This hotel was literally 2 minutes walk at most from Bayswater tube Station - it was perfectly positioned to enjoy the area as well as easy access straight into Kensington Park / Hyde Park...
We were greeted and checked in quickly and our room was just what I was hoping for.

Only downside was that the shower was sooooo hot -I had to turn it to about 30 degrees before it didnt burn (which was probably more like 40 degrees)

I would definitely stay here again - the buffet breakfast was great, but I would recommend going up for it before 9am as when it gets busy the staff struggle to seat you / bring you tea & coffee etc.

I got moved here after initially booking with Shaftesbury Premier Paddington who said that they had 'maintenance issues' so couldn't accommodate me.

It is a very impressive entrance from the exterior and in the lobby/reception area it is spectacular. I'm sure that many overseas visitors will be delighted with this area as it simply exudes old world English charm. However, from here, things can go downhill.

In common with a number of reviews on Tripadvisor, whilst I was checking in, an irate couple were complaining about their alleged 'double room' that was merely the size of single with a double bed placed in it and they couldn't even walk around the bed. They were booked in for a fortnight apparently.

Anyway, only one night for a business trip for me. I was given the key to room 007 in the basement and as soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell of dampness was very strong. Entered my room and it was a story of contrasts. A very nice and clearly recently modernised bathroom and a tastefully decorated and laid out bedroom, but other things let it down such as architrave that hadn't been cleaned properly and my delightful view of London from my one window that were bags of rubbish and used linen.

The stacks of bags outside my window were cleared away the next morning......and I certainly knew about it as the activity was taking place right outside my window (i.e. about 6 foot from where I was sleeping) between 6.30 and 7.00 in the morning. The activity then didn't stop as there was an external door to the right of my window that clearly led to something or other that staff were often walking in and out of.

One of the more unusual features of this room was the safe. It was housed in the top of the wardrobe, but it was lightweight and not secured down in any way, so I could simply lift it out of the wardrobe and carry it anywhere.

Breakfast was fantastic though. A great selection, well stocked, good quality and all served in a lovely dining room.

I really don't know what to make of this place. The public areas are very impressive, my room was a bit of mixed bag and some other people are downright unhappy with their rooms. I just wanted a bed for the night on a business trip so the negatives were no big deal to me, however I would have taken a different view if I was visiting for leisure and especially if I had to have that room for a few days or longer.

Would I return? Very unlikely. Some very important aspects of the bedrooms really let down what could otherwise be quite a special and quaintly English experience for visitors.

Reception and public areas are great. The room was tiny but good standard and clean. The bathroom was very narrow.
Staff was very friendly, polite and helpful.. Breakfast was excelent.
The location is in an ideal distance of the tube stations.

My girlfriend organised this stay as a surprise for my birthday, and we had a lovely stay. The hotel reception and lounge are exactly like the pictures on the website and are beautiful. Like one of the other reviewers, we arrived early (13:00), only to be told that check-in wasn't till 14:00, so, like them, we left our bags at the hotel and walked over to Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park for a look around. As the Winter Wonderland was on, we didn't actually return to the hotel until after 17:00 where we were given our room key and our bags were delivered to our room. Whilst there WERE a few scuff marks on the walls, the room itself was very pleasant. Our window didn't have a view (unless you're a massive fan of whitewashed walls) but at least this meant the room was very quiet, and the only other thing that detracted from it was the very small shower screen, which meant having to be very careful about one's positioning whilst showering. Unlike the other reviewer we didn't have to use all the towels mopping up the bathroom.
The location of the hotel is ideal, and whilst Inverness Terrace is very quiet, Bayswater is literally two minutes walk away (come out of the hotel, turn left and then next left and lo and behold, shops and restaurants aplenty!). Bayswater and Queensway tube are both practically on the doorstep, which is perfect if your bag doesn't have wheels!
Overall, we were delighted with our stay at the Grand Royale. The satff were very helpful, the food was great and the hotel itself is ideally placed for getting around London.
One tip I WOULD offer is that if one of you has to leave the room whist the other remains inside (OK I admit, I had to keep going outside for a cigarette!) you can take the room key and leave any similar sized card in the lightswitch to keep the lights on!
We left some items by accident and when I contacted the hotel the following day, they had recovered them and forwarded them to us at no cost to ourselves.So extra kudos to them!
I would definitely recommend this hotel, and we will certainly be going back again.