AMANO Covent Garden

AMANO Covent Garden, a Michelin Key Selected property in London, generally receives overwhelmingly positive reviews, lauded for its prime location, stylish design, and vibrant atmosphere.

Overall Rating & Sentiment

The general consensus for AMANO Covent Garden is highly positive, with guests frequently rating it as "Superb" or "Exceptional." It's recognized as a well-located, clean, and comfortable hotel, often described as "chic" and "modern." The hotel's selection for a Michelin Key further underscores its quality and standing in London's hospitality scene.

Key Highlights

Guests consistently highlight several standout features:

• Location: Its unbeatable position in the heart of Covent Garden, offering immediate access to theatres and attractions, is a major draw.
• Rooftop Bar: The AMANO Rooftop Bar is a significant highlight, offering impressive views over London, including the London Eye and The Shard, and a lively atmosphere, especially on weekends with DJs.
• Design & Vibe: The hotel is praised for its sleek, chic, and contemporary design, with a palette of dark neutrals, gold accents, and vibrant lighting. Some describe the lobby as having a "vibey" feel.
• Service & Staff: The staff consistently receives commendations for being welcoming, friendly, helpful, and attentive.

Room Quality

AMANO Covent Garden offers 141 air-conditioned rooms across various categories: Cosy, Comfy, Roomy, Roomy Plus, and Goldy, all featuring minimalist decor.

• Design & Comfort: Rooms are described as clean, comfortable, and quiet, with stylish clean lines, earthy browns, dark grey walls, and golden features adding a touch of luxury. Beds are frequently noted as being huge and extremely comfortable. All rooms include air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a tablet, and Wi-Fi.
• Amenities: Bathrooms are efficiently designed, some with open layouts, and come with quality toiletries, including an exfoliating handwash from German brand Daluma. A steamer is provided in the bedroom instead of an iron, which guests appreciate.
• Goldy Rooms: The "Goldy" rooms are particularly notable for their glamorous freestanding golden bath, sometimes offering views over London.
• Size: While some guests found even the "Cosy" room to be not small at all, others noted that rooms can be compact or "a tad small" for London standards, though still providing enough space for luggage.

Dining Experience

The hotel features Penelope's restaurant and two bars.

• Penelope's Restaurant: Penelope's offers an "outstanding" fusion of Spanish and Israeli cuisine, served tapas-style. Dishes like Israeli Mezze, Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, Bourekas with crab, tuna ceviche, chicken shawarma, and hake are mentioned. The presentation is highly rated, and the meat dishes are noted as well-cooked.
• Breakfast: Breakfast is served in Penelope's and is generally considered excellent, offering a lavish buffet with a wide selection, including cooked dishes and good gluten-free options. Guests can choose from options like Shakshuka.
• Bars: There is a bar extending from Penelope's and the popular AMANO Rooftop Bar. The rooftop bar offers impressive views and a vibrant atmosphere with DJs from Thursday to Saturday evenings, and an impressive cocktail selection. The basement bar can also get very lively.

Service & Staff

The staff at AMANO Covent Garden consistently receives high praise. Guests describe them as very welcoming, friendly, helpful, and attentive throughout their stay. Specific examples include proactive offers to store luggage and staff going above and beyond for special occasions, like a guest's birthday.

Location & Accessibility

The hotel's location is a significant asset. It is "superb" and "perfect" for central London, situated in the heart of Covent Garden on Drury Lane and Russell Street.

• Attractions: Guests can easily walk to numerous key attractions, including the Royal Opera House (3-minute walk), Covent Garden Market (5-minute walk), the British Museum (800 meters/9 minutes walk), Leicester Square, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Somerset House, and the Courtauld Gallery. It's an ideal spot for theatre-goers.
• Transport: The hotel is a short 5-minute walk from Covent Garden Underground Station, and Holborn Underground Station is 6 minutes away, making it highly accessible via public transport.

Value & Pricing

AMANO Covent Garden is generally considered to offer good value for money, especially given its prime central London location and stylish offerings.

• Price Range: Prices can vary based on the day of the week, with Mondays and Sundays often being the best for deals, while Fridays tend to be more expensive. Recent prices found for a 1-night stay for two adults ranged from approximately £156.40 to £359, with an average price of about $174 USD for upcoming dates.
• Pet-Friendly: The hotel is pet-friendly, allowing dogs for a fee of GBP 15 per pet, per night.

Common Complaints

While reviews are largely positive, some recurring criticisms and issues have been noted:

• Noise from Bars: The popularity and high noise levels of both the basement and rooftop bars, especially on weekend nights, can be an issue for guests, with some describing the entrance area as feeling like a nightclub. Lower floors may experience more noise.
• Room Size: Although some find rooms perfectly adequate, a few guests mention that some rooms, particularly the "Cosy" category, can be quite small or compact for the price.
• Air Conditioning: Some guests have experienced issues with the air conditioning, finding it difficult to adjust to a comfortable temperature.
• Storage Space: Limited storage space in rooms has been mentioned as an area for improvement.
• Dining Consistency: While Penelope's is generally well-received, one review noted that the small plates can be "hit and miss," and some main dishes were overly salty, with portion sizes being somewhat small for the price.
• Bar Service/Pricing: One guest noted that the rooftop bar did not have a cocktail menu and charged extra to make custom cocktails, which were found to be expensive.
• Room Refurbishment: A minor comment suggested that some rooms might "do with a refresh."

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