2nd hotel in this chain I've stayed in. Great position for sight seeing/ West End. Room was spacious and clean. Great building (old town house). Big complaint for me was noise. The full length, sash, wood windows are beautiful, but hopeless at keeping street noise out. Loud motorcycle outside after midnight. and other occassional vehicles kept me awake. Then the guest in room above walking around a lot and old floorboards creaking, made it a miserable night for me. Shame, because I really like the character of the hotels and the efforts made by the chain. So,overall , the Portland was not good value for me.

I had as usual read qiute a few reviews here, and other places, and booked a Deluxe Studio here for 4 days. Early on the morning the day before we were to leave for London last week, I called them up just to check what the situation was regarding the possible ash-sky that might close UK airspace. I called them up at around 9 AM to ask about this, and how flexible they were if the ash-sky would delay us ecc. (espacially after having read the previous contributor here) . It should also be mentioned that I just a month before had been stuck in Warsaw and had to drive home through Germany and Denmark, and then take train and bus to get home.... So thereof my precaution...

No they were not flexible, and I asked what if I was to cancel now (more than 24 hours before check-in. No, according to them, this was to late any way (calling 9 AM the day before, whilst check-in is at 14 PM) so I would anyway be charged for a full night (about 200 punds.... I then asked them to look at it, and she said that they / the manager would get back to me.

No such thing happened, so I called them again early on out day of departure, just to reconfirm since the ash-sky had changed direction, and I hadn't been contacted by them.

Then the man at reservations told me that they had cancelled mye entire reservation...
I asked why and he told me that since I had said that I might be delayed, and maybe were not able to come and therefore had to cancel, they tried to charge my creditcard. It hadn't gone through, and so they just cancelled.

I asked why they hadn't contacted me, but no since the card was not active they didn't, he said. I then had to tell him that my creditcard just had been stolen and therefore was replaced, and told him that ofcourse if they just had contacted me, as they anyways said they would regarding the potential of ash-sky problems, they would have gotten my new creditcard-details.

He was not at all serviceminded, and it is without a doubt the worst service - or lack of such - that I have ever experienced!!!!!!!! If I hadn't called we would have met up there without a room!!!!!

So - instead my ever helpful travelagency in Norway helped us out - and boom there we were: In the Rennaisance Charncery Court Hotel instead... Experienceing a 5 star hotel at a 5 star service and hotel experience!!! It was simply wonderful, although quite a bit more expencive...

So just as a warning: whatch out for the Grange hotel range, and their way of treating you when contacting them regarding any inconviniences!!!! So the result is that we never will stay at any Grange hotels when visiting UK / London...

Caught in London in the middle of the volcanic ash crisis I checked in this hotel on Monday evening. The following day I decided to extend my stay by another night. In view that the demand on London hotel rooms was increasing sharply, the hotel management decided to charge me more for this second night.
As things turned out I managed to find a way out of London and was out of the hotel by 16.00hrs, thus not availing myself of the second night . Notwithstanding this the management was not ready to give me any kind of discount.
I feel that such behaviour in time of crisis is very unprofessional and also unethical.
As a frequent traveler to London, I am adamant to boycott this hotel chain in future.

Booked this Hotel on line but when arrived we were sent next door to sister hotel. Having read all reviews and finally chose the Portland, I was a little concerned to be sent to another. I am unable to review for this reason, but have reviewed The Clarendon which was very good.