A very glamorous sleepover at Paddington Station

A few weeks ago LM and I headed off to Cornwall for a (very much needed) relaxing break. The train was leaving fairly early from Paddington station, and it would normally take us around 45 minutes to get there from Walthamstow… This would have meant getting up very early, in order to get there on time, heaving heavy suitcases up and down escalators, wiggling ourselves onto busy Saturday trains, arriving all sweaty and grrrr and NOT getting our relaxing break off to a very relaxing start.

So we needed a new plan. A plan that would ensure that as soon as we downed tools on Friday afternoon, we could start to unwind and look forward to the weekend ahead, without having to traipse across London (twice) before we would even set foot on the train. And this plan came in the form of the splendid Hilton Hotel in Paddington, which has an entrance IN PADDINGTON STATION.

The hotel was originally built in the 1950s and much of the funding came from the Great Western Railway Company. The entire hotel, complete with all fittings and furniture, cost £60,000! And that, my friends, is called inflation.




The Tower Rooms are really lovely – bright, sunlit and we also had direct access to the Tower Lounge with our clever room key cards… A lounge where there is always food, always wine and is a quiet place to sit, work or read…

We arrived on Friday night, were in bed nice and early… we got up, showered and dressed at a very leisurely pace, had breakfast up in the Tower Lounge and glided onto our train to Cornwall, with nothing but peace and joy in our hearts. And coffees in our hands. And various magazines to read as I can’t resist them on long train journeys…

And just three and a half hours later, we found ourselves in Cornwall, fresh as daisies and exploring this beautiful corner of England… it’s just stunning…

We also had a delicious meal at Fifteen, overlooking Watergate Bay…

There were so many wonderful moments and things discovered on our little Cornish holiday, but the real treat that made it possible for us to arrive feeling relaxed, awake and already unwound (does that work?) was our stay at the Hilton in Paddington.
It felt like the epitome of luxury, and we loved it.
Next time you need to get on the Heathrow Express at the crack of dawn, or you’re coming to London late at night, do like The Walker Brothers and make it easy on yourself – book yourself into the Hilton at Paddington.