Hotel in Detail:
The Amba Charing Cross hotel is a grade II listed building. Features superfast 700mp WiFi. The lobby features a marble floor and you will be checked in at the wood panelled reception desk.Each room is air-conditioned with the use of pastel colours is to be found in most rooms.
Bedroom amenities include complimentary high speed wireless internet access, laptop size safe, wakeup calls, iron and ironing board, trouser press, hairdryer, flat screen TV with digital channels, radio, IPod docking station, direct dial telephone, tea and coffee making facilities, desk with lamp, mini bar and express check-out. En-suite facilities are provided where you will also find complimentary toiletries and a walk-in shower.
There is a separate dedicated executive wing. These rooms offer Champagne on arrival as well as plus private checkout and concierge services. The bathrooms have rain showers, heated flooring, Italian fittings and mist-free mirrors.
Junior suites give you all the benefits of the executive and deluxe bedrooms, but with the added comfort of your own lounge area.
Junior suites also give access to the exclusive Guoman Club lounge. here complimentary internet access is available along with printing services, plasma TV screen and reading material. Open from 07.00 till 23.00.
Many bedrooms have views over the Strand and Trafalgar Square.
24-hour room service is provided for all rooms.
Dining options:
Eleanor's Cocktail Bar: The hotels destination bar was newly opened in 2011 offering guests a sophisticated and luxurious setting. Relaxing yet funky ambience. The bars name refers to Eleanor's cross, one of 12 landmarks built to mark the spots where the funeral procession of Eleanor of Castile stopped. One of those points being almost directly outside the Amba Charing Cross hotel. The bars interior is a mix of red and black colours, black and white fashion prints, plush cushions and a striking marble bar at its heart all lit with individual candles. The bar has an excellent range of drinks, from classic cocktails to Eleanor's Castilian Sangria. Options include an extensive selection of martinis, champagne cocktails and soft drinks. After dinner specialities include whiskey and vanilla ice-cream Don Pedro and the Toblerone, a mix of honey with a dash of hazelnut. Also serves light meals.
The Brasserie at Charing Cross: AA two rosette holder. Serves classic British and International dishes. This is the hotels main restaurant, the Victorian styled terrace looks out over the Strand with views to Trafalgar Square and is located on the 1st floor. The decor includes original mosaic Inlaid floors which are the original Victorian feature. A feature are the windows that run from the floor right up to the high ceiling. Serves breakfast (English and continental), lunches, afternoon tea and dinner as well as an extensive range of light snacks. The menu offers fixed price lunch and dinner choices and the cuisine is traditional English which changes according to the season.
Breakfast 06.30 till 10.30 (Weekends 07.00 till 11.00, Lunch noon till 14.30, Afternoon tea 14.00 till 17.00, Dinner 17.30 till 22.00.
Monday to Sunday 2pm –
Strand Lounge: Modern decor and furnishings in a roomy and sumptuous area. Intimate atmosphere. Serves afternoon tea with views over The Strand and Trafalgar Square.
For the business traveller the hotel can offer 8 meeting rooms all with air-conditioning, audio visual equipment, high speed internet access and with a capacity of up to 150 guests theatre style. Extensive range of serves available including Wi-Fi and video conferencing.
Other hotel services include laundry and dry cleaning, concierge, luggage storage, express check-in and safety deposit box facilities at the reception which is manned 24 hours.
WiFi can be picked up in all public areas and there is no charge. There is a hotel gymnasium which is free for hotel guests.
This is an all areas non-smoking hotel.
Hotel Vicinity:
Nearest: Tube & Railway Station: London Charing Cross 105 yards (96 metres), DLR Station: Tower Gateway 2.2 miles (3.6 km), Motorway: M1 Junction 1 6.3 miles (10.1 km). There are 6 tube (underground) stations within half a mile (0.8 km). You couldn't ask for better transport links than being situated adjacent to Charing Cross Station as the Amba Charing Cross Hotel is (Grade II listed building). A nice bit of trivia is that this hotel is officially the most central hotel in London as the centre of London is taken as being the station itself. (although on the website we prefer using Piccadilly Circus as the central point) A grade one listed Victorian Railway Hotel the Thistle has been been completely refurbished while retaining the 19th century elegance. Situated at the end of the Strand, opposite Covent Garden and by Trafalgar Square this is an ideal base to explore all that London has to offer. The Strand itself is full of theatres, bars and shops with a McDonalds adjacent and starbucks across the road. Transport links are great with the station next door, buses running along the strand frequently and taxis using the strand as main through route. To the rear of the hotel and station is the River Thames which affords some excellent walking opportunities along its banks as well tours of the River by boat. London now also has a river bus service. Nearest river stop to the hotel is Embankment pier. From this location you are on the edge of London heartland for nightlife and day time sites and shopping. Just off from Trafalgar Square is Regent Street with its excellent mix of departments stores, boutiques, bars and restaurants. Covent Garden which begins almost opposite the hotel is a must for any visitor. Famous for its buskers (street artists) and indoor markets as well its great nightlife and bars. Local attractions are numerous but a selection includes: National Gallery (0.1 miles), Cleopatra's Needle (0.2 miles), Leicester Square (0.3 miles), London Transport Museum (0.3 miles), Theatre Museum (0.3 miles) and the London Eye (Millennium Wheel) (0.4 miles)Bedroom Numbers: 239 / 6 floors
Check-in: 14.00 (2 pm) (minimum age 18)
Check-out: 12.00 noon
Parking:
There is no parking onsite.Internet:
Complimentary wireless internet access throughout.More hotels from this chain
Assuming your only interested in the Guoman/ Amba chain your choices nearby include:
Royal Horseguards Hotel: is 357 yards (326 metres) away, has a guest satisfaction score of 89% and rates start from about £204.
Grosvenor Hotel Victoria: is 1.3 miles (2.0 km) from here, earns a customer rating of 88% and base rates begin at about £145.
Amba Hotel Marble Hotel: 1.4 miles (2.3 km), rated at 86% and with rates from around £161.
Cumberland Hotel (Gumoan): 1.5 miles (2.5 km), rated at 77% and with rates from around £109.
Compared to other London hotels: This hotel has been rated 98% by past guests. The London average is 80% and the average for 4 star hotels is 82%. Therefore this hotel well above average for its sector (star rating) and for London as a whole and is actually the top ranked 4 star hotel listed on our website. Guoman/ Amba Hotels across the chain average 85% so this hotel is one of the better rated Guoman/ Amba hotels.
A massive 16% above the average for 4 star hotels, 18% for Greater London and 13% above the average for the Guoman/ Amba chain makes this a top pick and highly recommended hotel.
Milesfaster ranking: 2nd from 866 London hotels, 1st of 6 Guoman/ Amba Hotels, and 1st of 328 four star rated hotels.
Another to Consider:
A similar type of hotel (size, rating) nearby (0.1 miles, 0.2 km) would be the 4 star Club Quarters Trafalgar Square,
with rates that start from about £149 and which has an 87% guest satisfaction rating.
If you are looking for something a bit cheaper then take a look at the My Bloomsbury. 0.8 miles
from here (1.3 km), has been rated at 80%
by past guests and has rates from around £95 (theres free WiFi too). Looking for something near by with a solid past guest score? In that case the 5 Star 41 Hotel seems like it might fit the bill being 1.1 miles (1.7 km) from the Amba Charing Cross. The 41 Hotel has a perfect unblemished customer rating 100%, a truly stunning achievement.
Local hotels analysed:
The 51 nearest hotels around this area (The Strand, WC2 postcode) which we have have on our website extend out to a 0.7 miles (1.1 km) radius. The breakdown by star rating is 20 five star hotels (average rating 89%), 21 four star hotels (average rating 88%), 8 three star hotels (average rating 85%) and 1 two star hotel (rated 82%). Top 4 star hotel is Amba Charing Cross (this hotel) at 98%. Of the 51 local hotels top rated are Corinthia Hotel London (5 star), the Haymarket Hotel (5 star), the Covent Garden Hotel (5 star) and the Soho Hotel (5 star) (all 4 are joint top with 99%).Base Rates: We use base rates as a guide to the hotels starting rates. They do not include special offers and deals though so are just a rough guide. Taking all the hotels in the area together the average starting rate is £192 per night. Rates range from £18 at SoHostel (2 Star, 82%) with top rates of £438 at Corinthia Hotel London (5 Star, 99%). Rates broken down by star rating: Five Star average: £285, Four Star average: £143, Three Star average: £111 and Two Star average: £18.
Summary:
We rank hotels based on their guest rating but balanced for their influencing factors. We rank Amba Charing Cross 5th of 51 and 1st for the 21 four star hotels in the area. For lowest base rates in the area this hotel ranks 25th of 50 (17th of 21 four star hotels.). Our ranking for this hotel based on both its rates and its user rating is 5th of 46 for pure value for money (SoHostel was top).
History:
Past names: Known as the Guoman Charing Cross till October 2014. Was called the Thistle Charing Cross Hotel until October 2007.In October 2014 the hotel claimed to have the fastest wireless internet in Europe with download speeds of 700 mps and uploads at 600 mps.
The hotel has a long history dating back to its opening on the 15th May 1865. This was just over one year after the station itself opened. The hotel was designed by Edward Middleton Barry. Most notable was the magnificent facade of the hotel which was a French Renaissance style. The hotel and station are built on the site of the Victorian Hungerford Market. In 1878 the hotel was further extended and then again in 1952 when two more floors were added to the top. In front of the hotel is a 70 foot replica of the original Eleanor Cross which stood here in 1291. The cross was commissioned by the hotel and erected in 1865.
During end of 2010 till February 2011 work was undertaken at a cost of £2.5 million pounds to upgrade the Buckingham Wing and its 85 bedrooms and rename it the Executive Wing. The bar and restaurant were also refurbished and rebranded.