London Calling.
A spate of lavish new hotels is taking shape in London of late, despite travel industry watchers predicting a drop in occupancy rates. Our favourite newcomers in the English capital share sumptuous interiors, high-tech trimmings and top-notch restaurants and bars. The glitzy hotels remind naysayers that London is still calling.
This venerable address, a series of interconnecting Georgian townhouses, originated as a hotel in 1851. A recent makeover has restored the 129 rooms to their historical splendour, with elegant chocolate-hued furnishings, marble bathrooms and splashes of azure, emerald and sapphire. Service is personable and polished, while the dining options include Ormer Mayfair, a restaurant by Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane
This Art Deco jewel in Mayfair, which dates back to roaring 1927, has been meticulously burnished for a new generation. All 303 rooms have been spruced up – those with 1920s-built marble bathrooms are especially fetching – while the hotel’s Palm Court is one of the most appealing tea lounges in the city. A stylish Italian restaurant, Mercante, tempts with salumi, formaggio and rustic wines.
A one-time magistrate’s court, where Oscar Wilde, John Lennon and Christine Keeler all appeared, has been transformed into glittering new digs in a buzzy part of town. The hotel’s bar occupies the former prison cells, and the old courtroom is now a slick restaurant. Opened earlier this year, it has 116 spacious rooms, a charming rooftop lounge and a bowling alley. It’s a winning place to hold court.
This hip Dutch hotel brand predicated on “affordable luxury” opened its second London branch in July. Designed by Concrete, an Amsterdam-based design firm, the exuberant property is aimed at the iMac generation, with communal tables, ambient lighting and free on-demand movies. Much of the furniture is by Verner Panton, Charles & Ray Eames, and Jean Prouvé. A rooftop offers breathtaking views of the London skyline.
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
Opening in February 2017, this palatial hotel takes shape in the 1922 headquarters of the Port of London Authority, a Beaux-Arts landmark near the River Thames. One hundred stately rooms come with original plasterwork, high ceilings and opulent appurtenances. There are three restaurants, including one by French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, and a futuristic-looking spa. If you never want to leave, you can look into purchasing one of the private residences.
Scheduled to open early in 2017, this is the first European foray for the Nobu group which has luxe lodgings in Las Vegas, Manila and beyond. As before, this 150-room hotel will be feature the east-meets-west culinary noodlings of chef Nobu Matsuhisa, sophisticated rooms with a minimalistic bent, and state-of-the-art trimmings. Cantilevered steel beams on the building’s exterior attract attention – even in edgy Shoreditch.
