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Hotel Review: Andaz Liverpool Street London

Andaz Liverpool Street London - Hotel Review

I just came back from a wonderful weekend in London. This was our Eid (end of Ramadan) weekend away and thankfully the English weather was good. I had booked the Andaz on Liverpool street and at a great price too via their best price guarantee. I will write up a review on this and how you can save money . We were travelling with my sister in laws and our 6 month old nephew who I hope enjoyed the trip to London and the Andaz. I am a Diamond member after a Diamond status match challenge and so far I am very happy. I think I have found a best friend, though I wish they had more European choices for me. Hyatt and Hilton for me will be the two best brands for 2014 that I will maintain status with.
So here is the review of the hotel and my humble comments on how to make it a perfect five out of five.I really like the blend of modern decor mixed with the old Victorian building and features. It is predominantly a business hotel during the week but so close to all the main attractions in London that it makes it an excellent base for exploring the city on a weekend. It is only steps away from the Liverpool train and tube station and it is easier if you just take the side entrance close to McDonalds rather than the main entrance. It is literally around the corner in the same building. It was apparently builtby the Eastern Railways the company who built and managed the station.

Prior to Arrival: 

I had booked two rooms which were supposed to be Andaz large king. The night before my stay Alberto from customer services emailed me to confirm if I still wanted an extra bed and if he can be of any assistance. I liked this touch and in general I found the whole staff at the Andaz to be super attentive as if nothing was too much for them.

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Lobby

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Check in area

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Lobby from above

andaz londonLobby-Coffee Area

Check in:

We arrived around 10.30 am at the hotel and I was just planning to leave my suitcases and head out touring London. When I arrived I was informed that my room will be ready in 10-15 minutes and If i wanted to wait. As we had a baby with us we chose to wait and we were offered the standard drink. The reception area is nice, a little too dark but I guess it is part of the hotel’s funky style. There were about four staff around but only two checking in people. I found that the check in was extremely slow not only for us, which took more than the 15 minutes promised, but also for everyone else. I was observing them check in people and there was a big queue forming closer to 12 pm. The iPads are a cool idea if you can really check in remotely as soon as they come in. It was about 45 minutes into us waiting when I asked when our room will be ready. I was informed that it will take 10 minutes for some final checks! I mean what are they checking? Once the room was ready I was told only one of them will be available and once the second room is ready they will send the key upstairs.The check in of the second room was at about 5 pm and it was slow again, it took them another 20 minutes of checking to finally release the key to us even though check out was at 12 pm from the room. I really find that the whole process was the slowest I have ever experienced in a hotel. From what I overheard from other guests they had the same opinion. Other than this the check in staff were extremely polite and courteous, it is actually a good contrast to some other London hotels.

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Rooms:

Our room was a large suite with a connecting door to a large king which I found to be an excellent and thoughtful touch as I didn’t ask for it.  It was a lot easier to have an interconnecting room and spend time in both rooms without having to go out especially as we all wear hijabs (scarves) and we didn’t have to worry about covering.Our suite had the standard amenities of fruit, coffee machine, stationary and of course a free minibar. Our suite had extra fresh milk, apple and orange juice and some snacks. The suite had a large sitting area and a bedroom which was separated by a tv/ wardrobe from the rest of the living room. I loved the high ceiling of the room and the big windows it makes it look so specious. I am so happy we had this room. Though we had a fly in the room which I totally forgot to inform the hotel about! Not sure how it got in or how it will get out to be honest. The king room was a standard room just a lot bigger so it can comfortably fit an extra bed.

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Room bedroom-living room divider

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Suite entrance
What I found was that the red carpet in the suite needs to be cleaned more thoroughly it seemed dirty in some areas maybe because of the material. I was sitting on the floor as we were all in one room chatting and I realised it didn’t feel clean, and I am not a clean freak! I would never walk around a hotel room without slippers anyway or sit on the floor usually. And I would recommend you don’t either.The bathroom in our suite was smaller than the bathroom in the large king but still an adequate one for a few nights stay. It had all the usual amenities you find in a suite and they had the most comfortable slippers I have had so far. Though the bathrobes cannot be compared to the super fluffy ones I had in the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi.  I know many people commented on the vacuum draining system they have in the hotel as it makes the same noise that toilets in airplanes make. I didn’t find this to be a problem to be honest I got used to it after the first time.  However the comments about the noise insulation can be valid, as I could hear my nephew crying at night from the room next door. If he wasn’t my nephew I don’t think I would like it and be as happy as I was. I know there is not much you can do about this just keep it in mind when you are choosing your room.

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Suite bathroom
I really liked the list they had available with all the complimentary things you can have, like the coffee cups, shampoos, slippers, hair brush and others. I always forget my hairbrush, maybe because I wear a scarf and it is not the first thing I think of, but it was nice to know I can have one, which I did and it was excellent quality.

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Large King

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Large King Entrance

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Large King bathroom

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Large King bathroom

andaz londonThe breakfast room- beautiful

Breakfast:

We went for breakfast in the 1901 restaurant which can be tricky to find though there are plenty of signs once you know where to look, though the room itself is amazing. My sisters in law went ahead of us and they walked out of the hotel and around the corner, we went down the stairs from the first floor into the restaurant. The breakfast buffet costs £24 per person and I found it lacking in quantity and variety for the price. It had a small selection of English breakfast, seven kinds of cereals, some juices, cheeses, breads and pastries. There were no labels which I don’t have a problem with but my sister in laws who don’t travel as much and an American lady asked my husband about some of the food on offer. The waiters are extremely polite and helpful though there was no mention of the hot food you can order from the menu such as poached eggs, eggs Benedict or the lovely waffles and pancakes. For those who don’t travel regularly they wouldn’t be aware of the fact that they can order extra from the chef. I couldn’t justify spending £24 per person only for the buffet on offer. However considering the options you have including the menu items I think it is a fair price for London.I know many people have no idea what Muslims can eat or order and I didn’t even know myself until I became Muslim. Many times in the past I have been even been offered a pork sandwich and wine.  Very few staff are educated to know anything about Muslim customers, which is a shame especially in London as they are great in numbers. It will be an excellent competitive advantage for Hyatt to start looking into training their staff on Muslim friendly service and open the doors to the Halal travel industry which is worth billions of dollars. I am saying this because there are only minor changes that need to be done to accommodate Muslim tourists who in return can be very loyal to a brand. I had experiences where I have ordered food with pork or alcohol and the waiter told me so and changed my order. They are very small things but it is this personal touch that makes such a big difference in customer service and recognising ones choices. Needless to say these people always get praised, a tip and a even a shout out to management.

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The same happened with my lovely eggs Benedict which I forgot that come with bacon as standard. I usually always say that I don’t want the bacon but this time I forgot. When my eggs came I felt that the waiter was trying to make me feel bad that he had to redo them. Which is understandable but it was a genuine mistake of mine. So when the eggs returned without the ham they were not really as nice looking as the previous ones and they had a strong smell and taste of vinegar and a little uncooked. I let it pass but I felt this was a let-down for me, the waffles and the pancakes however where nicely done. Another thing was that we were asked what drinks we would like but they were not delivered until after 20 minutes of waiting. When I asked one of the staff they said they are self-service from the buffet! If you are going to ask about our coffee and drinks then you should deliver or guide us to their direction. These are small inconsistent things that can add up.

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Eggs Benedict

Therefore customer service sometimes seemed to be disconnected as there is no communication between them. I had this feeling when I checked in, at breakfast and when I found the cleaner in my room preparing for the next guest.As I had a late check out until 4 pm we decided to go around London then come back to refresh and head out for our return train. I know the hotel was fully booked but I had never experienced anyone cleaning my room and stocking up for the next arrival whilst I haven’t checked out.  When we came back our room cards didn’t work as they are programmed until 12 pm, again non of the staff let us know about this. The cleaning lady opened the door as she just finished cleaning and preparing for the next guests and was surprised to find us there, as much as we were to find her there. They had not updated their system showing that we have late check out and when I called the hotel they said there was a miss communication. I had packed most of my things before hand but as we took a shower and had a nap I felt really bad for the cleaning lady who had to re do the room.Interestingly on the way to check out another guest was furious about some problems and miss communication on her two rooms. She was furious that as a Diamond member their rooms are not ready and she was given smaller rooms. The front staff where trying to explain that there was another Diamond member like herself in the room with late check out and her room should be ready shortly. I have a feeling these were our rooms. Oh well first come first served. :)Overall I loved the hotel and I would stay there again though there is still room for improvement. I had a sneak-peak in the smaller room and I am not sure if I would be happy to pay £200 per night for them, however I would happily pay the price for our suite. I would give them a 4,5 out of 5 just for the small hick ups that for a two day stay were quite too many in my opinion. All of them can be easily rectified with some staff training which I hope they do soon. If you are a family travelling definitely book the Andaz large king as it has plenty of space to accommodate a family or make sure you get the 218 suite.

I also visited the Masonic Temple which is part of the hotel, but it will be for another review…

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