I originally booked this stay for the economics: a £249 rate with a 10,000-point package attached, layered together with Marriott promotions and Amex rebates.

The hotel itself was almost an afterthought.

But the upgrade into an Executive Apartment with a separate living area and kitchenette changed the feel of the whole booking considerably.

This piece is just about the property itself.

We had initially applied a Nightly Upgrade Award request through Marriott, but were quickly informed that it had failed to clear in advance. Marriott sent the standard follow-up email saying the hotel would continue checking availability through the day of arrival.

On the morning of check-in, I sent a short message through the app mentioning that we’d be arriving late and wouldn’t need late checkout, so if flexibility around timing helped with an upgrade, we’d happily take it.

Staff were quick to acknowledge the message and within the hour the reservation had updated into an Executive Apartment.

Because it was outside the Upgrade Award process, the Nightly Upgrade Award itself was never used up.

The combination of a late arrival and no late checkout requirement may have made the room easier to release operationally, and the communication with the team felt like there was some impact from the outreach, but it’s not possible to know whether that would have happened regardless.

What we ended up with was roughly 55 square metres with a separate kitchen, living space, and bedroom.

For a London one-night visit, the extra space makes a noticeable difference.

The living area is simple, not luxurious, but it gives the apartment a very different feel from a standard London hotel room.

There was enough space to properly sit down, spread things out, work for a while, and not feel confined to the bed area.

That sounds obvious until you spend enough time in compact London hotel rooms where the bed effectively becomes the room.

This felt far more usable than a typical compact London hotel room.

The kitchenette included:

Realistically, we were never going to cook in the room or do laundry.

But the kitchenette still changed how the room functioned. Having a proper sink, microwave, fridge, and table makes the room feel more like a temporary flat than a standard overnight hotel room.

We came back the following morning for an hour or so, made coffee, sat down properly, and used the room as a base before continuing the day.

That extra flexibility ended up being genuinely useful.

The bedroom itself was of fairly standard Marriott design, but perfectly comfortable.

Nothing especially luxurious, but entirely pleasant. I wouldn’t have any issue staying in this room type again.

The bathroom was modern, functional, and entirely fine.

No complaints.

The room fridge was stocked with complimentary Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and water. There was no traditional minibar setup.

A small detail, but it was appreciated.

The evening drinks and canapés, along with breakfast the next morning, are covered separately in Part 2 because they were central to the broader “pub-substitution trade” idea behind the booking.

Viewed independently though, the apartment upgrade was what really changed the overall experience.

Without it, I suspect this would have felt like a fairly standard London Marriott visit.

With it, the room became substantially more pleasant and far more useful than expected.

Based on this booking alone, I’d happily stay in the Executive Apartment again, particularly on a good rate or alongside Marriott promotions.

The additional space noticeably improved the experience, especially for a short London stay where you actually want somewhere usable to sit and spend time rather than simply somewhere to sleep.

I’m less certain how representative this is of the standard rooms, which appear much more conventional from the hotel photography.

Location-wise, the property worked well enough for our specific plans in this part of London, although it is not the sort of hotel you book because the location itself is especially exciting.

The upgraded apartment ended up being the difference here.

Without it, I suspect this would have felt like a fairly ordinary London Marriott stay.

With it, the hotel became far more comfortable and usable than expected.

If you can secure this room type at a reasonable rate, it’s a solid option in this part of London.

Turning a £70 Pub Habit Into 2 Marriott ENCs

How the Maida Vale Pub-Substitution Trade Played Out

Marriott & Me