Updated April 2026
It’s not often that I find time to just sit and enjoy a view. On one of the hottest days of the year, I was relaxing in an air-conditioned room, sitting on the windowsill with a tall, cool cocktail, soaking up the view. My deluxe room at the Clermont London Hotel Charing Cross (previously named Amba hotel but has been rebranded) is on a corner with the best vantage point. I have uninterrupted views of Trafalgar Square and the imposing National Gallery. Even though this is in the heart of London but I can’t hear any of the traffic on the streets below.
Clermont Hotel – Perfectly situated for first-time London visitors
The Clermont Hotel Charing Cross is right above the train station, one of the original 19th-century London railway station hotels. The Grade II listed building is deceiving on the outside, with just a sliding door hiding away the grandeur of the interior.
You can’t beat the location of the Clermont London Hotel Charing Cross if you are in London for business, to catch a theatre show in the West End’s Theatreland, gawp at the impressionist art in the National Gallery or just for a fun weekend. This four-star hotel is just across the road from Covent Garden and a short walk to Chinatown and Soho.
For those keeping fit on their travels, you can take advantage of the fitness room.
You can check availability here and booking directly gives you the best price. It is highly rated (9.8) by previous guests.
Their reception is open 24 hours to answer your questions and the staff speak 15 languages between them. Being an Asian owned brand of hotel, they understand hospitality at a different level.
Walking past the grand staircase to the lift, you can’t help but marvel at the sweeping staircase, the height of the ceilings, the original features and sheer proportions.
The room is dominated by the king sized bed and a sitting area with a sofa and coffee table. A hamper with all the ingredients I need to make cocktails greeted me when I arrived in my room. This is part of the “Upgrade your Summer Tipple” package, where you get some in-room cocktails and two drinks and some snacks at the hotel bar. (This promotion might not be on when you book but there are always other promotions.)
I find a couple of ready mixed Clermont Hotel negronis, a couple of tall glasses, Beefeater Gin and some Fever-Tree mixers. A bucket of ice completes what I need to make some cool drinks.
The Clermont Hotel room
My deluxe room is quite spacious for a Central London business hotel. The king-size bed dominates, a sitting area with sofa and coffee table is conveniently placed in front of the widescreen TV. The luxuriously deep mattresses are topped with a cloud-like mattress topper and a selection of comfortable pillows makes for a very comfortable bed.
The desk in the corner of the room has the essential multiple plugs for digital nomads, including 2 USB plugs at desk level. No need to scramble under tables to find somewhere to plug in your electronics. In-room tea and coffee making facilities are supplied with a Nespresso machine to top up your caffeine. Free wifi is standard across the hotel without additional charge.
If you are travelling in a group, they have family rooms that will fit up to 4 people.
There are multiple plug points around the room too. In this digital age where we have to be constantly connected, the lack of accessible plug points is one of my pet hates in hotels.
Food and Drink at the Clermont London
Breakfast is served in The Terrace, a gorgeous dining room with a wall of windows. There is a vast selection of hot and continental choices at the buffet for breakfast. The hotel bar serves some stylish cocktails with a selection of bar snacks too. It’s a lovely place to meet for drinks if you are in the area.
Prices start at about £180 per night. Make sure you choose ‘Upgrade Your Summer Tipple’ if you want this special package. You can check availability here. If they are full, here are a few other hotels very close by.
- The Londoner Hotel on Leicester Square
- The Strand Palace Hotel
- The Great Scotland Yard Hotel
- The Z Hotel Strand (budget option)
The Clermont Restaurant and Bar serves meals too and they can cater for all dietary requirements. We had a lovely drink at the bar with some very popular bar snacks like these chicken wings. Their restaurant with a view is open to non-guests and perfect if you are in the area or waiting to catch a train from Charing Cross. If you are a guest of the hotel, there is room service if you prefer.
Top Tip: Book on their website to get discounted prices, free breakfast or other extras.
“Upgrade Your Summer Tipple” with Amba Hotels (This promotion has ended)
Partnering with Beefeater Gin and their Vauxhall distillery in South London, the Upgrade Your Summer Tipple package includes: an Amba Negroni, a mini-bottle of Beefeater London Dry Gin, Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water, glassware, cocktail recipes and a voucher for a cocktail and nibbles of your choice from the hotel bar.
NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
***GIVEAWAY: Win a stay at Amba Hotel Charing Cross***
A lucky winner and a friend will get the chance to enjoy a luxurious two-night stay in an Executive Room at an Amba Hotel of their choice, plus exclusive seats to see the spectacular Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom the Musical. The winner will also find an exquisite ‘Upgrade Your Summer Tipple’ hamper in their room for post or pre-show drinks, which includes an Amba Negroni, a mini-bottle of Beefeater London Dry Gin, Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water, cocktail recipes and a voucher for a cocktail and nibbles from the hotel bar. Enter at amba-hotel.com/UpgradeYourSummer (T&C’s apply.)”
Clermont Hotel Charing Cross
Strand
London
WC2N 5HX
EatCookExplore was a guest of Amba Hotel (rebranded as Clermont Hotel)
