We'd traveled to England on the Queen Mary II, had a grand touring trip of the Cotwolds and then headed for London for a couple of days to visit with cousins living there. Over the year we've stayed in some wonderful -- and funky -- London hotel such as The Goring, Dukes, The Capital Hotel, Claridges, The Cadogan. We will not make the mistake of staying at Brown's again.

In a nutshell: overly-taxed and sometimes rude staff, smallish rooms with no character (the renovations in the last year or so are terrible to me; modern mess). Several minor items in our room were not working properly (tv, closet light, etc., and hotel was very slow to fix). Breakfast was, of course grand, as was tea, but overall, there is a very rushed feeling. I suppose it's all right for business, but for leisure, it's lost several steps.

I had a great stay at Browns. The hotel conveys its 5-star status very well. Rooms and common areas are well appointed. Service is as you would expect.

I really liked the layout of my room. I had the smallest room available, but there is still a separate desk area that would be great for stowing luggage. It would work well for a longer stay.

I would put Browns in the same tier as the Savoy, Sofitel and Connaught. I got a great rate due to the season. Hopefully, I'll have the same luck in the future.

Yesterday I experienced my first Afternoon Tea and it was everything I had expected it to be, and every detail was highly polished! My friends and I were not sure which of the big London hotels to book into but then the advice came to "go to Brown's". If I could give a piece of advice on where to go for an Afternoon Tea experience you won't forget in a hurry it would be "Go to Brown's!"

I had been led to believe that no-one comes out of Afternoon Tea feeling satisfied that they've had enough. I was slightly worried about the steep price of Brown's when I compared with it other equally well-known London hotels, but without hesitation I can say that the whole thing was worth the money.

I went with 2 of my friends from cookery school and our mission was to experience Afternoon Tea. The 3 of us, all tall young lads with healthy appetites, were not disappointed with the constant replenishment of the savouries, scones, sweets,and the all important Tea! I can also assure you that we were looking at every detail - It was flawless! From the simple egg and cress sandwich on white bread to the feature Victoria Sponge Cake that melted in your mouth.

It is more expensive than other places in London but with the setting, the ambience, the service and the food, I think you'd go a long way to beat what's on offer here. Definitely a 10/10!

Stayed here on busines for 3 nights in January and the service is impeccable. Checkout is 11:30 am, which was late enough if you woke up with a hangover but early enough that new clients will have their rooms ready in the early afternoon. If you checked in before your room is ready, ask to use their spa showers to freshen up and the hotel can accomodate you if they have a room free.

Room = very spacious. Ask for one in higher floors and one that are even numbered (facing the back of the building). The floorplan for room 510, for instance, seems slightly bigger than room 411. The rooms generally do not have a view, but it doesn't matter. If you do face the street, the street in front is a narrow one way street and you are likely to be staring into the back facade of Tiffany's across the street. There isn't much of people watching in front of the hotel because it's not a major thoroughfare. This, of course, makes for a quiet stay at the hotel.

Room amenities = walk in closet in our room (again, top floor), bowl of fruits upon arrival (although they don't replenish), complimentary bottled water during turndown service, robes and sandals (soft), and my favorite, an ipod dock with remote control.

Showers = gorgeous. Rain showerheads built on top of the bathtub, plenty of towels and towel warmers that warmed our towels well. The sinks are spacious, the toiletries are top notch and my favorite part, a marble counter that is so large, I didn't know what to do with the space! I spread out all of my lotions, makeup and other knicks and knacks. Like all British toilets, the flush could be stronger but there is nothing to be done about that. There are also hidden speakers connected to the TV in the bedroom inside the bathroom, which is great when you are watching Law and Order and had to take a shower. One improvement would be installing a small tv screen in the bathroom as well. Considering how top notch this hotel was and how clear the speakers were, we were suprised we didn't find the tv screen.

Room service was available until late, which we appreciated after a night out, especially because London pubs (and food places) close early.

Donovan Bar = fun, good for people watching, fun bartender who recommended new drinks for us. Try the cheeseburger sliders.

Teatime = surprisingly packed around 6p when my colleagues and I returned from the office. We were jetlagged so we fell asleep sitting up during teatime, but the tea selection was wonderful, the small sandwiches looked delicious.

One of the things I would change about the hotel would be more meeting/lounge space in the lobby. There are stiff benches alongside the hallway coming into from the street to the reception area, but there is a lot foot traffic here so that's not a good place to sit. There are also benches/couches right in front of the receptionists but somehow, sitting there for longer than 5 minutes seem an imposition to the receptionists because you cannot help but watch them while sitting there. This is a small matter though and I only felt it because I found myself waiting for colleagues before we head out. If you are on vacation, it's doubtful that you will need the waiting area.

A second thing that I would change would be complimentary wi-fi throughout the hotel. I paid 75 pounds for a weeks' worth of unlimited wi-fi and was able to use my ipad throughout the hotel and connected up 3 different devices into the same account. It wasn't so bad but I am not sure I would have paid for it had I been here on vacation. There are plenty of free wifi coffee shops along Piccadilly Street, which is about 3 blocks from the hotel.

Location = from the hotel, was able to walk to Oxford Street/Circus, Piccadilly Street/Circus, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Parliament, Chinatown and Covent Garden. High end shopping is right outside the hotel (LV, Cartier, Burberry, etc.).