World Travel Market in London: A Night at the Ritz
November 13, 2010 By: Jena Tesse FoxAfter a single night at the Athenaeum (not nearly enough to properly explore it), I headed up Piccadilly to the legendary, iconic Ritz hotel. It's easily the most opulent hotel I've ever seen, much less stayed in: The columns and cornices have real gold leaf, and the windows are covered in curtains so voluminous they could nearly be tapestries. And that’s just in the reception area.
Amber Aldred, from the hotel's PR team, took me on a tour of the building and pointed out some cool details (for example, the main hallway, which connects the Palm Court, the dining room and the main reception area, has a formal dress code). Tea at the Ritz is so popular that they have five seatings per day, beginning at 11 a.m., and reservations must be made months in advance.
In 2006, the hotel annexed the William Kent House next door, and the hotel now uses the house for formal functions. Of course, when the Ritz says “functions” they mean “Her Majesty celebrated her 80th birthday here.” The house also features three notable suites--the Marie Antoinette Suite, the Royal Suite and the Prince of Wales Suite. I got to see the latter two, and they are just as opulent as you would hope, with lots of light and space and plenty of rooms for any kind of use. (His-n-hers dressing rooms? Of course!)
Cool touch: Chinese artist Mao Wen Biao painted a huge mural in the house’s Grand Hall that depicts a personalities from London society during the William Kent period. Even cooler: One of them is using an iPhone. I hear they were very popular in the 1740s.
My room was no slouch, either, with all the over-the-top-ness one would want. From the curtains to the carpet to the overstuffed chairs and pillows, the room was a lovely mix of 1906 style and 2010 savvy. Even breakfast was over the top the next morning. I'd never had hard-boiled duck eggs or quail eggs before. They're actually very tasty.
Next: Around the corner to the Stafford!
