You can really divide your hotel stay into two separate categories. In some cases, the hotel is the focal point and an important part of visiting a particular destination. There are also a few places where a hotel is just a convenient place to stay overnight.
The last reason brought me to the Indigo London – Paddington Hotel, an IHG hotel located just around the corner from Paddington Station, home to the London Underground, the Heathrow Express and the new Major stops on the Elizabeth line, as well as other rail options.
It’s not that I want to pay extra for a luxury holiday. All I want is comfort, recovery, convenience and functionality at an affordable price.
After the first JetBlue flight from Boston to London in August, I spent about 48 hours in the city. During my short stay in London, I needed to do three things: rest before my fast-approaching return flight, get a lot of work done, and see the city when I had time.
For me, and for many business travelers and American tourists who make frequent short stops or stopovers in London, this means I have two options: I can stay away from the city centre, close to Heathrow Airport (LHR) and enjoy the best convenient access. to my terminal, or I can stay at a hotel a little closer to the city’s most popular attractions without sacrificing too much convenience or money.
I decided to choose the latter and stayed at the Indigo London – Paddington Hotel. Ultimately, it fits in all respects.
Ironically, I checked into this hotel with easy access to Heathrow after flying to London Gatwick (LGW), but I wanted to know how this hotel could help more people arriving at London’s largest airport Passenger Airport.
Because Heathrow Airport is close to the city, about 15 miles from Piccadilly Circus, many visitors to London who wish to get to a hotel are forced to choose between a long London Underground ride and an expensive taxi or cab service.
However, by choosing the Hotel Indigo London – Paddington as their temporary home away from home, travelers gain access to an additional and especially convenient option. Instead of taking the Tube to the city center for less than $30, visitors can take the Heathrow Express to Paddington in 15 minutes.
The express train to the airport will take guests just a short walk from the hotel – 230 steps from the turnstile on the upper platform of Paddington station to the front door of the hotel to be exact.
When you step out of the station, you will definitely feel like you are on a busy London street. When I first stepped out of Paddington Station, I was woken up by the clatter of the iconic red double-decker buses after a sleepless overnight flight and tube ride.
When you walk down Sussex Square for two minutes to the hotel, the noise subsides a bit and the hotel almost blends in with the various storefronts and bars next to it. Before you know it, you arrived within 20 minutes of leaving Heathrow.
Since I was just driving past London Town at 6am local time, I suspect my room wasn’t ready when I arrived. My hunch turned out to be correct, so I decided to start my stay with a snack on the outdoor patio of the restaurant at Bella Italia Paddington.
Immediately I felt at ease on the patio. If I have to get up this early with low energy, this is not a bad place to have breakfast in the 65-degree morning air with only soft ambient music playing in the background. It was a delightful break from the sound of jet engines and the screams of subway cars that I had been hearing for the past eight or nine hours.
The patio offers a more casual atmosphere than a restaurant’s dining room and is a good gas station – and reasonably priced. My eggs (~$7.99), orange juice and cappuccino (~$3.50) with sourdough are just what I need to satisfy my appetite after a long trip.
Other options on the breakfast menu are reminiscent of what you’ll find in London, including classic British fare like baked beans, croissants and baked brioches. If you’re feeling more hungry, you can mix in a few pieces of meat, sourdough, eggs, and beans for less than £10 ($10.34).
For dinner, Italian-themed dishes, from pasta to pizza. Since I had a narrow dinner window between the work deadline and the Zoom meeting, I decided to return later during my visit to sample the evening menu.
Overall affordable, I found the food and wine more than adequate for my needs, which was unremarkable given the average presentation and taste. However, meatballs and slices of ciabatta ($8), focaccia with focaccia ($15) and a cup of chianti (about $9) curbed my hunger for a while.
However, one key downside to keep in mind is the payment process. Unlike most hotels that allow you to charge for food onsite in your room, which means you can increase your points income through property fees, this hotel has a room charge policy, so I had to pay for food with a credit card.
The front desk staff felt I was tired from an overnight flight and went out of their way to get me to my room a few hours early which I appreciate.
Although there is an elevator, I prefer the open staircase to my room on the second floor, as it creates a homely atmosphere, reminiscent of climbing the stairs in my own house.
When you go to your room, you can’t help but stop and admire the surroundings. While the walls are just pure white, you’ll find a striking mural on the ceiling and a vibrant rainbow-patterned carpet underfoot.
When I entered the room, I was immediately relieved by the coolness of the air conditioner. Due to Europe’s record heat wave this summer, the last thing I want to experience is a very hot room if I experience an unexpected rise in temperature during my stay.
As a nod to the hotel’s location and traveling travelers like me, the room’s wallpaper is reminiscent of Paddington station interiors and the subway pictures hang on the walls. Paired with bold red carpet, cabinet upholstery and accent linens, these details create a striking contrast against neutral white walls and light wood floors.
Considering the proximity of the hotel to the city center, there was little room in the room, but everything I needed for a short stay was there. The room has an open layout with separate areas for sleeping, working and relaxing, as well as a bathroom.
The queen bed was exceptionally comfortable – it’s just that my adjustment to the new time zone interrupted my sleep in some way. There are bedside tables on either side of the bed with multiple outlets, although they require a UK plug adapter to use.
I needed to work on this trip and was pleasantly surprised by the desk space. The mirrored table under the flat screen TV gives me enough space to work with my laptop. Impressively, this chair has far more lumbar support than you might think during long working hours.
Because the Nespresso machine is ideally placed on the countertop, you can even have a cup of coffee or espresso without getting up. I especially like this perk because it’s an in-room convenience and I wish more hotels were added instead of the traditional disposable coffee machines.
To the right of the desk is a small wardrobe with a luggage rack, a few coat hangers, a few bathrobes, and a full-size ironing board.
Turn the door to the left to see the other side of the closet, where there is a safe and a mini-fridge with free soda, orange juice and water.
An added bonus is a free micro bottle of Vitelli prosecco at the table. This is a great touch for those who want to celebrate their arrival in London.
Next to the main room is a compact (but well-equipped) bathroom. Like any mid-range hotel bathroom in the US, this one has everything you need, including a walk-in rain shower, a toilet, and a small bowl-shaped sink.
Like other hotels opting for more sustainable toiletries, my room at the Indigo London – Paddington was stocked with a full-sized pump of shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, shower gel and lotion. Bio-smart skin care products are affixed to the wall by the sink and shower.
I especially like the heated towel rail in the bathroom. Here is a unique European style that is rarely seen in America.
While I really like some aspects of the hotel, one of my favorites is the hotel bar and lounge area. While not technically part of the Indigo London – Paddington Hotel, it can be reached without going outside.
Located in a short corridor behind the reception, the lounge is a great place for guests of this hotel or the neighboring Mercure London Hyde Park to enjoy a drink as it is connected to both.
Once inside, it is easy to relax. The living room-inspired setting offers plenty of comfortable seating options, including high chairs in bright colors and animal print fabrics, contemporary bar stools and oversized tufted leather sofas tucked away in the corners. Dark ceilings and small lights that mimic the night sky create a cool and cozy atmosphere.
After a long day at work, this place proved to be the perfect discreet place to unwind with a glass of Merlot (~$7.50) without straying too far from my room.
Besides being a convenient stopover for travelers who need to travel to the airport, I would return to the Paddington area due to its affordable price and easy access to all of London’s attractions.
From there you can go down the escalator and take the subway. The Bakerloo Line will take you five stops to Oxford Circus and six stops to Piccadilly Circus. Both stops are about 10 minutes away.
If you buy a London Transport Day Pass, walking a few stops on the Paddington Underground, you can reach the rest of London as easily as wandering the streets around your hotel in search of a place to eat. Another way? You can walk 10 minutes down the street to a bar next to the hotel that you find online (and there are many), or you can take the metro to the city center in the same time.
Depending on where you want to go, it may be faster and easier to take the Elizabeth Line, named after the late Queen Elizabeth II.
During my short work trips, it was easy for me to hold a Zoom meeting in my room (and the pace changed a lot) and then take the tube to another part of the city (like Oxford Circus) to finish it. More work, say opening a coffee shop in cozy side street without spending a lot of time on traffic jams.
I even found it relatively simple to catch the Tube’s District Line out to Southfields (which is about a 15-minute ride away) to cross an item off my bucket list: a tour of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, also known as Wimbledon. I even found it relatively simple to catch the Tube’s District Line out to Southfields (which is about a 15-minute ride away) to cross an item off my bucket list: a tour of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, also known as Wimbledon. I even found it quite easy to take the District Line to Southfields (it’s about 15 minutes away) to cross off my wish list: a tour of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as Wimbledon. It was even relatively easy for me to take the regional line to Southfields (about 15 minutes drive) to cross one item off my wish list: a visit to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as Wimbledon. The ease of this trip is further proof that a stay in Paddington can indeed be a convenient option for leisure and travel.
As with most hotels, prices at the Indigo London Paddington largely depend on when you stay and what you want that night. However, looking over the next few months, I often see prices hovering around £270 ($300) for a standard room. For example, an entry-level room costs £278 ($322) on a weekday in October.
You can pay around £35 ($40) more for the highest-tier “premium” rooms, though the site doesn’t specify what extras you can get for anything other than “extra space and comfort.”
Even though it took over 60,000 IHG ​​One Rewards Points to claim that night, I was able to book a standard room at a lower rate of 49,000 points for the first night and 54,000 points for the second night.
Considering this promotional rate is around £230 ($255) per night according to TPG’s latest estimate, I’m sure I’m getting a lot for my room, especially considering everything I enjoyed during my stay.
If you’re looking for luxury when visiting London, the Indigo London – Paddington might not be the right place for you.
However, if your visit is short and you prefer to stay in a convenient location so you can make the most of your time in the city without driving too far from the airport, then this is the hotel for you. The perfect place to hang your hats.