If you had asked me a few weeks ago what is my favourite, absolute go-to hotel anywhere in the world, it would have been the hotel located in the heart of St Pancras Station in London. If you have not seen it, it is without question the most striking and most beautiful building in London, the absolute epitome of Victorian High Gothic: And one that British Rail wanted to rip down in the 1960s and turn into another concrete monstrosity like Euston. It was saved, almost single-handedly, by Sir John Betjeman, who campaigned for it to be Grade 1 listed. British Rail thanked him by effectively abandoning it for 50 years, using the building for offices and boarding up all the walls. And, I suspect, by taking his Over 60’s railcard away…

It was restored in the early 2000s to become St Pancras International, and the new home of Eurostar – Irritating for those of us whose London terminus is Waterloo and who therefore used to be able to hop to Paris in no time, but a boon for people who like railway hotels, as the St Pancras Hotel emerged as one of London’s most unusual and luxurious hotels.

It was beautifully restored, and while a lot of the old Midland Grand Hotel space was sold off for flats, it retained a number of suites in the main hotel building itself, paired with a new 200 room hotel across the road. I was lucky enough to be able to get a tour of the building prior to its full restoration, and the job that was done was incredible.

The hotel is part of the Marriott Group, and due to excessive international travel over the years, I always seem to have a large number of Marriott points to spend which, when coupled with an “upgrade” fee equivalent to a usual room rate, gets you one of the suites, either overlooking the Euston Road (with beautiful sunlight in the morning), or the station platform (which is a people watching paradise). These are generally large, high-ceilinged rooms, although they can be aggressively chopped to make way for an en-suite bathroom (not a requirement when the hotel served its Victorian guests). But the crowning experience is the Chambers Club. All big hotels have an “executive” club, which usually offers breakfast, afternoon tea, and some sort of pre-dinner drinks and snacks, but the Chambers Club takes it to a different level, mainly due to its amazing location at the bottom of a sweeping staircase that you descend from your room, as well as excellent pre-dinner nibbles and a very good breakfast. Genuinely, it is the only reason I go.

So, imagine my surprise when I received an email a couple of days before I arrived (for my wedding anniversary) saying (sic):

At this time our Chambers Club is services is not a part of our offerings we showcase at Autograph Collection however we will be more than willing to craft alternative experiences to preserve the elegance and exclusivity you expect.

I mean, what the actual f***.

I attempted to start a correspondence on the subject, but got nothing back for days, until I complained about the complete lack of response. I did suggest an upgrade from our “larger” suite to a “signature” suite (we have stayed in the Gilbert Scott which has a tiny bedroom and a massive, useless drawing room), but was told none were left (they biggest one, the Queen Elizabeth was, but clearly my puny whinging was not enough to justify the room cleaning cost). And while they didn’t, this time, put me in the suite above the function room (which at Xmas time is so loud you can’t talk to your partner in bed, should you be so inclined), we got a garret room, with a nasty low ceiling, and a bedroom approximately the size of the bed (although you could have got two king size beds into the bathroom). And I did warrant a bottle of Prosecco and three truffles for my anniversary.

The lack of the club tore a big hole in the experience, as it is a great place to spend time out of the room if you are working or just loafing. I spoke with someone on Reception who said that loads of people were complaining that the Club was the reason they booked the suites, and could not understand why it had gone. It has something to do with them changing Marriott brand from Renaissance to Autograph, but frankly, what does that matter to me? A 5 star hotel should have 5 star amenities (especially when they existed when you booked…)

Looking at other factors, the “Booking Office”, which is the main bar, casual dining and breakfast room, is an amazing space. The staff are pretty sniffy and/or rude, but it has an great ambience, although the drinks are quite pricey, and wine costs are hidden behind the dreaded 125ml glass size. Deffo a great late night hangout. But for some reason they were unable to process my inclusive breakfast, so I have a £75 charge on my bill which I have had to dispute to get my money back (It’s coming, apparently). The main lounge space (next to reception), is also large, bright and airy, and is a favourite place of mine to meet people for coffee in a relaxed atmosphere. And it is just a lovely building.

But at the end of the day, the quality of the suites, especially the larger ones, just isn’t worth the money without the perk of the Chambers Club: It is a massive faux pas on behalf of the hotel, and you wonder who thought is was a good idea. Clearly it had a cost associated with it, but it was a magnet for customers, and will now operate in reverse to repel previously loyal customers. I might as well go to the Marriott at County Hall, which is another great historic building with a great club, or even the Park Plaza on Waterloo Bridge, where the club looks out over Waterloo Bridge onto the Houses of Parliament. And the way it was dealt with was basically “We want to provide you with an amazing, personalised experience”, and then apart from the somewhat de rigeur cheap anniversary fizz, nothing special at all: A classic example of a guest relations team with zero power.

Please go to this hotel, but only to admire its beauty. Spend not a penny there. It survived attacks by British Rail accountants who wanted to deprive the capital of one of its finest buildings because of the cost of upkeep and restoration. While not quite in the same league, it needs to survive the attack of the Marriott accountants who I am 100% sure are behind the Chambers Club closure. Could be the pool next, just to see if the customers squeal but keep coming back.

So, in an unusual ending to a review, but it is the last review of the year, I present a little ditty, an homage to the late Poet Laureate, and my late Xmas present to my readers:

St Pancras: A Modern Lament

I saved you from the wrecking ball,
From British Rail and all their spite,
From concrete dreams and tower blocks tall –
You took my railcard, right.

And now the Marriott accountants come
With clipboards where the vandals failed,
The Chambers Club is closed, poor staircase glum,
Three truffles and prosecco? How service failed.

“At this time our services is not
A part of offerings we showcase”
Oh, what elegant prose! Oh, what rot!
They’ve crafted an experience? What a farce.

The bedroom’s smaller than the en-suite bath,
The Booking Office staff are looking down,
The breakfast bill’s in dispute, don’t laugh,
Renaissance is now just an empty noun.

So go and see the Gothic towers rise,
The Barlow roof, the Scott staircase so grand,
Then leave at once. Be wise. Be wise. Be wise.
Spend not a penny while Marriott’s in command.

Conclusion

Overall Rating: 4/5 (It is an amazing building!)

• Rooms: 4/5
• Ambience: 5/5
• Service: 3/5
• Value for money: 3.5/5
• Would we go back? I shall not stay at St Pancras again Until the Chambers Club to sweeping stair Shall come again. (Shakespeare this time…)

St Pancras London: https://stpancraslondon.com/