St Ermin's hotel London: I stayed at Tripadvisor’s top UK hotel and second best in Europe - is it worth booking?

The four-star deluxe St. Ermin’s Hotel in London’s St James’s Park, has been voted the UK’s top hotel, second best in Europe and sixth in the world in the annual Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Awards. The ‘Best of the Best’ title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of its eight million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone.

The St. Ermin’s Hotel, part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, is a charming grade II listed property in the heart of Royal London – just a stone’s throw away from Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. I stayed at the hotel back in November, and I can truly say that the hotel is well deserving of being voted as Tripadvisor’s top UK hotel.

The hotel is so delightful and has interesting aspects to it. For example, on the third floor there are 350,000 Buckfast bees at work making honey, which is then used by the hotel chefs. The bees live in The St Ermin's Bee & Bee Hotel.

It also has a very rich history standing on the site of a 15th-century monastery founded by Henry VII. It first opened its doors in 1899 and was at the centre of British intelligence since the 1930s, when it was known to MI6 as ‘The Works Canteen’. An entire floor of St Ermin's was used as the headquarters of Winston Churchill's Secret Army during World War Two - and MI6 was two floors above.

You feel like you are in luxury when you stay at this hotel from its decor, to its food and an extra-added bonus is the hotel’s interesting history and its perfect location. Situated right next to London’s top attractions, it is the perfect stay all-year round.

I even tried the hotel’s afternoon tea in its Tea Lounge and it did not disappoint. It was magnificent, with an array of delicious cakes and sandwiches which went down nicely with a glass of champagne. You can choose from a variety of teas, and some are even inspired by the seasonal ingredients on offer from the hotel's rooftop kitchen garden.

The St. Ermin’s offers a collection of 331 comfortable bedrooms and suites, including Family Suites and dog friendly rooms, and provides plenty of space to relax in, with large public lounges, award winning Caxton Bar & Grill restaurant, pretty Terrace and delightful Tea Lounge serving traditional Afternoon Tea.

2025 Lead in prices (room only, including VAT):