the hotel that I didn’t really like.
The room felt uninviting, impersonal, and cold (to the eyes), and compared to the rest of the property, it felt sterile (despite its decor). It felt more like an old-fashioned school dining hall than an upmarket hotel eatery.
All hotel guests have access to an a la carte breakfast menu …
… and for Platinum and Titanium members, a complimentary continental breakfast (buffet) is offered.
While there was nothing inherently wrong with the complimentary breakfast offering, the overall feel at breakfast wasn’t one that exuded quality, and the fact that the property is happy to charge a staggering £40/$50 for access to the cold buffet and a few hot breakfast items …
… confirmed that breakfast was definitely the low point of our otherwise very nice stay.
Bottom line
Breakfast aside, I really like the Threadneedles Hotel. I like it’s location, I like the staff (who were all very nice), and I like the overall decor and feel of the property.
With plenty of good restaurants and bars in the surrounding streets, with easy access to London’s Underground (subway) and with most of what London has to offer no more than a few stops away, there’s no reason to rule out staying at Threadneedles just because is isn’t right in the very heart of London’s tourist areas. In fact, it’s location away from the more touristy areas is a probably a good thing!
Anyone looking for a large, upscale hotel on the doorstep of London’s nightlife and principal shopping areas will probably not find Threadneedles to their liking. Anyone looking for a solid characterful hotel, with nice rooms (admittedly, at ~260 square feet some may be on the small side), a friendly staff, and reasonable rates (by London standards) should definitely consider Threadneedles for their next London stay.
We enjoyed our stay at Threadneedles and it’s very likely that we’ll be back … although we may give breakfast a miss next time!
