Literally overlooking the iconic Wembley Stadium, the Hilton London Wembley Hotel is the perfect place to stay for events at the Stadium or Wembley Arena. I recently stayed at this landmark hotel which only opened in July 2012 and I thought it was fantastic. With a great British sporting theme throughout, this is a modern, well designed and welcoming hotel.
GETTING THERE
There’s easy access by rail and tube, however, on this occasion I took the car as there’s a large, covered 24 hour car park adjacent to the hotel. Car parking is expensive in this area, especially when there’s a match or show on, but this is subsidised for Hilton guests. Self parking, bearing in mind the location, was a fairly reasonable £15 for my overnight stay.
WEMBLEY CITY
The area around the Stadium is being transformed to create shops, restaurant and leisure facilities. The aim is to turn this area into a thriving part of the capital and a beacon of sporting, entertainment and architectural excellence. The visually stunning Hilton London Wembley is already playing its part.
THE HOTEL FACILITIES
This spectacular hotel has 361 rooms and boasts leading features such as 18 suites, a large 660 capacity Ballroom, state of the art meeting rooms with a Business Centre, an Executive Lounge and a Living Well Health Club. The latter comes well equipped with a 12 metre pool, sauna, steam room, whirlpool and a 24 hour gym for residents. After a smooth check-in I was soon in my bright and airy room overlooking the Stadium. Time to sit and relax in an easy chair and catch a movie on the LCD TV. If you feel the compulsion to do some work, Hilton rooms also include a seating area and work desk with wifi access.
In addition, if you upgrade to an Executive Room or Suite then special touches are included such as exclusive access to the Executive Lounge with complimentary refreshments and breakfast. At the end of the day however, you inevitably want sleep and I found no problem drifting off in one of the Hilton’s quality beds.
DINING OPTIONS
Sky Bar 9 The ninth floor reveals this stunning roof bar with great views and an outdoor roof terrace. Available for private hire only, with space for up to 150 people, it’s an ideal venue for any event
ICONS BAR
Afternoon tea and a light snack, an after work drink, relaxing over a pre-concert tipple or a post dinner nightcap. Whatever your reason for dropping in here, you’ll find the glass-walled Icons Bar a stylish relaxed area with an extensive selection of traditional and contemporary cocktails. My wife’s favourite was the Pink Orchid – she loved the exotic and fruity blend of Grey Goose vodka, cranberry juice and watermelon liqueur.
ASSOCIATION RESTAURANT
The 280 cover Association Restaurant serves up contemporary British food in keeping with the hotel’s iconic English location. I had booked here for dinner and what a good choice! A great setting and excellent service. There’s a varied choice of food from either a set menu which is changed on a regular basis, or A La Carte.
Main dishes include slow-cooked belly of pork with fondant potato, butternut squash purée and caramelised apple; roast rump of Bolton Abbey lamb; salmon fillet served alongside crushed potato with lobster and a selection of dishes from the grill as well as vegetarian options. From the desserts menu I had a choice of indulgent treats such as sherry trifle torte, lemon meringue pie with lemon sorbet and strawberry Champagne delice with strawberry ice cream. How I managed to return some hours later for the hearty breakfast I’ll never know!
CONCLUSION
The location is impressive and the building is architecturally stunning. The Hilton London Wembley Hotel is modern, friendly, well run and nothing seemed too much trouble for all the staff I came across. I wouldn’t hesitate to return here.
For more information, latest offers and to book, visit www.londonwembley.hilton.com
