London Hotels Insight provides up-to-date, independent advice for your perfect stay in London. We research guest feedback, meet management and identify hotels at the top of their game.
Free WiFi touchdown @ The Milestone Hotel.
We tested out the free WiFi which The Milestone offers its guests throughout the hotel in its stylish conservatory - where we also later enjoyed afternoon tea (pictures below)
On the second day of our free WiFi touchdown campaign, we have today been visiting The Milestone - a gorgeous luxury London boutique hotel with a welcoming atmosphere right opposite Kensington Gardens.
We launched free WiFi touchdown to promote hotels that offer this basic amenity to guests in contrast to others (often in the luxury sector) which charge lofty fees that are often not even disclosed on their websites.
Getting set up for our free WiFi test at The Milestone Hotel
The Milestone is one of ”the good guys” - with complimentary WiFi seen as just one of the hotel’s myriad tiny noticeable touches that have kept it near the top of the TripAdvisor rankings for such a long time. Indeed, it is currently the #1 TripAdvisor hotel from more than 1000 London hotels – so there are clearly many other reasons to stay there apart from free WiFi.
But we’d urge hoteliers to take note that the top-rated TripAdvisor hotels seem to be disproportionately represented by those which provide their guests with complimentary internet access…
Book direct with the Milestone Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
We were impressed to find that the free WiFi commitment at The Milestone even extends to providing a free terminal for guests who may not have brought their own laptop
Your first impression as you enter The Milestone is a feeling of warmth and friendliness, combined with decor that exudes a certain homely elegance. This culture is also reflected in the hospitable staff who are eager to fulfil their guests’ wishes, making you feel at home right from the first second.
The reception is decorated with gorgeous antiques (personally chosen by the owner of Red Carnation Hotels, Bea Tollman) and radiates comfort and charm. It feels like walking into a beautiful home rather than a hotel!
Book direct with the Milestone Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
This couch next to the concierge desk at The Milestone typifies the hotel's general "homeliness" which its guests love - and you can use the free WiFi there too!
We were shown to the beautiful conservatory with its classic furniture in a black and white theme highlighted by an enormous amount of natural light. It’s the little touches in the details of the decoration that make visiting The Milestone such a fun and interesting experience.
For example, the garden surrounding the conservatory features gorgeous sculptures and the little trees are decorated with blue lights and a cute little water fountain. There are even little comic photos in the loos and we loved the mannequin of the jockey in the hotel’s Stables bar!
Book direct with the Milestone Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
Stables - an intimate little bar with delicious drinks and a fun horseracing theme
These thoughtful little touches are reflected not only in the decoration, but also in the service as this blog explored before when we interviewed the General Manager at The Milestone and also when we met the hotel’s outstanding Head Sommelier.
The staff at The Milestone are trained to remember the detailed preferences of each and every guest, which might include their favourite type of pillow or their regular drink; perhaps even the planning of their ideal evening or a romantic gesture. All this helps explain why the hotel has such a high guest retention rate and so many adoring fans on TripAdvisor.
Book direct with the Milestone Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
Andrew Pike (the General Manager) and his team at the Milestone specialise in "tiny noticeable touches" - within this enlightened culture, it would be unthinkable to charge guests extra for WiFi access
Last but not least, we were kindly invited by the hotel to sample its famous afternoon tea. This was not strictly within our remit for testing the hotel’s free WiFi service but, as the pictures below illustrate, we found the proposition impossible to resist…
The Milestone's afternoon tea has been praised by the UK Tea Guild and during a short break from our WiFi test we could see exactly why...
The sandwiches included traditional favourites like smoked salmon, ham and mustard, cheddar and tomato and cucumber. They were delicate, flavoursome and fresh. A disk-shaped chicken mayonnaise option with chopped almonds had a wonderful contrast of textures. Some scones also arrived freshly-baked from the oven with a richly-tangy fruit jam counterbalanced perfectly by the traditional Devonshire clotted cream.
No wonder The Milestone’s afternoon tea was given an Award of Excellence by the UK Tea Guild in its list of the best London afternoon teas.
Book direct with the Milestone Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
Delicious sandwiches enjoyed with afternoon tea at The Milestone - the circular chicken mayonnaise with chopped almonds is particularly recommended!
All in all, we’ve had a great day at The Milestone – and we’re pleased to report that it’s not just the free WiFi that runs like clockwork at this impeccable 5 star boutique hotel.
Photo credits: Milestone Hotel (Red Carnation Hotels), London Hotels Insight blogger Timea.
Previous post: The Barclays and London hotels: what next?
