Review: Andaz Liverpool Street

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Review: Andaz Liverpool Street
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The Andaz Liverpool Street is located directly beside the Liverpool Street Underground station, so for me, after arriving in Heathrow, I took the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then switched to the Hammersmith and City line to Liverpool Street. Once you arrive in  y Underground go upstairs, outside of the station by the McDonald’s and turn left. You’ll see the hotel straight in front of you.

I arrived just after midnight, but was quickly greeted by one of the hosts in the lobby. Andaz properties don’t really have a formal front desk, but rather have staff on iPads that are roaming about to help. Upon checkin in, I was informed that I had been upgraded to an Andaz Large Suite, up from the traditional Andaz Suite, which is the category you’ll receive if using a Diamond Suite Upgrade. I was offered a glass of sparkling water, while we reviewed the additional Diamond amenities I’d receive such as compliment wifi and breakfast in the morning.

 

Behind the lobby is a small room with complimentary water, sodas and coffee/tea that you can help yourself to at any hour.

After checking-in, I headed upstairs to my Andaz Large Suite, room 474.

Opening the door, there’s a small set of stairs that leads into the room itself. On the left is a large walk-in closet, complete with cabinets and plenty of storage, including this cool orange light which I kept on at night as a nightlight.

The suite features a sitting area and bed on a raised area, complete with a couch and 2 arm chairs. Two steps down on a smaller lower level is a desk and small chair. One of the things I love about Andaz and other Hyatt properties abroad is that they seem to consistently provide international charging outlets. There was one on the desk, here.

The bed was very comfortable, and featured a bench at the foot. Each night, turndown service placed a pair of slippers beside the bed, as well as a bottle of water on the nightstand.

Next to the bed was the minibar. At Andaz properties, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary. Inside was a was a variety of sodas, waters, juices and mixers. The snacks on hand included some sort of apricot bar which I wasn’t fond of, as well as pumpkin seeds, which weren’t really tasty either. I get the impression that this Andaz put out snacks that are unappealing to guests in hopes that they might actually not eat them. 😉

The bathroom was very large, features both a shower, variety, toilet and separate bathtub. As noted in many other online reviews, using the water anywhere in the bathroom results in a loud “flushing” sound, which is normal, though kind of annoying. The shower was on the smaller side, and I found myself constantly hitting the door and opening it while inside.

I really liked this suite, and I’ve been told it is in fact much larger than the traditional suite, so it’s worth asking if it’s possible to move to this room if available.

WiFi at this property appeared to be on the slower side, though I did find intermittent periods of faster service.

There’s a fitness center on-property including modern equipment.

Breakfast is served in the 1901 restaurant downstairs. It’s an open atrium with an English breakfast buffet in the middle. I found the service here to be very attentive, and welcoming. The breakfast buffet featured eggs, bacon sausage, baked beans as well as lots of fruit and pastries. One of the mornings I had the pancakes, which were incredibly delicious.

One evening, to try to help overcome jet lag, I ordered room service – a club sandwich and onion soup. Both were very good, though the french fries included with the sandwich had a different after-taste. Not necessarily bad, just different.

My Take

I found this property to be very well located on the East Side, since it sits next to Liverpool Street Underground. It’s within walking distance of Tower Bridge and the sites in that area, as well as St. Paul’s Cathedral. Many people harp on this hotel for not being in the prime West End, and while that’s true, I found it incredibly easy to get here from the airport, and to get myself to the bustling areas such as Picadilly Circus and Westminster.

I really enjoyed the room, and found the service at this hotel to be well above average. As a Diamond, you’re treated very well here, especially with the upgrade to the larger suite, if that’s a normal thing.

I highly recommend this property for travel to London.