Earlier this month I took a really fun trip to London with my youngest and eldest sister. I think it may be the first time we have ever taken a trip together, just the three of us. If you read this blog regularly you will know I have quite a large family including four sisters, I am trapped right in the middle of them all. We had planned a visit to Friends Fest, a festival based around the famous sitcom – it sounds random but I assure you it was really cool. We got to visit Monica’s apartment and have a photo using the props from the opening credits of the show..and don’t get me started on hearing Smelly Cat being sung in Central Perk whilst I was pretending to make a coffee from behind the counter. SO much fun.

Of course when you are three Welsh women off for a visit to a big city you don’t just call in there for a few hours! You make a weekend of it. We stayed at The Hilton London Metropole (HLM)  on Edgware Road – a perfect central location. I am fairly loyal to the Hilton brand and use the hotels quite often when booking last minute city breaks, I get a discount through my day job and I find there is a consistently high standard with the rooms and service.

For this stay at the Hilton London Metropole, we were invited to review one of their large family rooms – perfect for girly breaks or indeed a family with small children. We were also asked to try out their afternoon tea..how could we refuse?

The HLM is an impressive hotel, it has a number of entrances ..not designed to confuse I am sure and it is so much bigger when you step inside than you imagine it to be. Considering the hotel was very busy, service at check in was quick and painless and we were soon in our beautiful room with huge sweeping windows overlooking the busy London streets. Crisp bedding, an abundance of Peter Roth toiletries and not a piece of lego or a crayon in site. BLISS. The family room contains two queen sized beds along with a sofa which turns into a double bed. Two large TV’s, desk, tea and coffee making facilities as well as a mini bar make up the remainder of the room. The bathroom was large and YAY it included an actual bath, so many hotel rooms don’t have baths anymore. I am a real bath girl.

After some relaxation time we headed down to find the EDG lounge and bar for our afternoon tea. On arrival we were given the option of the standard afternoon tea or a cocktail afternoon tea, I do imagine you can guess what we chose. I opted for a Mint Daiquiri ( similar in taste to a Mojito ) to accompany my tea. The staff were friendly and courteous and there was a really chilled atmosphere in the lounge. The decor was very cool with lots to catch your eye.

When our tea arrived I could not believe how much there was to choose from..just take a look:

My big sister gazing lovingly at her cocktail..

This coffee tart below was my absolute favourite:

We finished off with a second round of cocktails..I am sure the second batch was a lot stronger! This was a cherry brandy and tequila cocktail.. delicious but wowzer it took my breath away a little.

As part of our stay we were given access to the Executive Lounge which is located on the second floor of the hotel. If you stay in an executive room then you can use the lounge throughout your stay. You get free refreshments throughout the day, newspapers, computers to use and its a nice place just to relax. I used the lounge to make some calls in peace with a latte and following on from our afternoon tea we headed up for some drinks. Between 6-8pm you can help yourself to liqueurs, wines and beers as well as soft drinks. There are also light snacks and the all important cheese board.  We had one more drink and a really good chat about anything and everything, myself and my younger sister also introduced my eldest sister to Instagram and she spent more time than is necessary looking at the David Beckham’s Instagram account.

Back in our room we watched TV before taking it in turns to have long relaxing baths, the bed was one of the comfiest in any hotel I have stayed in and I felt so chilled out.

Breakfast in a hotel can be such a letdown, especially when the hotel is as large and busy as the Hilton London Metropole. I have never been disappointed at a Hilton. There is a huge variety of pastries, meats and cheeses as well as cereals, fruits and yoghurts. That is before you even start on the waffles, made to order omelettes and full cooked English breakfasts. Teas and coffees are served at your table.

Checkout isn’t until 11am which is always a big plus, there is nothing worse than having a nice break in a hotel then rushing to be out by 10am. Checkout is simple and the hotel held onto our bags for the day so we could travel without lugging them around London.

As my sisters were so impressed with our stay I asked them to say a few words about what they thought, especially important for anyone with dietary requirements is my younger sister Hannahs opinion on how they dealt with her gluten intolerance:

“Our stay at the Hilton was lovely and relaxing and the location was perfect for visiting my favourite London attractions. As I am gluten free, it was particularly nice not having to worry about food whilst I was there, I have gotten used to packing additional snacks in case of emergencies but the GF options at the Hilton were fantastic so these definitely weren’t required. We advised the hotel the day before our visit of my intolerance and they were very thoughtful and accommodating. Afternoon tea was beautiful, with an amazing variety of cakes and other sweet treats. Lots of care and attention had been made to make the GF option just as appealing as the others. The staff were also extremely helpful at breakfast, advising on what I could and couldn’t eat. In most restaurants breakfast options are limited to fruit or cooked breakfast, however I was provided with GF toast, blueberry muffins and biscuits which was a lovely treat. Staff throughout our stay were very friendly and helpful which made our trip to London much more enjoyable. It was the perfect weekend and I can’t wait to visit the city and the hotel again soon!”

My sisters gluten free afternoon tea:

My eldest sister Allison also shares her take on the hotel:

“The hotel far exceeded my expectations. The location was perfect, our room gave a bird’s eye view of the city but still felt like a peaceful haven away from the hustle and bustle that comes with visiting one of the major capitals of the world. The queen sized beds were almost too comfy to leave but there was so much else to experience here. The food, well, what can I say? Afternoon tea with cocktails – doesn’t get much better. We were truly spoilt – a welcome mix of tradition and new favourites. Scones with jam and cream to whet the palate, very closely followed by a cream tart with the most delicious amaretto biscuit I have ever tasted. The sandwiches went down well too – the smoked salmon was my favourite. I would certainly recommend the Gin cocktail but the mint daiquiri was also dangerously good for an afternoon tipple. Where next? Grudgingly leaving too many cakes each ( they did pack them in a box for us to enjoy later ) we decided to chill out in the Executive lounge – the corridor alone will give you some insight into the pleasures to come. We just couldn’t resist a selfie in the mirrored ceiling. As we had already indulged ourselves to excess we thought we would just enjoy something small and sparkling. However, we quickly discovered we had a little room  and managed some cheese and crudités. It is amazing how a short lift ride can increase your appetite!! Throughout our stay the staff were attentive without being obtrusive. Nothing was too much trouble and for myself as a mum used to doing everything for everyone in our lives it was a very welcome change. My only regret was there was so much we didn’t get to do – such as the pool and leisure facilities, sit in the sports bar, have dinner in the restaurants or relax at the piano bar. I look forward to these for my next visit.”

We can highly recommend a stay at The Hilton London Metropole for any type of break in London be it for business, pleasure or romance. We actually could not fault it.

• Our stay at the hotel and all of our food and drink were complimentary for the purpose of this review.