Hilton London Syon Park

The hotel was opened in 2011 on the grounds of Syon Park in Brentford as a Waldorf Astoria hotel before rebranding as a Hilton in March 2013. It is located on the grounds of Syon Park, which is the Duke of Northumberland’s estate and it is well-positioned for visiting the Grade I listed Syon House, which has been the Duke of Northumberland’s London home since the 16th century. Syon Park is noted for its extensive grounds that were designed by Capability Brown (Britain’s leading landscape designer of the 18th century).

The hotel has 137 rooms, which are all modern and relatively spacious and have comfortable beds, at least one armchair, at least two flat screen televisions (one in the bedroom and another in the bathroom), a minibar, tea and coffee making facilities and en suite bathrooms. Many of the rooms have balconies, although these often just give you a view of the car park.

Some people find that the decor in the rooms is a little dated, even though the hotel is not particularly old. This is mostly because of the design aesthetic that Hilton (and other American hotel chains) favour in an effort to make their hotels look fancy.

The Terrace is a large outdoor lounge area that is home to Europe’s oldest Bonsai tree. This area is one of the hotel’s best features and it includes outdoor seating with several cabanas and an outdoor bar. It is a lovely spot if you’re visiting during the summer.

There are several other bars and restaurants at the hotel including the imaginatively-named The Restaurant, which serves steak and European-influenced entrees and mains. The hotel also has a nice bar plus the Syon Lounge, which is another in-house bar and restaurant with a menu that encompasses both sushi and Middle Eastern food.

There is also a garden centre within the estate, which has a large cafe. This is a great option if you prefer to dine in a more casual environment.

The Kallima Club and Spa has spa treatment rooms plus a fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool.

Free Wi-Fi wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel.

The location is one of the hotel’s best and worst aspects. It is a lovely setting with a 400-year-old stately home, gardens that were designed by the 18th-century’s greatest landscape architect and a stunning conservatory built in the 1830s. On the other hand, there is not a lot of interest in the immediate neighbourhood and it is a long commute into central London.

It is around a 10-minute walk from the hotel to Syon Lane railway station, which has four trains per hour to London Waterloo. Syon Lane station is in zone four and the journey time to Waterloo is 35 minutes. The best way to get to the station is via the pedestrian footpath to London Road, however, the gates are locked in the evening which means that you need to take a very long detour along Park Road (turning your 10-minute walk into a half-hour walk) to gain access to the property if you’re returning to the hotel late at night.

The hotel has plenty of free on-site car parking.