This exclusive hotel room was a gift for our anniversary. We were lavished in comfort and style. Its an old mansion converted into about 16 unique rooms overlooking Portman Square. Each room decorated with a different style. Ours was the Lady Susan Thorpe's room. Excellent down bedding, VERY large bathroom. The Bison Bar is what you want in your own home. Careful, they smoke in there too! This is the only place the house smelled of smoke though. We didn't use the spa/gym or eat here, but it was a lovely stay and if I could afford it, I'd stay there every time! The little Kingly alligator slippers will cost you about $26 US if you take them home!

Old fashioned club atmosphere with all the advantages and disadvantages that go with that. Some might call it stodgy or snobby but most would call it elegant. Everything is old but the rooms are well decked out. Food is fair and drinks expensive but the atmosphere and location are excellent. Lots of door in corridors a bit strange but you definately feel like you are in London!

Home House is an absolute gem--the original central building, an important architectural masterpiece of Robert Adam from the 1770s, is lovingly restored & maintained. It could be a top-quality museum house (like Syon or Osterley) & instead it's available as a "Home away from home." This alone is worth a visit--you really have to see it to believe it. Then it has been added on to, on either side, for more guest rooms, social spaces (the modern designer, Zaha Hadid, did the new bar) & wonderful gym facilities. True luxury & architecturally fascinating at the same time.
We had a great week-long stay in March. The location was excellent--near 3 tube stations & many restaurants, yet quiet (we stayed in a room facing the courtyard garden, but I think Portman Square would have been quiet enough & the room might have been brighter). Our room was very big & very comfortable (ditto the bed) & we had everything we needed (& then some--mini bar, complimentary whiskey & gin (!), slippers, etc.). Breakfast in the lovely, bright restaurant was always elegant & nice, and the one dinner we ate there was quite good (try the rice pudding dessert). The staff were always exceptionally friendly, helpful, & enthusiastic--it was really lovely getting to know them while there. The club atmosphere just means the place is friendlier, more intimate (without being in any way intrusive). Not being members, we wondered if we'd feel uncomfortable or unwelcome haunting a private club, but we never did. There's a lot of social energy, but no palpable snobbishness.
After regular hotels, this was a golden opportunity & experience and made our London stay unforgettable. Especially if you appreciate aesthetic & historic elegance, try this as an alternative to modern hotels.

Home House is a private members' club mostly used for its dining, drinking and conference facilities. HH also has 17 guest rooms which are available to members, guests and people "known" by the staff or management of HH.

We spent two nights at HH and all in all this is a fine place to stay in central London. The location is fantastic, about 100 yards away from the bustle of Oxford Street, yet in a refined and fairly quiet neighborhood.

The building itself was converted from several very old buildings and is beautiful, but is a warren of hallways and byways. It took us about a day to get our bearings and not get lost. The lift looks like an ancient contraption but seems to be safe and efficient.


All of the rooms don't have numbers but are named after famous people, i.e. we stayed in "Sir Anthony Blunt's Room".

The room itself overlooks the fairly quiet back courtyard and is of palatial dimensions with the largest bathroom we've ever seen in a hotel. The room had a mere two fireplaces.

The mattress set is manufactured by Savoir beds (as in Savoy Hotel) and probably the most comfortable we've ever slept in. The room is furnished with antique (or antique style, we're no experts) furniture and thus has the usual ups and downs - great to look at, but not functionally ideal. We experienced things like wobbly night tables, missing closet door handles, uncomfortable seating etc.

The shower was great with a dinner plate size shower head, high water pressure and really hot water. We didn't use the freestanding cast iron bathtub. I guess the the two separate water taps in each of two sinks is a matter of taste.

The air conditioning is fairly quiet but not very effective. It was barely sufficient for April, I would doubt if you would be happy in mid summer. Of course you could open the ancient windows if they don't jam and if you are willing to put up with residual racket (sirens, alarms, deliveries etc.) floating over during the night from Marble Arch.

The biggest issue was the service. The gentleman who checked us in (Farouk) was excellent. The chambermaid also was very good. Many of the other staff were a bit ineffective and preoccupied with other things. Small matters like wake up calls, getting taxis or drink orders were forgotten. The check out process (due to a new software being installed) took quite a long time.

The members themselves tended to be loud business types who use the club for hard selling and hard drinking, so the bars and restaurants were not the quiet haven we had hoped for after a long day in London.

Food and drink were reasonably priced for Central London and of excellent quality.

In sum we were very happy with HH. It could use a bit of polishing and then would be a great alternative to the classic grand hotels.