Review: Trafalgar St James London Curio Collection – stunning rooftop bar and great location

If you’re a Hilton Enthusiast and you’re headed to London… look no further. This is your spot. I’ve stayed a many Hilton hotels in London, and this is my favorite ( barring the newly added SLH properties which I haven’t tried ). The Trafalgar St James London is a wonderfully located property with a a roof bar that will light your Instagram on fire. I’ve been to London countless times and until I stayed here… had no idea it even existed. Well, we tried it out, and it didn’t disappoint.

Stay Details:

We booked this a couple weeks in advance at the rate of 80k per night with a 5th night free. Total was 320k points and rates at the hotel were in the 500 pound a night range. I put HIlton point at a 1/2 penny a point, so this would have been $1600 if we’d bought the points during a sale, for a room that easily would have fetched in the $2500 to $3k range after taxes and fees.

• When: 2023
• Rate: 80k per night, 5th night free
• Status: Hilton Diamond courtesy of Amex Aspire
  • Free Breakfast

Note…the hotel has recently added 6 Garden suites as well. 

Other London Hotels we have reviewed

• Marriott:
  • Hotel Xenia London
  • Marriott Park Lane
  • London Edition
  • JW Marriott Grosvenor House
  • Renaissance St Pancras
• Hyatt
  • Hyatt Regency Churchill
  • Hyatt Regency Blackfriars
  • Park Hyatt London
  • Great Scotland Yard London
• IHG
  • Intercontinental Park Lane
  • Kimpton Fitzroy
• Hilton
  • Waldorf Hilton 
  • The Biltmore London 
  • Conrad London
  • 100 Queen’s Gate
  • Trafalgar Curio Collection London
• Airport
  • Hyatt Place Heathrow
  • Hilton Garden Inn Terminal 2/3
  • Sofitel London Heathrow, Terminal 5 ( not points )
• Boutique
  • Soho Hotel

Location

If you are on the hunt for touristy things to see, do, experience…this is a wonderful location.

Check in –

Small lobby, intimate feeling. It’s almost as if you’re staying in a much smaller hotel than it actually is. The feel is quaint, smiles, and juxtaposed with the craziness of Trafalgar Square just outside the door, it’s highly welcomed upon entry. The below is an updated image since my visit.

 

The Room

The room wasn’t really anything to write home about; however, when compared to the Great Scotland Yard from Hyatt just around the corner, it seems absolutely massive. It could certainly have used more light, ours had just the single window, but when you’re in London, you’re out and about, not holed up in the room. For us, the size was absolutely fine.

The style is kinda all of the place. Bright patterns, framed rock n rollers, etc with a very tradational exterior. Personally, I’d have favored them keeping a traditional luxury aesthitic vs trying to be a hip trendy boutique property. Curio tho does tend to lean in this direction with juxtaposing rakish interiors and very traditional and tasteful exteriors.

Bathroom:

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Dining

Breakfast is served on the main level and is nice. A small buffet + order off the menu. It’s all included which is amazing compared to the measly credit Hilton gives you in the States that barely coveres a coffee and muffin. This is a real breakfast served in “Rockwell” ( The image below was sent to me from the hotel post renovation )

 

The rooftop is open to the public, but you will definitely need reservations. If you’re a guest at the hotel, pop up, and they will seat you promptly. There are multiple areas to sit. The best is looking over Trafalgar Square at the railing.

Gym

It’s a small one tucked just behind the lobby.

Overall

Would I stay here again? Absolutely. Great location with an amazing rooftop. I’m not a Hilton fanboy tho, so the odds are, I’d be at one of the Hyatt properties. If I had to choose a Hilton in the city, this would be it followed by the Waldorf, then Queen’s Gate, then Conrad. Sadly, the Biltmore left the Hilton group. It was really the grande dame of the city for Hilton.