Review: Andaz London Liverpool Street

Introduction
Planning & Booking
Planning & Booking II
Washington Dulles (IAD) Lounge Hopping
United Airlines 777-200 Global First Washington to London
United Arrivals Lounge London
Andaz London Liverpool Street
Etihad Airways First & Business Class Lounge London
Etihad Airways A380 First Class Apartment London to Abu Dhabi
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways Premium Lounge Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways A380 First Class Apartment Abu Dhabi to New York
American Express Centurion Lounge LGA

After a smooth 20 minute ride on the Heathrow Express, we arrived at Paddington Station and made our way into the train hall and up the escalators to the taxi rank.  The queue was short and we were in a London black (okay it was grey) cab on our way to the Andaz.  The driver didn't know where the hotel was which I still find shocking given the high bar for London taxi cab drivers.  I think an Uber actually would have been cheaper and easier but this would be our only cab ride in London and it's a special part of being in the city.

With some back and forth, we eventually made it to our hotel.  The Heathrow Express (with a discount coupon) cost 30 pounds and with tip, so did the cab.  All in, that's about $85 USD to get into the city.  Not terrible especially considering we had a free ride back to Heathrow.

We arrived at the Andaz around 1PM and we were hopeful that they'd be able to get us into a room a bit early.  The hotel is located on Liverpool Street in East London.  Close to Shoreditch and the financial district.  We found the location perfect for what we wanted to do (eat, drink, walk around).  You are far enough away from the main tourist areas but they are easily accessible via Liverpool Station which is essentially connected to the hotel.  

We've stayed at Andaz properties in New York and Amsterdam and based on those experiences, looking forward to our stay.  We walked in to the lobby where a "host" greeted us and started the check-in process.  The hotel decor is pretty but modern and minimalist which we both very much enjoyed.  After a bit of hunting and pecking, our host found us a room with a view and we were soon on our way up to the 2nd floor (room 260).

The room featured a small bathroom with some great tilework.

Andaz London bathroom

Complimentary (as is the Andaz Standard) minibar.

Andaz London minibar

And a super comfortable bed with a view of the financial district.

Andaz London

Andaz London bedroom

Room with a view of new and old

We unpacked and headed over to Shoreditch for some street art and street food.

We liked this one

You don't see this in Denver

We spent quite a bit of time walking in a 20 minute radius of the hotel.  We especially enjoyed drinks at Gong at the top of the Shard which is easy walking distance (although a bit brisk) of the Andaz.

The Shard from the HMS Belfast

Drinks with a view

The hotel has multiple bars/restaurants but we didn't partake in any of them unfortunately.  As is the Andaz standard, the hotel has complimentary water, coffee, and snacks and the morning and evenings.  I believe the evening happy hour lasted from 5 to 9PM.  It was great to grab a coffee, water, and a glass of wine before heading out for the evening.  

Complimentary coffee and water

Evening setup

Morning setup

The public spaces really were beautiful.

Andaz London Hallway

Looking up

Andaz London atrium

After a great three night stay at the Andaz London, we headed out for an early morning walk, packed, and met our Etihad Chauffeur down on Liverpool Street who actually arrived 15 minutes early in a clean 5 series BMW.  We were sad to leave a great hotel and one of our favorite cities in the world, but so excited for our Etihad First Class Apartment experience!

Final Thoughts:

I would definitely recommend the Andaz London if you're in town for work or it's a return leisure trip.  If it's your first trip to London, you may prefer the west end.  We didn't interact with the staff a ton but when we did, service was great.  Our room was good sized for a London hotel room and we appreciated the view of the financial district.  There are so many great hotels in London it's hard to decide sometimes...but along with the London EDITION, the Andaz will certainly be on our list for return visits.