We arrived at Heathrow from New York on August 8, 2008 at 8,30am We had arranged for a car from the hotel to pick us up;the driver was there when we came through customs...he was very kind and helped us load our 6 pices of luggage into the van
When we arrived the staff was very very kind...they allowed us to have breakfast even though it was past the 10,30 am deadline
The hotel is very very clean, beds are comfortable , and the decoration & furniture are very" English"!
The common room downstairs seems like the living room of your own house...very cosy...we even entertained some friends before dinner, having drinks brought in from the bar.
Rooms are average sized..my husband and I had a room with queen bed, the bathroom was too small but very nice, green marble, lots of mirrors
My sons had a suite, w/2 rooms, a huge bathroom and a kitchenette that included refrigerator, microwave, dishes ,etc for four...so if necessary one can cook one's meals! We never got to that since we stayed only 2 nights...but it can be interesting for longer stays. Frigobars are loaded with all sorts of drinks, spirits and candy/cookies.

As I said, staff is very friendly and willing to advise on any subject...
we had them book our restaurants every day,and they even advised us which ones to go to...both times they made very good choices.
I would ABSOLUTELY go back to the Parkes if I returned to London. Prices are on the low side (compared to other 4 star hotels).

My husband and I have stayed at Parkes Hotel several times over the past few years. Each time we have planned a trip which included a stay in London, we have contacted Parkes immediately to ensure that we could have a room. The staff at the hotel have been constant throughout our time there and are always extremely friendly and welcoming, ensuring that we have everything that we could possibly want.
The location of Parkes is fantastic: only minutes from Hyde Parke, the Victoria and Albert Museum, etc. etc., and we have found the rooms to be excellent value for the money - they are spacious, comfortable and attractively decorated. While breakfast is the only meal available at the hotel, we have not found this to be a problem as there are many restaurants of all types within an easy walk of the hotel, and we enjoy sampling what London has to offer both in that area and in other parts of the city.
We are extremely saddened to hear that Parkes is closing and very much hope that the owners will find a new property in which to create what we know would be another delightful "home away from home". We are very grateful to the management and the staff for the many wonderful times we have experienced at Parkes.

In the last year, we have stayed at Parkes about 6 times and are due to go back in September. Sadly, from an email we and other guests will have received, 30 Sept will be the last night that guests will stay as the lease on the building has run out and the landlord is turning the property into more 'luxury apartments'.

In the last year or two, we have stayed at the Oriental at Hyde Park and the Capital in Basil Street and Parkes knocks spots off both of these for value for money, charm and staff attention. The Capital has a fabulous restaurant, and only a couple of minutes walk from Parkes, but it is much more expensive and the rooms smaller. The Oriental is far more expensive and absolutely not worth the money even at half the price in our view.

Parkes offered (and still offers for the next 2 months) very large rooms in a small and friendly hotel (which has an air of Agatha Christie's Bertram's Hotel about it, without the dead bodies of course - although we always checked the little communal lounge as we left to make sure that was true!).

Every room has extremely comfortable, large sleigh-style beds with crisp white linen, a minibar large enough for a cocktail party for all your friends (as everyone says), delicious toiletries, lots of fluffy towels and gowns, large plasma screens with plenty of choice of channels and movies. Some rooms have little kitchens, fridges, microwaves and crockery if you want to make a simple meal for yourself (after a few days of restaurant eating, this is often welcome - and cheaper!).

The downside is the carpets in some rooms are rather well-worn, the air con not v efficient, the plumbing a little creaky in some rooms and the lift makes a strange huffing noise as it travels which you can vaguely hear in some rooms and there's only a breakfast service (which is not especially good). However, these things are more than counter-balanced by all of the positive things about this charming place and with great staff (esp Christine, Juliana and a charming German man - sadly, name escapes me - who work on reception). There are many restaurants around Parkes and cafes like Brompton Quartier and Cafe Rouge for lovely breakfasts.

So, if you get chance to stay in London before 30 Sept, we would thoroughly recommend Parkes. And we do hope that there wlll be Parkes II rising from the ashes in the Knightsbridge area very soon!

What a beautiful hotel,great location,comfortable rooms...and fantastic staff. We were treated like king and queens. I would reccomend this hotel to anyone!We felt like at home and we cannot wait to go back,we love YOU Parkes Hotel....