Hotels

Massachusetts-born hotelier André Balazs, who made his name with the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, chose Marylebone for his first hotel venture outside the US. The former fire station’s ladder shed is now a bar and, in the restaurant, the food by head chef Luke Hunns is inventive and crowd-pleasing. A good night’s rest is guaranteed in any of the Firehouse’s 26 rooms – even with riotous parties brewing downstairs.
chilternfirehouse.com

The Bull & Last is the kind of neighbourhood pub that most Londoners (and restaurant critics) wish would open nearby. The good news is that the top two floors of the pub offer exceptional lodging opposite the wilds of Hampstead Heath. Each of the seven rooms is elegantly laid out with thoughtful touches, custom joinery, Woodsome skincare products and artwork by local creatives. Well-placed for a post-ramble pint or an intimate candle-lit dinner, the pub was revamped in 2008 by the trio of Freddie Fleming, Ollie Pudney and Joe Swiers and has been getting better ever since. On weekends you can expect an elegant take on the British roast with North Essex beef, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, carrots and tangy horseradish sauce, alongside an à la carte menu that never disappoints.
thebullandlast.co.uk

Opposite the Royal Opera House in a one-time magistrate’s court (where Oscar Wilde was held prisoner among others), Nomad’s first London hotel adopts the after-dark allure that made its Las Vegas hotel so successful. The 91-key space is all plush finishes, fireplaces and book-lined nooks from New York design studio Roman and Williams. Like its sister property in the US, there are plenty of places for private dining too. The former jail cells in the basement have been turned into places in which to linger, while the old courtyard, where carriages would once pull up bearing prisoners, is now an Edwardian orangery with rows of creepers, climbing plants and porcelain-tiled walls.
thenomadhotel.com

The Orange Pub & Boutique Hotel in residential Pimlico is a half-hour stroll from Tate Britain art gallery and a short dash to the preppy shops of Sloane Square. Run by ex- property developers Barry Hirst and Stefan Turnbull, the homely guesthouse is dotted with wood panelling, rustic iron chandeliers and marble fireplaces. It’s an eccentric-but-British feel, which is more akin to a country cottage than the theatre that previously occupied the space. A narrow staircase leads to the hotel’s four rooms that have been designed by leaseholder Cubitt House Group and London-based architects Coote & Bernardi. The marble ensuites are decked out with Aesop bath and beauty products. After a good night’s sleep, enjoy the hotel’s sun-drenched Mediterranean fare, which will provide you with ample pep for the day’s activities.
cubitthouse.co.uk