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Yves Rochon is lead designer, working on
the addition of a two-bedroom Royal
Each suite will
Suite, the remodelling of the River
Restaurant and the re-launch of the 58
have vintage art
River Suites with views over the Thames.
The Savoy Grill will return again under
deco dressing
the operation of Gordon Ramsay and new
to the hotel will be the opulent Beaufort
tables filled with Bar and the Savoy Tea Shop. The hotel will
Dior scents and
also have a rooftop pool – one of only two
in the city.
make up to create
When it comes to celebrity column
inches, few hotels have been getting more
a boudoir feel
than the Radisson Edwardian Mayfair, a
regular haunt for the stars – being opposite
Nobu Berkeley helps. The hotel also has a
cinema for private screenings and a nice
line in suites – celebs probably love the 10
Signature Suites, which come with airport
championships. The old-fashioned charm transfers, six bottles of house wine, fresh
of Claridges is about to get a little modern flowers daily and butler service.
twist with the arrival of Diane von
Furstenburg – the fashion designer is Langham’s renaissance
putting her swish of style into 10 of the One hotel which has been able to unveil
hotel’s suites. Meanwhile, the hotel has the full extent of a refurbishment (except
teamed up with Christian Dior to create the spa) is the Langham. The West-End
the “Dior Dressing Table”. hotel has had its rooms revamped and
Available in the hotel’s Linley and “residential” has been the watchword for
Claridges suites, the service includes a silk keeping the rooms comfortable – the
dressing gown, marabou mule slippers and agreeable theory is that people (even
a cashmere eyemask. Each suite will have business travellers) don’t want to feel as if
vintage art deco dressing tables filled with they are sleeping in an office. So there are
Dior scents and make up, to create a books in the rooms, high comfy beds with
boudoir feel. The mood is enhanced by plush bedding, beautiful glass lampstands
period music, books by classic 1930s and little views out over the rooftops
authors and cocktails inspired by the era beyond. Langham’s public spaces have also
(all for £300 on top of the suite rates). For gradually gone through metamorphosis,
clients looking for a London break, this from the grand lobby entrance to the
will work well tied in with the new stage Palm Court, said to be the place where
version of Breakfast at Tiffanys. afternoon tea was invented.
The Connaught, Claridges’ more Katie Benson, who took on the role of
discreet sister property, has been the managing director of the hotel this year,
figurehead of the rebirth of Mount Street, said: “We are not going down that route of
now an address for discerning shoppers, asking Chanel or whoever to design an odd
who will find everyone from Jenny suite here and there, all our rooms have
Packham to Marc Jacobs has opened a been carefully considered and Richmond
store there recently. The Connaught is also International continue to do a great job of
on the brink of revealing what is virtually a designing all elements of the hotel in a
new hotel being bolted onto the side and stylish and comfortable way.”
an Aman spa – a first for London. A new garden space to the side of the
hotel is being planned and will be perfect
Spa sparkle for soirees come next summer. Plans for
Of course the doyenne of London is the the large new spa are still under wraps.
Dorchester, with Alain Ducasse, China With the Dorchester having unveiled its
Tang and The Grill providing a dining trio unique spa earlier this year, it will be
to beat off the Park Lane competition. But interesting to see where the Langham goes
the big news for the hotel this year was in terms of design, but the group does
the opening of the spa, which has been already have its own spa brand, so may
heralded as among the best hotel spas in well follow the Asian route.
London. Its concept of a spa that doesn’t Benson reassured me that all was well
look like a spa has been a hit with those in the world of luxury: that the Infinity
tired of mood music, flickering candles Suite – London’s largest hotel room – was
and trickling water features, preferring to being kept nice and busy, that the hotel
focus on the strength of its treatment list had been thankful for business from the
and cakes – yes, the Spatisserie is the place Middle East and from shoppers from
to share post-treatment cakes, champagne Europe and the US. But she mercilessly
and gossip. said there was no hope for anyone in
Elsewhere on Park Lane, the “pure lodging”, especially in the US.
Metropolitan spa still hasn’t materialised, “If all you’re offering is a bed for the
with plans traumatised by the recession night, then you ain’t offering much at all,
and the Four Seasons has closed for major nor are you getting very much business,”
renovations. she said. “Location means so much in
Clockwise from top: the Langham’s Palm Court,
The Savoy has got everybody talking London and I think people are realising
where “afternooon tea was invented”; Dior Dressing
Table at Claridges; Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester;
but won’t be open until next year when its that our part of London puts you right in
Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire; Terence Conran’s
massive £100 million restoration – the the action rather than being among the
Boundary; a suite at the Doyle Collection’s
most expensive hotel refurbishment in ranks of all the city’s other five-
Lutyens-designed Bloomsbury Hotel London’s history – is completed. Pierre star hotels in Park Lane.”
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