Claridge's
Hotel Name: Claridge's
Number of Rooms: 190 rooms and suites
Location: In Mayfair. The hotel sits on Brook Street, a charming, tree-lined road that’s just a stone’s throw from Bond Street, renowned for luxury shopping, and Green Park, a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city.
Walk into the Art Deco lobby and you will see why the grand-dame is popular among kings, presidents, prime ministers, and movie stars. The stunning, sweeping staircase is incredibly grand and the service is top-notch traditional. Rooms and suites vary is size and design; ranging from traditional English to Art Deco to the signature suites, some designed by Diane Von Furstenberg and David Linley. The hotel is a great place to duck into for an afternoon tea (make sure to book far in advance) or to enjoy a glass of champagne while listening to the live piano and violin.
What We Loved: Claridge’s sets the standard for London hotels. Its renowned service is polished to a full gleam, and the design is updated without forgoing the history that’s such an important part of the recipe here.
What We Didn’t Love: It’s hard to find a nitpick, but fans of boutique or under-the-radar hotels may want to look outside of Mayfair for their perfect match.
Right For: Families, girls’ trips, first timers to London, history buffs.
Wrong For: Visitors who want to be in a quieter neck of the woods may find the hustle and bustle of Claridge’s and Mayfair to be a bit much.
Best Time to Visit: The Claridge’s Christmas tree is one of the most famous in the city - it’s done in partnership with a fashion house or designer and shrouded in secrecy until its festive reveal, and is always spectactular.
TLF Tip: The size of the hallways are due to the dresses Victorian Era women wore that were so large, they needed to build wide hallways in order to allow them to walk past each other.