I recently spent 3 nights in Paris and 4 nights in London in the course of a recent trip over the pond; you can read my Paris reviews here. Here follow reviews of five hotels that I visited whilst in London. These are my subjective opinions based on my own aesthetic preferences, and I expect that readers may disagree with some of my evaluations.
The Lanesborough
I first visited The Lanesborough in 2009, when it was a St. Regis. At the time, I posted this review
A very British feeling is created with the use of dark mahogany, leather, silk wallpaper, and lovely fabrics. Bathrooms feature dark green marble; many offer walk-in showers and some provide double sinks.
What a difference a decade can make. The Lanesborough left Starwood management, underwent an 18-month renovation, and is now part of the Oetker Collection. Gone is most of the mahogany paneling and the feeling that you're residing in a traditional British gentleman’s club. Guestrooms are light and bright with a more feminine touch. Interiors make use of vivid colors (that may be a bit much for some) with floral patterned fabrics in the draperies, headboard, and bed throw.
From the outside, Lanesborough presents as a large, formal, and imposing building, but its monumental exterior is deceptive. Inside you will find a small and personable hotel right by the Wellington Arch. With just 93 rooms, there is a high level of service, and butler service is provided for all room categories. Oetker Pearl reservations receive an upgrade at booking; a lead-in Executive Queen would upgrade-at-booking to a Deluxe King (430 square feet).
my bedroom at the Lanesborough
living room, as seen from the bedroom
Hotel Café Royal
from my 2018 review
I would describe its rooms as bold and minimalist — certainly controversial. One of my clients has called Cafe Royal “brilliant … the most underestimated hotel in London,” but it’s not for everybody. Take a look at the photograph and judge for yourself. Extremely contemporary, the room’s walls are hard blocks of limestone. Chairs are covered in monochromatic leather. The hardwood floor has a non-patterned area rug, and the bed has just a plain throw across its foot. They have created a very clean look without patterned draperies or wall art.
Given this initial impression of the room product, my stay far surpassed all expectations. Though the hotel’s room design is not my personal style, I have rarely enjoyed a hotel stay quite so much. The room made all the difference. I was upgraded to a corner Regent Suite, 969 square feet of space with a separate bedroom, living room, powder room, large walk-in closet, and huge bathroom with dual vanities, a soaking tub carved from a single block of marble, a double vanity carved from one marble block, a WC, and a step-in shower.
But ultimately, it was all about my view. One set of my 4th floor living room windows directly faced the illuminated LED billboard of Picadilly Circus; I could not ask for a more iconic view. Windows on the other wall had a commanding view down Regent Street; the tower of Westminster Abbey visible in the distance. Though my room did not have a desk, I created a workstation for my computer on the dining table right in front of my view of the billboards. The experience of spending two days right in front of Picadilly Lights was priceless. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. For hotel guests who cherish an incredible view, you can’t do better than a Regent Suite at Café Royal.
Regent Suite bedroom
Regent Street living room
Brown’s Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel
from my 2009 review:
A great property for guests who prefer an upscale, contemporary experience (without glitz). Rooms are technologically up-to-date with beautiful, muted, relaxing color schemes.
Brown’s Hotel opened nearly 200 years ago in 1837, the year of Queen Victoria’s coronation. The hotel is comprised of 11 individual townhouses joined into one hotel. Many of the building’s original architectural details are preserved, but rooms are thoroughly up-to-date; their modern bathrooms have marble vanities, step-in showers, and soaking tubs; they will leave no one wanting. As this is an older hotel whose rooms are completely different, be sure to specify any specific bathroom requests.
An unique feature of Brown’s — it stretches between Albemarle Street and Dover Street with both a front and back entrance to the hotel. Per room designer Olga Polizzi, “If you’re in an illicit liaison, you can disappear out one way, and the other one can disappear out the other way.”
I was shown a number of rooms, but two suites stand out. The Dover Suite features a living room with ornate ceilings and moldings, three tall windows that flood the room with light, and an elaborate (non-working) marble fireplace. The Kipling Suite, considered the hotel’s top suite, is named after Rudyard Kipling, who penned the Jungle Book whilst in residence at Brown's. The whimsical interior features jungle-themed wallpaper and other unique collectables.
For guests seeking a small, traditionally British hotel, Brown’s (in east Mayfair) is an attractive alternative to The Connaught (in west Mayfair), although nothing can beat the latter’s location on Carlos Square.
bedroom from the Dover Suite
Kipling Suite bedroom
The Berkeley
from my 2009 review…
a design that might be called “boutique contemporary” — cool and trendy. I saw a very attractive Deluxe room with a clean, simple design. Three color schemes are available: olive, pale champagne, and aqua. Rooms with the best views overlook the church behind the hotel, but courtyard view rooms have walk-in showers.
The Berkeley has recently undergone a significant renovation. A glass-and-steel addition to the front of the hotel has extended first floor public areas closer to the street. The new entrance is modern and glitzy, thousands of lights suspended from the ceiling of the porte-cochère; a revolving door enters into a rather small lobby area.
Guestrooms are compact, just 24 - 39 square meters in area, but once you get into the Junior Suites and full Suites, the Berkeley shines. Suites are generously sized, feel residential, and are absolutely beautiful.
The Berkeley is a choice to consider if looking for contemporary accommodations in Knightsbridge.
Belmond Cadogan
I was given a hard-hat site inspection of the new Belmond Cadogan, apparently opening on February 28, 2019. Comprised of a set of five adjacent townhouses, the property has undergone a $48 million renovation to produce what should be a popular hotel. The Cadogan is set on a residential street in Chelsea. Directly across the street from the Cadogan Place gardens, hotel guests will have access to this private park. It's an easy walk to Knightsbridge if you're in the need of retail therapy.
Guest rooms are compact, ranging in area from 26-35 square meters (corresponding to a Classic or Superior room category). If staying at the Cadogan, I would begin consideration at the Junior Suite category (39-48 sqm), more like a Deluxe room. Full Suites range from 51-54 sqm, the size of a Jr. Suite, with specialty suites as large as 115 sqm.
