Within walking distance of London’s most famous attractions, Park Plaza County Hallis a great location for those seeking the sights of the city, whether you're hoping to watch a play or wander South Bank. Here’s what we thought of our one night stay.
Where is Park Plaza County Hall?
Park Plaza County Hall is a great location just south of Westminster Bridge, overlooking the River Thames.
We got a little lost while trying to find County Hall – its sister hotel, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, is literally just over the road and their sign was much more prominent from the direction we walked, following Google maps, so we saw Park Plaza and assumed that was it. I think they could do with some sort of sign to make this a bit clearer at the entrance to the Westminster Bridge hotel – if there was one we didn’t see it.
After a bit of a wait at the reception desk we did manage to get someone to point us in the right direction and once we knew we were almost in the right place it was fine.
At County Hall we were immediately greeted by a friendly concierge and directed to a receptionist to check in. The staff at County Hall were very welcoming and happy to help.
Where will I sleep?
There are a range of rooms available including junior suites, studio rooms and penthouses. We stayed in a corner junior suite with an impressive three huge windows with views over the city and Waterloo station. There’s your own living area and kitchenette, with kettle, coffee machine, microwave, sink, crockery and cutlery plus fridge and freezer. The bathroom was a good size, with a walk-in shower and separate bath. There was loads of storage and, most importantly for our stay during a summer heatwave, air con!
We were on the 11th floor so, despite the central location, it was lovely and quiet. The room was clean and bright with a great selection of toiletries in the bathroom, even including a sewing kit.
The hotel offers online check in and check out, which makes it even easier. You also get access to the on-site fitness centre and spa.
What is there to do at Park Plaza County Hall?
As well as being a stone’s throw from attractions including the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, London Aquarium, National Theatre and the South Bank Centre, this city centre hotel provides the perfect base for you when travelling in London. Right by Waterloo, one stop from Bank and the Central Line, you can get pretty much everywhere.
We had lunch in Soho, took in some galleries, had a stroll through Holland Park, enjoyed dinner and drinks on South Bank and an explore through Covent Garden the next morning.
We did find walking across Westminster Bridge itself to be packed with tourists, so if you’re wanting to cross the water I’d advise walking to Waterloo Bridge or the Golden Jubilee bridges instead.
What is there to eat?
The on-site restaurant, Atrio, offers Mediterranean cuisine in a variety of contemporary dishes. The restaurant is open from Thursday – Saturday, but you can also get light bites and a range of drinks and cocktails from Atrio bar and Atrio terrace. The terrace in particular looked like a lovely spot, despite being on a busy road, they’d done a great job of turning it into a mini oasis.
At breakfast we did have to wait for a table, but we had come down at a busy time. We didn’t have to wait long though before we were seated. The self-serve buffet offering was very varied, with lots of fruits, yoghurts, cereals, as well as continental options available. We chose from the hot selection, which included scrambled, boiled or fried eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, hash browns, sausage and bacon. The chef was also on hand should you have a request or dietary requirement.
Final thoughts
Once we were past the initial confusion of which hotel we were supposed to be staying at (I hadn’t expected them to be so close together!) we had a lovely stay at Park Plaza County Hall. Because of the location, it could feel a bit like County Hall is the overspill for Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, but we never felt like that – the staff were brilliant, the room had fantastic views and we were so impressed by how quiet it was. As advised, steer clear of the touristy bridge unless you’re actually visiting the houses of Parliament etc, we much preferred our stroll on South Bank.
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