Just had a 3-night stay at the Langham London - I have to say, new management has done an outstanding job with this hotel. I stayed at the hotel before when it was part of Hilton, and it's completely different now (in a really good way).

The room: I stayed in a standard room. The room very small (I guess the renovations did not include increasing the size of the rooms), as was the bathroom, but the room was beautifully appointed and had a high-end boutique hotel feel (the decor and ambience reminds me a lot of the Hotel Plaza Athenee in New York, as did the size of the room and bathroom!). Marble bath stocked with soaps and lightly jasmine-scented shampoos/lotions from the spa. One thing that did not seem to have undergone renovation was the plumbing - the shower water pressure wasn't particularly strong. And the toilets annoyingly require multiple flushes. The room was stocked with robes and slippers. And there were many people who walked around wearing their robes and slippers down to the spa / pool / locker room. The room also had a hot water kettle for making tea (Twinings) / coffee (instant Nescafe) and complimentary bottled water (restocked daily). Free Wi-Fi and wired Internet connections.

The facilities: Use of the business center is free, there are plenty of computers, and free color printing. The gym is small but full equipped. Didn't try the pool, but there is a unisex jacuzzi and salt sauna. There is also a sauna and steam room in the locker room, but the steam room was out of order during my stay, so I didn't get to use it. Gym reception area is stocked with complimentary tea, coffee, bottled water (still and sparkling), fruit juices (apple, orange), and a basket of miscellaneous fruit.

The service: The staff is very friendly and the service was absolutely outstanding. Faxes were delivered promptly to my room without my having to call down to check. Doorman/valet was on the spot in assisting with luggage (which I declined) and in calling for a cab. A great example of the service was the following - when I first arrived at the hotel from Heathrow early in the morning, I did not have enough GBP on hand to pay the fare and the cabbie didn't take credit cards. I asked the cabbie to wait so I could exchange currency with the front desk. Rather than make the cabbie wait (and my having to pay for his waiting), the doorman Lorenzo on his own initiative sprung forward and paid the remainder of the fare (GBP10) for me and told me I could pay him back. Talk about service!

The location: Super convenient location, just a short walk to Oxford Street station, an 8-10 min walk to the nearest Citibank ATM, a 10-15 min / GBP10 ride to Paddington Station, and a 15-min walk to Royal China on Baker Street (my favorite place in London to get high-end Chinese food - I ALWAYS go there when I'm London).

Dining: Dinner at the hotel restaurant "Roux at The Landau" was fabulous. The chef was previously at Le Gavroche (London) and Per Se (New York). I've eaten at probably 30-40 Michelin-rated restaurants all around the world, and the food here did not disappoint. Everything was delicious - the flavors were perfectly executed. Ordered two appetizers and one entree: Grilled squid, grilled king scallops with king prawn and beans, venison medallions with spinach, root vegetables and poached pears. The venison was overcooked, but otherwise excellent in flavor (they never asked me how I wanted it done and in retrospect they should have, but I assumed I didn't need to be asked - there is only one "right" way to do venison!). The service was outstanding... flawless... until the end of the meal when it came to dessert and I didn't want anyway. My table was a no-fly zone from that point onward. No one came by for 10 minutes. My waiter came by offering petite fours, which I declined, asking for him for the check. I could understand if they wanted to be discreet and not rush me and let me enjoy the table, but it took 20 minutes after I asked for my check to actually receive the check (and the whole time I was giving my waiter looks to remind him and he even acknowledged by nodding!). All told, it took 30 minutes from the time my table was cleared and I said I was "done, no dessert, thank you", before I was able to leave - that was really surprising and a disappointing end to an otherwise fabulous dinner.

Would I stay at the Langham again? Absolutely. I still prefer The Ritz, but would be just as happy staying at the Langham.