Vintage looking, cozy London hotel next to Paddington Station
Pilgrm Hotel / London / UK
The hotel market in London is a jungle. Like in many other huge cities across the world there is a high risk of ending up paying through the nose for a very bland, generic room in a non-interesting part of town. To avoid this from happening a good piece of advise is to do a proper amount of research before you book. Or you can just read this blog. :-)
This hotel, the Pilgrm, is located in the Paddington area, in the west part of London. I think this a great starting point to explore the city from, with the Westbourne/Notting Hill area and Kensington more or less around the corner. And not to forget, Hyde Park. If you want to venture further, which I am sure you will, the tube station is literally around the corner from the hotel.
The Pilgrm is situated in a classic Victorian building made up of three wings. The way these different wings have been connected makes the layout of the hotel feel a bit maze-like. I must say I am huge fan of the circularity ambition that went in to the refurbishment by the trio in charge, where they did what they could to preserve as much as possible of the old details, like the brick walls, the old mahogany staircase (that took over 300 hours to restore). They also brought in floors from an old army gym and vintage lamps that were sourced from an old hospital.
There is a total of 73 rooms at the Pilgrm. My room was fairly small and simple but it still felt cozy and welcoming. The reason for this is the warm color scheme, the fitted carpet, real plants and a great attention to detail. So as you can understand and also see in the photos, there is nothing generic about the Pilgrm.
On a side street, close to busy Paddington Station is where you’ll find the Pilgrm Hotel.
This old staircase is the first thing you see when entering the hotel.
The lobby area is also a small café, open to both hotel guests and locals. A great way to create a positive buzz.
Throughout the hotel there are these different amazing lamps. Love statement pieces like these.
You know coffee is important to me and the coffee they serve at Pilgrm is top notch.
Brick walls, old wooden panelling and interesting lamps.
My room was small and cozy. Simple but still warm.
The favourite part of my room was the bathroom. Love this vintage look with an industrial sink and classic, white tiles.
Always a fan of real plants in a hotel room. Makes it feel warm and homey.
This is the upstair bar area. Perfect place to have a drink and relax.
If you can, always take the stairs instead of the elevator. Not only from an health aspect but many times it shows if a hotel cares about all details. This is totally the case with Pilgrm. Just look at this ornate cast iron creation.
I love hitting the streets early in the morning. When you have the streets all to yourself. This is the (in)famous Portobello Road in Notting Hill without the market stalls or the masses of visitors.
Hyde Park as the morning sun surfaces is a wonderful place to be.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are looking for a hotel close to where most arrive to London. The newly opened Elisabeth Line that takes you from Heathrow to central London stops really close to the hotel. And if you are a fan of boutique hotels with character, where the floors are slanted and the staircase squeak, then this is your place.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is the vintage feel of the hotel. Even though it has been recently renovated old materials have been used and things that have been brought in have been carefully selected to fit the design. I also like that this is a boutique hotel which I always prefer over huge hotels with hundreds of rooms.
What not to miss when staying here is…
…to have breakfast at nearby Granger & Co. This is the British version of classic Aussie brunch heaven, Bills. There are currently 4 in London and the one on nearby Westbourne Grove was the first one. The ricotta hotcakes are crazy delicious! I can also highly recommend an early morning walk in Hyde Park before the throngs of tourists start to arrive, when you share it with local runners and dog walkers. Magical!
If you like this hotel you might also like…
Redchurch Townhouse, London, UK
Alex Hotel, Perth, WA, Australia
Max Brown Midtown, Düsseldorf, Germany
