Our first hotel of the trip (and there have been many) was the Strand Palace in London. The Strand Palace is a hotel that Dan's parents like when they visit London and they very generously treated us to four nights in the hotel to kick off our trip.

The Strand Palace is a grand building that was erected in 1909. It has many art deco decor touches, but is completely modern in the rooms. I'm so used to visiting Las Vegas, where a hotel is outdated after ten years and knocked down within twenty, that it has been amazing to stay in so many old hotels and inns during this trip.

Here are a few pictures of the reception, which had several large fish tanks.

Since the Strand Palace is an older hotel and has been modernized to include en-suite bathrooms, the space in the rooms is a bit tight. It felt like being in an Ikea store mock-up, where the functionality of the space was a top priority. The rooms do not have closets, but they do have several shelves and plenty of drawers.

The color scheme and decor were very tasteful and most important, the bed was comfortable. I've had a real lesson in hotel beds during this trip and I have learned the importance of not only a good mattress, but quality linens. The linens make such a huge difference to getting a good nights sleep. The Strand Palace nailed it.

The bathroom was nice with a big, deep bathtub. The only complaint regarding the bathroom was the lack of storage. As well thought out as the bedroom was with regard to storage space, it was the opposite story in the bathroom. They need to add a shelf for toiletry storage.

Normally I'm not too bothered by the complimentary toiletries, but I need to give a special mention to the Brazilian Nut Body Lotion provided by the hotel. It smelled fabulous and I even took the leftovers with me. It was good enough to track down the supplier and buy some for home. The fragrance reminded me of a beach vacation.

The best thing about The Strand Palace Hotel is its location. We were a short walk from Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross Station, The London Eye, Big Ben, et... The fantastic accessibility makes this hotel a great home base for exploring the city.

I highly recommend The Strand Palace for your next visit to London.