Hotels
The Chancery Rosewood, Mayfair
Finnish-American mid-century maestro Eero Saarinen’s 1960-built US embassy in Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square is now a Rosewood hotel. Still presided over by a gilded eagle sculpture made of aluminium sourced from old B-52 bombers, the structure was shored up by architect David Chipperfield with Paris’s Joseph Dirand handling the just-so interiors. Take a view for yourself at the Eagle Bar on the seventh floor.
The Ned, City of London
Edwin “Ned” Lutyens’ remodelled Midland Bank building is now a 250-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. Banquettes have been slipped in judiciously between the listed oak, teak and cherrywood teller counters. This place is certainly one to bank.
Ham Yard Hotel, Soho
Tim and Kit Kemp’s Firmdale Hotels Group is always a more-than-safe bet if you’re searching for accommodation in London or New York. For us, Ham Yard edges its seven sister properties in the UK capital (but do try them too). Set across a green, shop-lined courtyard in Soho, the bolthole gets all the proportions right and none of the pleasingly designed 91 guestrooms feel the same.
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, when the hotel opened. Updated suites such as those by André Fu add a modern touch, as does designer Bryan O’Sullivan’s revamp of the restaurant.
The Orange Pub & Boutique Hotel, Belgravia
This property 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. These accents 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.
The Beaumont, Mayfair
Few five-star hotels start life as a garage but The Beaumont is still humming after opening in 2014. Though ownership has since changed hands, a 2021 revamp has preserved the art deco-style nudges including the unexpected robot sculpture by Antony Gormley on the building’s façade. Rosi restaurant and Le Magritte bar remain failsafe drinking and dining options.
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