Hotels
The Ned, City of London
Edwin “Ned” Lutyens’ remodelled Midland Bank building is now a 252-room hotel, complete with plush event spaces, terraces, a rooftop bar and comfy corners in no fewer than seven restaurants, all of which are open to walk-ins. Expect to hear the happy chatter of diners and the pop of corks ricocheting off the booths. The building’s soaring, pan-shaped atrium has entrances on two sides, which are decked out with 92 verdite marble columns. Comfy banquettes have been slipped in judiciously between the listed oak, teak and cherrywood teller counters. This place is certainly one to bank.
Home House, Marylebone
You’ll find this 23-key hotel spread across three Georgian townhouses in Marylebone’s secluded Portman Square. Home House feels like a distinctively bohemian hangout thanks to its balance between 18th-century glamour and an updated sense of luxury.
Claridge’s, Mayfair
Nestled in the heart of well-heeled Mayfair, Claridge’s is a byword for cut-crystal chandeliers, chequerboard marble floors and top-drawer service. A short shopping-bag-laden walk from Bond Street brings you to this redbrick art-deco gem and inside you’ll find interiors that look much as they did in 1856. Updated suites such as those by André Fu add a modern touch, as do designer Bryan O’Sullivan’s revamp of the restaurant and bar.
The Orange Pub & Boutique Hotel, Belgravia
Opened in 2009, the Orange Pub & Boutique Hotel in residential Pimlico is a pleasant walk from the Tate Britain and a short dash from preppy Sloane Square. Run by Barry Hirst and Stefan Turnbull from Cubitt House group, the homely haunt is filled with wooden details, iron chandeliers and marble fireplaces. All of which convey an eccentric British feel more akin to a country cottage than the brewery that once occupied the space. A narrow staircase leads up to the hotel’s four tasteful rooms and marble ensuites.
