The Mandrake
5-star hotel · Fitzrovia, London
Long Weekend score
MixedNo serious reports. in 221 reviews
Guests rate nearly every hotel highly: half the hotels in London are rated 8.2 out of 10 or more. So our score shows how a hotel compares with the rest, not how luxurious it is.
- Rated higher than 46% of London hotels
- 68% of guest comments are praise
- 97% of guest photos show no damage
How this score is made
- Rated higher than 46% of London hotels. Compared with 5,640 hotels in London. Counts for 50% of the score.
- 68% of guest comments are praise. 263 praise, 123 complain. Counts for 30% of the score.
- 97% of guest photos show no damage. 58 of 60 photos. Counts for 20% of the score.
- Serious reports are never counted in. They are flagged beside the score, because one matters even when everything else is good.
- $429 a nighttypical for two, before tax · from $332
- 3 min walkto the nearest station
- 221 guest reviewsfrom the last 2 years
- 60 guest photostheirs, not the hotel's
At a glance
For
- 12 min walk to the British Museum936 m by road
- A station within walking distanceA station is 256 m away
- Location50 praise · 0 complain
- Food27 praise · 1 complain
Against
- Quiet at night32 complain · 12 praise
- Room size28 complain · 5 praise
- Value17 complain · 1 praise
- Complaints the hotel left unresolvedcomplaints falling: 9.5 in 100 a year ago, 5.7 now17 of 221 guests
- Unexpected charges and refunds14 of 221 guests
What guests reported
What guests say
221 reviews from the last 2 years. Most praised: staff (119 guests). Weakest: room size, where 28 of the 33 who mention it complain.
Location500Strength
We had a beautiful room with a shared terrace and the atmosphere/location/service were perfect!
Tripadvisor, November 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Location in Fitzrovia is ideal for central London.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
Food271Strength
Fantastic cocktail bar and lots of private spaces to relax in.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
My favourite London hotel - amazing decor and atmosphere, and excellent quality food and bar.
Google, December 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
I think that the room service menu for dinner and lunch could have a few more options.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Staff11926Mostly good
the staff were friendly and welcoming especially Marlon who showed us the room , the room was clean comfortable , and the facilities were excellent.
Tripadvisor, April 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
And above all, the kindness of the staff!
Google, April 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Poor service and plain rooms.
Booking network, December 2025, rated 4/10 by this guest
Breakfast216Mostly good
Just the most amazing hotel, myself and my boyfriend stayed for a couple of nights while we were in London, it was such a treat, the atmosphere in this place is amazing, we had such a gorgous room, the staff are really friendly and to top it breakfast is perfect, a special thanks to Sebastian, he…
Tripadvisor, September 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Breakfast slightly cold on arrival to room but very tasty
Booking network, August 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Cold iron seats to sit on, no cushions, service was very slow and when the food did eventually arrive it was cold!
Booking network, July 2025, rated 9/10 by this guest
Beds103Mostly good
Fab shower and comfy bed.
Booking network, March 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Amazing art adorned the walls, the bed was so comfortable, the walls a moody black (not all rooms are painted dark so if you want this request a room with this color palette).
Tripadvisor, November 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
The fridge in the room was constantly noisy, making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, and the bed wasn’t particularly comfortable either.
Google, March 2025, rated 1/5 by this guest
Cleanlinesscomplaints rising: 3.4 in 100 a year ago, 5.7 now1810Mostly good
Our terrace room was lovely and clean with a well stocked minibar.
Booking network, February 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Lovely room clean and well priced.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Some facilities available in the room didn’t work and the wooden floor was marked, making it look dirty.
Booking network, January 2026, rated 4/10 by this guest
Quiet at night1232Weak spot
Being in a terrace room also meant we had to listen to people in the terrace bar outside who drank all night
Google, August 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
The fridge in the room was incredibly loud, I had to unplug it.
Google, May 2026, rated 2/5 by this guest
If you want somewhere that has a working TV, radio or sound proofed rooms so you cant hear people talking until 0530 in the morning then this is also the place.
Google, September 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Room size528Weak spot
The rooms are not large - my ‘upgrade’ was perhaps 20 sqm.
Google, October 2025, rated 3/5 by this guest
The room was very small and we had expected a lot more for the money.
Booking network, December 2025, rated 3/10 by this guest
The rooms are rather small for a 5-star hotel; on Fridays and Saturdays, the hotel is more like a club than a hotel.
Google, February 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Value117Weak spot
The property does not match the price point at all.
Booking network, October 2024, rated 4/10 by this guest
For the price, book anything else.
Google, September 2025, rated 1/5 by this guest
Too few mentions to judge: room condition and views.
Who stays, and their score out of 10
From every review of the last two years that gives a score and says who travelled, including those with no words.
All 945 Google ratings
Problems guests raised
Raised most: complaints the hotel left unresolved, in 17 of 221 reviews.
Complaints the hotel left unresolvedcomplaints falling: 9.5 in 100 a year ago, 5.7 now17 of 2211 in 13 reviews
Despite documented deficiencies, a refund was categorically refused.
Google, December 2025, rated 2/5 by this guest
Despite documented shortcomings, a refund was categorically refused.
Tripadvisor, December 2025, rated 2/5 by this guest
Unexpected charges and refunds14 of 2211 in 16 reviews
Make sure you check your invoice as I was overcharged for spa and breakfast.
Google, November 2025, rated 3/5 by this guest
What I did not like on checking out was being told there was a “service charge “ payable for all rooms on top of the agreed price paid in advance .
Booking network, August 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Something broken in the room13 of 2211 in 17 reviews
Exceptional decor , great location
Booking network, February 2025, rated 9/10 by this guest
Terrace room was small & basic, sound system not working, wardrobe tiny and no room for clothes, more focused on selling items in the room!
Tripadvisor, July 2025, rated 2/5 by this guest
Not as shown or bookedcomplaints rising: 3.4 in 100 a year ago, 4.8 now9 of 2211 in 25 reviews
The terrace rooms are not "semi-private" as the website describes.
Google, September 2025, rated 1/5 by this guest
we booked a suite that was more like a regular hotel room than an actual suite.
Google, December 2024, rated 1/5 by this guest
A slow check-in6 of 2211 in 37 reviews
We tried to check in an hour after the official time and were told our room wasn’t ready, which is fine and happens, but there was no “we’re so sorry about that, please have a drink on us” type apology; which you would expect from a hotel of this calibre.
Google, February 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
the wait until they provide the room and they didn't offer us a welcome drink, while they did it to guests before us
Booking network, January 2025, rated 10/10 by this guest
A booking not honoured5 of 2211 in 44 reviews
The first room was supposed to have a terrace that was blocked so I was moved.
Booking network, April 2026, rated 3/10 by this guest
Again, the bed also was just a queen size rather than the king size we we literally paid for.
Google, September 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Serious reports
None found in 221 reviews.
Photos, checked
2 of the 60 guest photos we checked show damage or dirt (3%).
Guests’ photos confirm: spa (4), restaurant (5), bar (10), bathtub (4), private balcony (4).
The hotel says it has no swimming pool, gym or hot tub.
Price, place and rooms
Price
$429 is a typical night, from 232 dates checked in the coming year.
Weekends cost 9% more than weekdays
A typical night, month by month
Cheapest month: Jan 2027, $372Dearest month: Dec 2026, $556
Prices on booking sites, the day we checked
What each seller advertised on the one day we checked, so these sit outside the year-wide figures above and can fall below the typical price.
- skyscanner.net$491
- Super.com$512
- Vio.com$512
- deals.goseek.com$512
- deals.etrip.net$512
- upperbooking.com$636
- Booking.com$636
- expedia.co.uk$636
Lowest advertised nightly rate for two adults; taxes and local fees are not included. Shown in US dollars.
Nearby
The nearest station is 256 m away by road, about 3 minutes on foot. There are 20 bars or clubs within 200 metres.
- Nearest main road: Oxford Street172 m
- Nearest shop: Sainsbury's Local3 min walk246 m by road
- Nearest station3 min walk256 m by road
- The British Museum12 min walk936 m by road
- Big Ben30 min walk2.3 km by road
- Buckingham Palace2.5 km
- Tower Bridge5.2 km
The lines are 5, 10 and 15 minutes on foot.
Distances follow the streets, not straight lines.
Rooms
11 room types, from 20 to 128 m².
- Mandrake Room20 m²1 Queen bed
- Terrace Room21 m²1 super-king bedBalcony
- Newman Room30 m²1 super-king bed
- Ginkgo Suite33 m²1 Queen bedBathtub
- Salvia Suite33 m²1 Queen bedBathtub
- Amanita Suite33 m²1 Queen bedBathtub
The other 5 room types
- Terrace Suite41 m²1 Queen bedBalcony
- Newman Suite43 m²1 Queen bedBathtubNo view
- Mandrake Suite61 m²1 Queen bedBathtubNo view
- Penthouse Suite128 m²1 super-king bedBathtub
- Gingko SuiteNot stated1 King bed
From the hotel's own room descriptions, checked against each room's photos.
How it compares
How it ranks
Guests who booked rate it 8.2 out of 10. 46% of the 5,640 hotels in London are rated lower, and a typical one is rated 8.2.
Every review site, out of 100
Google rates it 88 out of 100 and Booking network rates it 82. Booking network only takes reviews from people who booked and stayed, while Google takes them from anyone.
If value matters to you
Here, 17 of the 18 guests who mention value complain. These nearby hotels do better on it.
More hotels in London
The nearest first, with our score for each.
How we know
221 reviews counted · 100 photos checked · updated 12 October 2026
- We collected this hotel's 844 most recent reviews from Google, Tripadvisor and the Booking network. 221 of them describe a stay in the last 2 years and are the ones counted here; the rest were 265 older, 11 in other languages, 297 with a score but no words and 50 about the restaurant rather than a stay.
- The hotel replied to 104 of its 200 newest Google reviews.
- 21 in every 100 reviews thank a staff member by name.
- 9 reviews mention a free upgrade, a cake or a gift.
- We looked at 100 photos: the first 40 of the hotel's own and the 60 newest from guests.
- Every number on this page is counted, not estimated. Anything in quotation marks is a guest's own words.