There’s nowhere quite like London for luxury experiences – fusing heritage with hospitality, history with art, culture and sometimes a little humour as well, this ancient city is brimming with intrigue, character and charm. Making sure you’re fully enveloped in the experience, the city’s hotels offer their own individual flair and nuances. Here, the Good Hotel Guide shares ten of their top luxury hotels in London.
The Beaumont, Mayfair
Revel in Jazz Age glamour at this Art Deco-style Mayfair hotel, serving up five-star experiences in one of London’s most exclusive locations. Inspired by the grand transatlantic hotels of the 1920s, The Beaumont fuses old-fashioned standards with 21st-century service. Rooms and suites nod to the great names of their age, including the unique Antony Gormley Room and a sumptuous presidential suite, The Roosevelt. Meals are served in The Colony Grill in a timeless menu of US favourites including salads, crustacea, grills and steaks. Afternoon tea takes place in the Gatsby Room where a live pianist plays. The Magritte Bar is the place to sink Manhattans and Negronis. After dinner in the New York-style grill room, retire to a bedroom with original paintings, vintage photos and Deco furniture.
Hazlitt’s, Soho
Hazlitt’s is in the heart of London, dating back to 1718 and combining the best of old-world hospitality and modern style. Inside it’s all rich colours, high ceilings and sparkling chandeliers – it’s seductive, enchanting and perfect for popping the question. Guests delight in an honesty bar with locally made gin and proper china used for afternoon tea. Modern touches include a gilt-framed plasma TV and triple glazed windows keeping out unwanted noise. It’s the perfect balance of naughty and exceptionally nice.
The Mayfair Townhouse, Mayfair
The city sister to Cliveden and Chewton Glen, The Mayfair Townhouse is spread over a row of Georgian townhouses on Half Moon Street. Inside it offers an abundance of personality and a touch of eccentricity with nods to Oscar Wilde, who set The Importance of Being Earnest on Half Moon Street. There’s a peacock sculpture made from 25,000 Swarovski crystals in reception, and the Dandy bar is flamboyant and theatrical. Rooms and suites are opulent and have plenty of lovely details including tipples in the minibar.
The Rookery, Clerkenwell
Located in Smithfields, The Rookery sits on a narrow lane in a converted 18th-century property. It feels more like a private club than a hotel and is known for its superb food as well as its hospitality. Rooms feature carved oak beds, four-posters, heavy silk curtains and vintage shutters. For a particularly special occasion try the two-storey penthouse, which has a sitting room beneath a 40-foot spire.
Batty Langley’s, Spitalfields
The sister hotel to Hazlitt’s and The Rookery, Batty Langley’s delivers a similarly sumptuous style. Grand, elegant and playful, it’s the perfect place to spend time with a loved one, talking, drinking coffee and celebrating special occasions. Rich panelling, crushed velvet and quirky details characterise the décor and make it deliciously seductive. Start the day with breakfast in bed, then spend your time exploring the city.
Portobello Hotel, Notting Hill
A boutique hotel, occupying two converted Neoclassical mansions with a history of rock ’n’ roll glamour, which riffs to the beat of raffish Notting Hill. Each bedroom is unique and special. Relax with a drink in the honesty bar in the sitting room, before heading out to take your pick of the local restaurants – or ring for room service. Its Regency exterior hides eccentric charm within, the likes of which have attracted the rich and famous over the years. Rumour has it that the wild child couple, Johnny Depp and Kate Moss once bathed in Champagne in Room 16, and that Robbie Williams tried to buy the famed circular bed.
The Goring, Victoria
Few places are as spectacular as The Goring in London. Five-star and flawless, the hotel is in the heart of Victoria near Buckingham Palace, and has been enchanting guests with its old world charm for more than a century. From its Michelin Star restaurant to its Royal Warrant (the Queen Mother famously enjoyed Eggs Drumkilbo in The Dining Room), its luxurious rooms and suites to its uniquely tranquil spot in the city. As a further nod to its prestige, it was famously where The Princess of Wales stayed the night before her wedding to Prince William. The word to describe The Goring, is ‘classy’.
Ham Yard Hotel, Soho
Part of the Firmdale Hotels group and decorated by famous interior designer Kit Kemp, Ham Yard Hotel sits in the midst of Soho just moments from Mayfair. Revolving around a tree-filled garden with a bronze sculpture centrepiece by Tony Cragg, the hotel feels like a little world of its own. It has 91 bedrooms and suites, each individually decorated with Kemp’s signature mix of colour, pattern, texture and art. The restaurant and bar serves a European menu for which it holds two AA rosettes, serving up a treat in a little oasis complete with a large courtyard with oak trees and twinkling lights. Completing the experience is the Soholistic Spa, a little haven of treatment rooms along with a relaxation area, steam room and showers, fully equipped gym offering rest, relaxation and spa treatments.
Charlotte Street Hotel, Bloomsbury
Another member of the Firmdale Hotels group, Charlotte Street Hotel is situated in the media neighbourhood just north of Soho and London’s theatre district. The elegant property features 52 bedrooms and suites, once again decorated with the unmistakably sophisticated eclecticism of Kit Kemp. Chic and unique interiors are offset by all the facilities expected of a deluxe hotel including WiFi , flat screen TV’s, iPod docking stations. The Oscar Bar & Restaurant is the central hub of the hotel, serving fresh, seasonal cuisine throughout the day as well as delicious cocktails, while afternoon tea is a particular joy for special occasions.
Lime Tree Hotel, Belgravia
Forged of adjacent terrace townhouses on a residential Belgravia street, Lime Tree Hotel is in an enviable location and offers boutique chic at a surprisingly affordable price. Fusing the warmth and elegance of a Georgian family home, the hotel has 26 bedrooms blending traditional townhouse features with contemporary comforts. Charming details include bespoke beds and 100 per cent natural British toiletries from Bramley. Downstairs you’ll find a pretty walled garden, a restful lounge and their in-house café-style restaurant, The Buttery, which serves meals throughout the day complemented by London-roasted coffee from The Gentlemen Baristas and wines from some of the pre-eminent British vineyards.
