The Rubens At the Palace

Christmas in London is always magical however staying at The Rubens this year was an amazing experience my family will never forget. With our four children my wife and I rented both apartments and they were absolutely perfect. The trimmed Christmas trees by the fireplaces were the first wonderful thing we saw when we opened the doors and right away we knew we were in good hands for the holidays. The kitchen was stocked with eggs, milk, fruit, butter, wine and a hamper of goodies. The staff was friendly, helpful and warmly attentive to every detail. Front desk, doormen and concierge were all happy to answer any question and eager to offer personal assistance. The location was perfect. Close to the theaters, pubs, shopping and restaurants. We’re now back home in Los Angeles and hopefully our memories of London and The Rubens will carry us through until next year. We will definitely be back!

Top notch customer service from staff all around. They truly make you feel at home here. Rooms, though small in size, were comfortable and well decorated maintained. Comfy comfy bed with soft linens. Free wifi that wasn’t spotty or slow. Restaurant and bar downstairs which were very convenient. Location!!! 5 – 20 minute walk to so many areas. Also bus stops and hop-​on-​hop-​off stops were 1 minute away. My two disappointments: 1) bathtub looked like it hadn’t been cleaned as there were water marks and dirt all on the sides. 2) Walls were extremely thin. I could hear noise outside which kept me awake, and doors slamming from other rooms, which was startling. Regardless of the above, I had an amazing stay here. Will recommend to friends and will likely come back!

Nice bar/​hotel in a residential area adjacent to buckingham palace. We stayed in their sister hotel next door (hotel 41) we stopped in for a cocktail and were treated to a very talented singer entertaining in the bar. Cool old fashioned vibe.

Fantastic stay. We honeymooned here for two weeks, and the service is great. Everyone was helpful and courteous. Extremely helpful with directions and tour plans. The king room we stayed in was small but not cramped. The bathroom is also small, but very pretty and supplied with bath robes. They leave a red carnation out when they service the room. It’s just a block away from Victoria station, which is great for transport. Loved it.

Stayed here 4 nights in October. Lovely hotel… absolutely fantastic staff. Everybody was friendly and helpful. Breakfast was good. They even left milk and yummy cookies every night for the kids in our room. Great location. I took away a star because I felt the rooms could have been cleaner. The toilet seat was all scratched up… although cleaned, it just looked bad. Toilet seats can be switched out fairly cheaply. so not sure why they didn’t. Also, one morning… I think we saw a mouse running across the dinning room. Most people might take several stars away but I honestly think most older buildings have mice. you just don’t see it.

I just stayed there for 6 days. They might have the smallest rooms known to mankind! I mean they were tiny for what we paid. The bathrooms were even smaller — I could barely stand straight (and I am pretty skinny dude) in the tub to shower. The service was fantastic so no complaints there at all but for what you pay and what you get, I was a little disappointed. Great location however so I guess that is what you are really paying for.

Excellent place to stay in London. Located near the Victoria station underground and across the street from Buckingham palace, this is a great place to stay and to see London. The staff are very courteous. The concierge is extremely helpful. The rooms are a bit small but this is standard for London.

We had a fantastic time celebrating my mums birthday with a lovely champagne afternoon tea.
The staff were so friendly and attentive.
There was a large selection of tea to choose from or coffee.
I loved the smoked salmon sandwiches and chose an extra one to replace the egg and cress which i declined.
The scones were warm served with a homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream. The top layer consisted of an array of delectible pastries and a lovely piña colada pannecotta. They had also written in chocolate happy birthday which was a nice touch.
This is definitely one of my top 10 afternoon teas and would go back

Had room over looking changing of the guards. Very comfortable accommodation. Rather pricey but well worth it.

This was my first stay at Rubens at the Palace. Upon checking in I really wanted a cup of tea (since I was in England) but the kettle in the room did not work. The front desk replaced the kettle the next day, but alas… the second kettle didn’t work either. The maintenance staff was as frustrated as I was, but they brought a third kettle which worked and FINALLY I could have tea in my room.
The hotel is centrally located but a lot of construction was going on during our stay making navigation to the Victoria Underground station a bit more complicated. I had two meals in the bar which were ok, but like many establishments, gluten free menu items were limited here. I had the gluten free burger, but the bun was a bit tough and dry… my suggestion for gluten free diners is to seek meals in the local restaurants surrounding this hotel.
Overall it was an OK stay, but could use a bit more attention for guests who can’t eat wheat products… I would’ve loved to have their High Tea they offer, but everything is breads and cakes any gluten intolerant diner would have severe reactions to.
As for the staff… they were very friendly and answered questions very well.

We haven’t been able to stay at the Rubens for two years and we really miss it. I’m finishing the review I started then. Things are sure to remain the same. Happily, though it is quite up to date; the Rubens hasn’t become one of those boringly sterile boxes that are taking over the world. It still reeks charm. Stay there once and you become family. From the top to the bottom the team can’t do enough for you and this is sincere. Plus the location is perfect.

They make you feel like royalty here. A real place to stay where the employees are there for you

My mom and I stayed at The Rubens for four nights and we cannot say enough about the staff and the hotel itself. We were looking for a hotel with the traditional English feel and this hotel definitely fit the profile! The rooms are just big enough to be comfortable and are each decorated in a different style. Adele, one of the managers, was able to get us tickets for a sold out Warner Brothers Harry Potter tour and she honestly made our stay The Rubens very enjoyable. Also, it is within walking distance to Buckingham Palace (which is practically across the street), Big Ben, Westminster Abby and the South Bank. If you are a runner, it is also really easy to get to Hyde park for a nice afternoon run. This would be my go-​to hotel for my next visit to London!

Just had the pleasure of staying at The Rubens At the Palace and I cannot say enough great things. The staff was amazing, location was perfect, the English breakfast was delicious, the room was lovely — I will only stay there in the future.

Stayed at Ruben’s as part of a business trip to London. The staff from the concierge, bell hops, front desk, waiters and waitress, barmen, and even musician were incredibly pleasant and accomodating. After checking in, I realized that my bathroom was one of those «rain shower» versions; being that I planned to stay at the hotel for 8 days and those kinds of showers absolutely drive me batty, I asked if I could be changed to a room with regular shower. The front desk staff were completely unfazed by the request and made arrangements for me to move; retaining my view of the Mews.
Not being English, I’m not exactly sure the reason this is such a prime view. Maybe it’s also because I don’t know what is the alternative views. I s’pose it’s the chance to see English Royalty pass by, or something.
I had Afternoon Tea at the hotel. It was ok. Given the price in comparison to other places it was reasonable. Yet, I think I would rather have tea at a different location, just given I was already staying at the hotel.
Each evening I had the pleasure of listening to a musician play, while enjoying a glass of wine. This daily cup o’ wine was part of the package. So, it was a nice daily ritual to wind down the day after work.
The rooms, by American standards are small, however they are well appointed with all one may need: full size iron and ironing board, television, desks, pens, hole punch (yes, they all have them!), extremely comfortable beds, bath robes and slippers, sitting chairs, magazines, sewing kits, safe, etc. Plus, each room has a design that is unique.
I would recommend this hotel to others. It has been quite an enjoyable stay.

6 night stay, mixing business with leisure.
Pros:
1. Amazing central location — Within a 5 min walk, you can get to Victoria Station and Buckingham Palace. From Victoria Station, you can take the Underground/​Tube anywhere in the city. Within a 10 min walk, you can get to The Mall (and from there leisurely stroll to Trafalgar Square) and St. James Park. Within a 15 min walk, you can get to Westminster Abbey and Hyde Park… and so much more.
2. Excellent service — Upon arrival, we had a small box of homemade biscuits as a welcome gift for our stay. Additionally, throughout our stay, the hotel staff was attentive, welcoming, and helpful. Post-​trip, we received a complimentary subscription to the Travel+Leisure magazine. These small gestures that focused on the customer experience really made our stay a memorable one.
3. Fitness oriented — For the athletic minded traveler, this hotel offers a unique experience where you can arrange someone on staff to work out with you. For example, isn’t it hard to play tennis by yourself? I didn’t take advantage of this, but thought it was amazing. I did, however, take advantage of the fitness center. The hotel provides complimentary day passes to the LA Fitness gym, which also has a pool, located around the corner (2 min away).
Cons:
Construction work — There is construction nearby for a new building complex and general road work. This caused minor inconveniences with some car and pedestrian congestion during the day, but did not affect sleep quality at night or in the mornings.
Would I stay here again? Absolutely. The location, service, and overall experience was so positive that it far outweighed the minor foot traffic. I get more foot traffic walking to dinner in my ‘hood. ;)

Just returned from a 6-​Day family vacation in London and had the good fortune to stay at this fine hotel — thanks to Costco Travel for the find as I would otherwise never have heard of this place. What we found…
Not sure that you can beat its location. Across the street from the Royal Mews and around the corner from Buckingham Palace. If its good enough for the Queen, its good enough for me. Walking distance (10 mins) to Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St James’ Palace. A bit further and you’re at the London Eye, Trafalgar Square (the National Gallery) and Piccadilly. Given that the hotel ordered up 6 rain-​free and even some sun drenched days for us, we walked to most of the tourist locations around London. Also note that Victoria Station and the Tube is a mere 2-​blocks away and the double decker tour bus stop is about 14-​feet from the front door of the hotel. If your goal is to experience all that the city has to offer, this is perhaps the most central location from which to do it.
Room size/​quality. By American standards, the rooms here are small. But it had no problem in comfortably accommodating my family of three. Bathroom is cramped but had the best showerhead I’ve ever experienced. Plan to remodel around this showerhead as my next big home improvement project. Had a room facing the Mews and Buckingham Palace Road which gets heavy traffic. Despite this, had no noise issues when trying to get a good night’s rest. One nice touch — room had a US 110v power outlet.
Hospitality. As prior reviewers note… the staff are outstanding. My 9-​year old daughter befriended Nathan the doorman who went out of his way to ask how her day went at every occasion. David the concierge was very helpful in providing some insight around the city and was able to provide us tickets to major attractions so we didn’t have to wait in line when we got there. Somehow everyone at the front desk across all shifts knew us by name as we walked down the stairs even though I actually only met one person when we checked in. They also have a separate child check-​in which was a very nice touch and made my kid feel special. Nice to see them cater to families.
Food. Had breakfast here every morning and ate dinner twice at the Old Masters Carvery. Breakfast buffet is of high quality and had good variety. Got my fill of the full English Breakfast by the time we left. Only complaint is lack of variation over the course of the stay. I was full Englished-​out by the last morning. The coffee here wasn’t great by American standards but that seems to be a national problem in Britain and not the fault of the F&B director. Stuck to the tea and was very happy. Pleasant surprise was dinner at the carvery. The Aberdeen roast beef simply melts in your mouth. I don’t typically eat in hotel restaurants when I travel because the food typically sucks and you can experience local flavor just outside. We invested two nights here because the roast beef was that good.
Lastly, we invested in tea service one afternoon. I have no frame of reference as this was the first official afternoon tea I’ve ever had the opportunity to try. Well worth the time and money. Wife and daughter loved the attention to detail, the fine china, and the whole experience. Me, I was all about the Devonshire clotted crème and the scone. Never knew it could be that good. This experience may have ruined scones for me going forward as other places simply won’t measure up.
To sum up … Great location, genuinely nice and caring staff, good food, awesome scones. Will look to stay here when next in London.

Let me start off my saying that my trip to London was amazing and this Hotel Made it 1000 times better.
As an American traveling abroad I thought that everyone would be rude to me and just treat me like shit. It was quite the opposite. Everyone at the The Rubbens was super helpful and extremely knowledgeable about the area.
When you first see the rooms on the website they look a lot bigger than they are. The layout if very weird, the bed is right in front to the door the, the bathroom is to the right of that. Now me being an «over-​packer» I brought 3 bags and it was a very tight squeeze going up the elevator. The elevator capacity was for four… no. more like one and a half. They most have fit four medium size children in there when they were testing. thankful that was never really an issue.
The bar was very very classy so be prepared for that. I came down for a drink in jeans, tee-​shirt and sweater and felt out of place. Actually I was out of place in the whole hotel I was the youngest person there.
The breakfast package they sell you is sort of a rip off but it depends if you are a breakfast person. I thought I was signing up for breakfast in bed. You actually have to go down tot the restaurant and have a proper sit down. Which is nice but again… very classy and again I came down underdressed.
over all this place is worth the stay and price. Central to everything (which i didn’t find out until the last day i was there) You can literately walk anywhere from the hotel.

The only reason why I gave this four stars rather than five was because of the size of the room. Holy guacamole it was small and no drawers for clothes. The service; however, is impeccable. Very attentive and they do pay attention to minor details. The breakfast buffet was impressive and unexpected. You are also literally down the street from Buckingham Palace. The bed took up most of the room. And I believe (I may have hallucinated this) that the toilet paper was scented.
My Two Cents: Service was above par, but very very tiny rooms.

Preis Leistung absolut Super Top Lage, genau neben dem Buckingham Palace, gute Zimmer, angenehm freundliches Personal. Zimmer koennten etwas frischer ausgestattet sein, ansonsten Top!

I had such lovely company during my afternoon tea at the Rubens at the Palace it really wouldn’t have mattered what I was served. Given the price, I expected to be wowed, to have my socks knocked off, but none of this happened as a result of what I was served here.
It was an absolutely fine afternoon tea, just not particularly special.