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Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.5
#108 of 1,151 hotels in London
Location
4.8
Rooms
4.3
Value
4.3
Cleanliness
4.7
Service
4.7
Sleep Quality
4.6
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Our beautifully restored historic hotel is cared for by a team who take genuine pride in delivering impeccable service and exceeding expectations at every turn. Overlooking The Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace - the entrance used by the Royal family - The Rubens showcases exceptional dining journeys, and enriching and rewarding experiences, from the very first moment guests are greeted by our red-uniformed doormen...
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TheAA: The Automobile Association.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in the heart of London, The Rubens At The Palace is celebrated for its prime location, with guests frequently commending its easy access to the city's attractions and Victoria Station. The hotel's atmosphere charms many with its elegance and historic character, though opinions on room size and décor vary.
While some visitors feel the rooms offer comfort and pristine cleanliness, others note issues with noise and space. Service at The Rubens is widely applauded for being attentive, with special mentions of the hotel's luxurious afternoon tea, even as debates on the overall value of amenities persist.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Cramped
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Lavish
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We were very happy with the Hotel from the minute we checked in. We found all the staff efficient, friendly and helpful. The service exceeded all our expectations and the place is so beautiful - bedding, table cloths, cutlery, glasses and crockery. Everyone was amazing but in partIcular, we must mention Rosie the concierge who looked after us so well, Saif the Restaurant Manager who is excellent at his job in running the English Grill and his cooking, and also Raj and his team who aided us from the Taxi when we arrived and saw us off again when we left. Impeccable, relaxed, friendly and helpful service throughout made it a very enjoyable and relaxing visit. Well done everyone - we will be back
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Malcolm Hendry, Other at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Jul 27, 2023
Dear EmilDarlington, Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback on TripAdvisor. I was delighted to read your review and learn about the aspects you enjoyed most. We are so pleased we will be welcoming you back to the Rubens at the Palace; my team and I look forward to your return! Warmest regards, Malcolm Hendry Managing Director
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Stayed here for one night, £163 for a classic double, room only.
Location This is not our favourite part of London, but it is within reasonable walking distance of many of the popular tourist attractions and sights.
Foyer and welcome This hotel has excellent reception, concierge and door staff. Nothing was too much trouble and all were friendly and service orientated.
Bedroom and bathroom We were concerned that our entry level cosy double would be impractical and small, but our worries were unfounded. We had a great room facing the neighbours who live in the biggest house in London - nicely decorated with a great marble bathroom (our room, not the neighbours).
New York bar Due to being on a work trip, we decided to eat and have drinks in the bar rather than venture out on a wet and cold evening. Mistake. Although the service was good, we found the food we ordered to be overpriced and not great quality, e.g. £25.75 for a mediocre cheeseburger and fries.; £19.75 for a vegan burger served with coleslaw and potato crisps (from a packet). However, when I mentioned this at check-out in the morning, appropriate remedial action was taken by an effective and guest orientated Guest Services Manger.
Our first stay at the Rubens (having stayed in other Red Carnation hotels in the UK and abroad) was a mixed experience. We would use the hotel again, but only to take advantage of their 2 bedroom apartment - of which there are not many in hotels in Central London.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Mar 13, 2020
Dear Welshman_on_2ur, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your very kind review on Trip Advisor, following your recent stay with us at the Rubens at the Palace. I am delighted that you chose the Rubens at the Palace for your special visit to London. Thank you for your compliments towards the hotel. It is our pleasure to have looked after you! I have shared your review with my team this morning, and everyone is delighted by your lovely comments. I will also share your suggestions on the food with my Head Chef too. We can’t wait to welcome you back to the hotel, and for you to enjoy another stay with us here in London! Warm Regards, Malcolm Hendry General Manager
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I stayed at Rubens yet again for my yearly business trip to London. This time i had the luck of being upgraded to an absolutely amazing room. Each time I've stayed I've had a different room type, with different interior decor, which makes the experience feel special and unique. And i must say it still feels like it gets better every year, the staff is even friendlier and and more helpful. The checking in and out, ordering room service or having dinner gets faster and smoother each year.
The treatment is really professional and discrete, my room is always tidy yet i never see any housekeeping or cleaning staff.
I convinced a colleague of mine to stay at the same hotel and he too had a similar comfortable experience as I did. Late night meals, taxis, tickets, directions, it all goes smooth.
The only peeve I have is that the night and evening porter acts really suspicious of me every year, not recognising that I'm staying there, even though everyone else in staff does. And not the usual "can i see you key" or "which room are you in". But simply standing in the front door and asking "what do you want?" or "Do you need help?" in a strange suspicious way. So that sort of breaks the spell and otherwise excellent customer experience. Is it strange to be young, or travel alone for business and staying in this family/holiday oriented hotel?
So you'll have an absolutely great stay at the Rubens. Unless you get back later than 21:30, then you can be met with slightly less warm feeling.
Still 5/5
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:Courtyard windows offer a quiet, dark, nice sleep.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Feb 7, 2020
Dear Niklas B, Thank you for taking the time to share your review on Trip Advisor following your recent stay at the Rubens at the Palace. I am pleased to hear that our staff treated your well and that your enjoyed spending time in out fabulous breakfast especially. I was disappointed to hear about the late night checks on our door, and I have addressed your suggestions with the appropriate team. We look forward to hopefully seeing you on your next visit to London. Warm regards, Malcolm Hendry General Manager
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We recently stayed at The Rubens at the Palace Hotel and found the hotel very welcoming and in a very convenient location. Our breakfast every morning was of very high quality along with outstanding service. On one evening we had dinner in The English Grill and also enjoyed great service and delicious food. The grilled Dover Sole was outstanding. Each evening we enjoyed cocktails in the New York Bar. The atmosphere was great and had a very traditional British feel. Jack, the bar manager, along with his team gave fabulous service along with interesting and informative conversation. Our family felt very welcomed every night when we had cocktails. On a couple of evenings we ordered from the lounge menu. As was the case with all the food this was also delicious and of the highest quality. I highly recommend Rubens if you’re looking for attentive and personalized service, comfortable rooms and outstanding food all in a Central London location.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Jan 22, 2020
Dear Traveldawg31794, Thank you for taking the time to share your great review on Trip Advisor following your recent stay at the Rubens at the Palace. I am so pleased to read that you had such a wonderful time at our Hotel. It is absolutely our pleasure to have looked after you! It is very important to us to receive such lovely comments, and I have shared your feedback with my team this afternoon. It made us all very proud! We can’t wait to welcome you back to The Rubens at the Palace on a future visit! Thank you for staying during this trip to London. Warm Regards Malcolm Hendry, General Manager
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When you walk through the door to this hotel you are instantly greeted, not just by the doorman but reception staff/concierge are all so welcoming and attentive. The service provided at this hotel is of the highest standard. Staff are friendly, efficient and go over and above to ensure you have a great experience. I particularly noted Paula the front desk manager who worked tirelessly to ensure we were looked after and it wasn’t just us you could see all customers were being given excellent service. The décor is of a regency/palatial style in keeping with its location next to Buckingham Palace. Victoria station for the underground is just around the corner and its easy to walk not only to the Palace but up through Green park to Piccadilly and central London. We went to see the show Hamilton (just a short few minutes away and its excellent and well worth going to see) and the show Wicked is also in a theatre just a short stroll from the hotel. We ate in B Bar next door which did some great pre-theatre snacks and cocktails. Breakfast at the hotel (again excellent service by the restaurant staff) was fantastic, do try the salmon/poached eggs and avocadoes on sourdough its delicious! Although you are in central London the hotel is well sound proofed and insulated so we weren’t bothered by traffic noise even though we had a room on floor one by the road. Overall a great experience and I would highly recommend anyone who wants to be in a great location where you can walk to so many of the cities attractions as well as getting that boutique hotel experience.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:We had a room on floor one facing the road and it was reasonably quiet, rooms appear to be well...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Jan 29, 2020
Dear sarahe898, Thank you so much for your incredibly thoughtful, rigorous review, and for all the kind words! It was such a pleasure to welcome you, and to have been selected as the place where you enjoyed Hamilton & Wicked Shows in London. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed what The Rubens has to offer, as well as some of our Food and Beverage outlets. We are so delighted to hear that you enjoyed our sister bbar Restaurant too and I will pass on your positive feedback to the team. We will be thrilled to invite you back, and are looking forward to hearing from you again soon. It was our pleasure to have you as our guest. Warm regards, Malcolm Hendry General Manager
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I stayed here with my two young adult daughters. From the time we arrived till the time we left, we felt like we were treated royally. Everyone was so welcoming, kind and pleasant. The hotel itself is in a wonderful location and the underground is very accessible, close to Victoria Station. Buckingham Palace is across the street and thus made it very easy to see the changing of the guard. The rooms are not large ,but manageable. The beds are very comfortable and the rooms are very clean! The nightly “turndown” was an added bonus, and it was very nice that they readily replenished the bottled water in the room for us. I would definitely stay here again!
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Mar 9, 2020
Dear 304Jackie1964, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with the TripAdvisor community. We are delighted to read that you had a lovely experience with us. It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed our rooms, dining options and the perfect location of our hotel. Above all we highly appreciate your recognition awarded to our team, I will happily pass on your thanks and best wishes. We do hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back soon to our resort. Warm regards, Malcolm Hendry General Manager
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My partner and I stayed at The Rubens January 12-16 and had a memorable time. The staff is the best I have encountered in a long career and many hotels. They exude a combination of friendliness and professionalism. They notice the little things, and they anticipate needs-- everyone, from cleaners to senior staff gives a sense of caring that you are having a good time, that your needs are met. Add to that the fact that while the rooms are small, they are like little jewel boxes. Everything is done beautifully. The bathrooms have marble floors and walls and are impeccable. Finally the food is terrific. Breakfast is utterly delicious, so is dinner, so are bar snacks. Our organization had a business meeting there and nothing was left undone. They thought of things we had not thought of. They all really do believe that customer satisfaction is a worthwhile goal, and they certainly have satisfied customers if our group of fifteen is any example. I have stayed at The Rubens before, and they even remembered the particular wine I like. Little things that matter, every day. I have recommended this hotel to friends going to London, and I will continue to do so. I would recommend it for business meetings as well as for leisure travel. When you find excellent service, you will always return whenever the opportunity arises.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:There are no bad rooms.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Jan 22, 2020
Dear SebandMolly, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you very much for your lovely review, following from your recent special celebration stay with us at The Rubens at the Palace. I am thrilled that you had an amazing time with us, I have shared your compliments with all of my colleagues. I am so proud to be part of such a dedicated and hard-working team. Your review really made us all so happy to read this morning! It was our pleasure and passion to care for you during this trip, and we look forward very much to welcoming you back to the Rubens at the Palace soon! Kind regards, Malcolm Hendry, General Manager
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We visited as a belated special birthday treat for 2 nights. Great location, easy walk from Victoria station Also good for sight seeing - Buckingham palace and St James park nearby. We were in a king room on the 4th. Easy check in. Staff friendly. There was a special mini birthday cake waiting in our room which was a nice touch.
When we came back in the evening the staff had given turn down service in our room with slippers placed next to the bed, calming music on and sleep spray.
We paid an extra £30 each for breakfast as we own a B&B and so we wanted to be spoiled! Lovely fruit salad and pastries and I opted for the omelette. Tasty. Good service. Relaxed atmosphere.
Our only gripe which did rather mar our experience was although we had swiped a card on check in a large amount - £100 over our predicted bill, was taken from our account the day before we checked out. We then had to discuss a refund. This made for an awkward departure of an otherwise enjoyable stay.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Ask for a front facing room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Malcolm Hendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Nov 3, 2022
Dear Lynne_AndyF, Thank you for sharing your fantastic feedback on Trip Advisor. I am so pleased you enjoyed your special birthday celebrations with us. On arrival, we take a pre-authorisation for any extras during your stay, which is released on departure if not used; I am truly sorry this made you feel uncomfortable, as this is never our intention. It was a pleasure to have hosted you on this occasion, and we hope to get the opportunity to welcome you back again soon. My best regards, Malcolm Hendry General Manager
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Having read other reviews I can't really add much! As mentioned the staff are second to none and our 4 night stay over Christmas was perfect. The little extras were so nice and helped make the experience what it was, right down to the filled Christmas stocking on the door on Christmas day! The Hotel itself was traditionally decorated which was very welcoming and cosy and the complimentary hot drinks in the Reception were a special treat that I tried not to take advantage of too often! The hot chocolate and extras (chocolate drops, marshmallows etc.) did nothing for my waistline along with the complimentary mince pies several times a day and the handful of chocolate balls! But it was all too nice to ignore! The room we had facing the Royal Mews was not massive but we had enough room to hang clothes and there was lots of drawer space. We were able to sit in the chairs and relax the bathroom was perfectly functional and both quite luxuriously decorated in my opinion, but I dont stay in many hotels of this standard and this was a treat! The public areas are warmly decorated and the restaurant is stunning! I loved the different mirrors and chandeliers in various rooms of the hotel, the dining room ones being my favourite! The 2 lifts are small and not too fast but then... whats the rush?? It is an old building and if you want lots of floors with massive rooms and whizzing lifts go and stay in a new build modern hotel with no atmosphere! We went for a relaxing break and got one! Now the staff....well every reviewer seems to think the same, The Rubens has the most amazing staff and I commend them greatly! From Aaron and Ed on the door to Alice the customer services manager, the whole team in the reception of which there were many to the lovely housekeeping ladies, the restaurant waiting staff, chefs and lounge waiting staff I couldn't fault a single one! It seems it is their personal goal to make you happy in your stay, how wonderfully refreshing! There are local hostelries and restaurants if you didn't wish to dine in the Hotel, Browns being just literally around the corner and the mainline Victoria station is about a 10 minute walk but there is a tube station entrance a bit closer also around the corner. There are shops close by and it really is in such a convenient position for sightseeing being right next to Buckingham palace and a very short walk to Westminster Abbey and further on to the Houses of Parliament and the Embankment. In short, for me it was the most wonderful stay in the most perfect position, it was just a shame about the weather but this is England!! Thank goodness for Rubens umbrellas and the hot chocolate on return from a days sightseeing!!
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Date of stay: December 2019
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Rooms on the front of the hotel are on the road so could get noisy if lots of traffic although...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Jan 19, 2020
Dear jaxh56, Thank you for sharing your wonderful review online, and for choosing The Rubens at the Palace. I am delighted that you had a fantastic time with us and to read how much the team exceeded your expectations! I am thrilled that you felt so well cared for. Especially Ed, Alice and Aaron. It is our passion to care for our guests, and it was our pleasure to have hosted you. Your lovely notes have made us all smile this morning! Thank you again for recommending the hotel, we can’t wait to welcome you back to the Rubens at the Palace in the very near future. Warm Regards, Malcolm Hendry General Manager
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We had a group of six and were attended to with utmost care the moment we arrived. Our 11 year old son was given particular individual attention. We were grateful for that. The bar was quaint with excellent afternoon food selections. Breakfast was an extravaganza if you desired it. The train station and bus stop are one block away and who doesn't love watching the queens cars come and go! The rooms are smaller but large in comparison to most in the city at this price range. The staff were helpful and attentive 100% of the way. We will be back!
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Some of the rooms face an inner court with no view, but that is always quieter!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MalcolmHendry, General Manager at The Rubens At The Palace
Responded Jan 12, 2020
Dear KimbKo, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with the TripAdvisor community. We are delighted to read that you had a lovely experience with us. It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed our rooms, dining options and the perfect location of our hotel. Above all we highly appreciate your recognition awarded to our team, I will happily pass on your thanks and best wishes. We do hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back soon to our resort. Warm regards, Malcolm Hendry General Manager
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There are more places to choose from in the London area.
PRICE RANGE
$282 - $498 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the rubens at the palace hotel london, rubens at the palace london, rubens palace
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandLondonVictoria / Westminster
NUMBER OF ROOMS
173
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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