Best option for points stay in London?

[AnotherUser]

Looking to use some Amex MRs for a points stay in London. Any recommendations for the better choices? 70k points per night is fine, and I’ll have gold status.

We will be a couple plus a baby, so a room that’s not tiny would be nice. Ideally somewhere with good public transport links to Dalston and interesting things to do/see and places to walk nearby.

Also, anyone transferred MRs to Radisson recently? How long did it take?

[The Savage Squirrel]

Plenty of decent choice with Radisson in London, unlike most other places.

Have had good stays at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge (have some good family rooms that would give loads of space) and Radisson Blu Mercer Street, and both would have plenty within an easy walk

Have had adequate stays at Park Plaza County Hall and Radisson Blue Berkshire

Would like to try The Mayfair and Holmes Hotel.

[aseftel]

I don’t think there are any RR hotels with good links to Dalston (unless you want a particularly long bus ride). Westminster Bridge would be my suggestion; Mercer is nice but has small rooms if you don’t get upgraded.

If you don’t mind where you transfer your MRs to, then you could look at Town Hall hotel (Bonvoy) or Hart (Hilton) if access to Dalston is particularly important.

[Rob]

Marriott West India Quay Canary Wharf was historically very good value on points (we reviewed it) and would be handy for Dalston, plus you’ve got all the Wharf amenities inc Waitrose if you need stuff for the baby.

[AnotherUser]

Thanks for the replies! Dynamic pricing makes other chains fairly pricey on my dates (the Marriott does look best value, but just under 40k/night so a similar number of MRs to the Radissons).

The Park Plaza looks nice. Family rooms are 110 points a night, so a bit steep, but normal rooms look a fair size 🙂

If I give up on the public transport links to Dalston and just assume I’ll be splashing out on a few £20 uber/cab rides, where would you opt for then? Its tempting to try the May Fair, Holmes, or one of the Edwardian hotels – which seem good value in terms of points vs cash price – but would somewhere like the Park Plaza be more practical?

[Rob]

I wouldn’t want to be cabbing it from Mayfair to Dalston multiple times, to be honest.

How about the Hart (Hilton Curio)? Shoreditch so only a few minutes. Could be rowdy in the area on a Fri/Sat night though.

[AnotherUser]

Thanks – the location of the Hart would be great. Over 180k points for a night, though 🙁

I’ll think about the options. Dynamic pricing is not my friend this summer!

[memesweeper]

If the pricing in MRs works for you the Town Hall is a lovely hotel, would make for a memorable stay. I think it might have some of the best rooms available on points in London. However, as it is in close proximity to Dalston, it is in a terrible area. There’s a superb coffee shop round the corner.

Montcalm East, another Marriott, is a better choice for Dalston than the west end. Good hotel with an attractive bar.

If you go for Canary Wharf at the weekend try Roka’s Sunday afternoon spread.

[AnotherUser]

Thanks! Town Hall could be a good shout. If I tweak my dates I can get it for just under 25k MRs. Even the standard rooms are good?

[The Savage Squirrel]

AnotherUser wrote:

Thanks! Town Hall could be a good shout. If I tweak my dates I can get it for just under 25k MRs. Even the standard rooms are good?

Good suggestion. And as a bonus, if it’s on, going round the corner to the boxing at the York Hall is certainly a memorable (if sometimes edgy) experience.

[memesweeper]

AnotherUser wrote:

Even the standard rooms are good?

They are all slightly different, I think. I can’t imagine there’s a bad one though, the place is finished to a very high standard.

If you want a suite some Marriott properties let you book with points and upgrade with cash, I’m not sure if this is one of them though. Being a ‘Design Hotel’ rather than a proper Marriott they may not. You could always phone up after booking and ask.

[AnotherUser]

Thanks!