Plush suites continue to pop up in London’s finest hotels, as demand for larger accommodation and family rooms are on the rise. London correspondent Emily Goldfischer shares her favorite new digs in Victoria, Knightsbridge and Mayfair, perfect for longer stays, families or groups.
The Rubens at the Palace
With amazing views of Buckingham Palace, The Rubens at the Palace also now sits at the heart of the capital’s hottest “new” neighborhood, Victoria, thanks to the completion of Nova, a £2.8 billion mixed-use development comprising five striking modern buildings filled with dining, office and residential space. Now 17 of the trendiest restaurants, coffee shops and bars — from Nordic bakeries to poké bowls to a new Italian restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton — are at the hotel’s doorstep. The Rubens at the Palace, a member of Red Carnation Hotels, has kept pace with the area, spending millions on its own major overhaul, renovating all its guestrooms and suites, and also developing two new restaurants — the English Grill, a brasserie-style restaurant with traditional English dishes and table-side roasts, as well as The Curry Room, an Indian concept.
The Master Suite at The Rubens at the Palace has nearly 600 square feet of space.
Special attention has been paid to the suites that showcase new plush upholstery in regal golds, reds and blues with timelessly elegant design that harkens back to the Edwardian era. Our favorite is the Master Suite (room No. 205). At nearly 600 square feet, the suite has views of the Royal Mews and gardens at the rear of Buckingham Palace. The bedroom comprises a four-poster bed, an en-suite bathroom and a generous living room with a Murphy bed, perfect for children. Though they don’t offer views of the Palace, we also loved the new Family Suites (Nos. 118, 305 and 405). Each of these suites has a king-size bed as well as a spacious seating area, which can also be made up as a daybed for a third guest and a sofa bed for a fourth guest. Top Tip: For bigger families, the hotel has Family Wings, where guestrooms are connected via one private central door, which can accommodate families of up to 11. For VIP bookings, advisors should contact Trisha Jankowska ([email protected]), reservations manager. Note: Hotel 41, another Red Carnation gem, sits atop The Rubens and is a favorite of affluent travelers.
The Rubens at The Palace sits in the heart of London’s hottest “new” neighborhood, Victoria.
The Berkeley
The Berkeley has had a complete metamorphosis. Within the last year, the hotel has unveiled a new, modern glass facade designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (their next project is 3 World Trade Center in New York), along with a dramatic renovation of the David Collins-designed Blue Bar, the Collins Room restaurant and the guestrooms. The hotel has never looked better, and the final pieces, a series of suites on the first floor, have been redesigned and streamlined by British architect John Heah, who is celebrated for his work on several Aman resorts and the Four Seasons Bali at Sayan.
The Apartment at The Berkeley is a two-bedroom space that has an open-plan living/dining room.
Heah scoured the globe for the suite interiors, selecting more than 30 fabrics and materials (think Thai silk, Chinese wool, Italian marble and Swedish wood) to create a calming contemporary feel. Our favorite is the ultra-spacious (nearly 2,500 square feet), two-bedroom Apartment (room No. 101), which occupies the quiet south-east corner of the hotel. An open-plan living / dining room leads through to the master bedroom plus there is a kitchen, walk-in dressing room, study area and his-and-her bathrooms. The suite can connect to two other rooms through a private hallway for even grander space: the Grand Terrace Suite (room No. 109), which has a glam terrace (natch) with sleek dining table and comfortable chairs, and views of St. Paul’s Church. Leading up to the terrace is a modern living room, a spacious bathroom and a king-size bed that overlooks the terrace and the pretty church. This can be further combined with the Junior Terrace Suite for an additional bedroom. Travel advisors should contact Nancy Getlan ([email protected]), director of sales & marketing, Americas, for queries and bookings.
The Apartment at The Berkeley has a walk-in dressing room.
The Beaumont
Nestled on a quiet garden square, moments from Selfridges and a short walk away from Hyde Park, Grosvenor Square and Bond Street, the Beaumont Hotel is the brainchild of Corbin & King (well-known London restaurateurs behind The Wolseley, The Delaunay and other hot spots), who converted a 1926 building into a gleaming Art Deco hotel in 2014. Since then, the hotel has been serving a mix of who’s who from America and Europe who love the property’s amazing suites.
Our favorite is the Roosevelt Suite (No. 505) — a 1,820-square-foot space whose décor evokes the great cruise ships of the 1920s (think white marble, rich woods in deco design and gleaming brass accents). It has a grand living room and a separate dining room with an even grander terrace overlooking the charming Brown Hart Gardens square and offering views all the way to the city. For entourages, the entire fifth floor can be combined with a terrace running the length of the building. Room Nos. 501, 503, and 504 can be connected via a private hallway. Top Tip: Rates for the floor start at £6,920 a night, a relative bargain for that amount of space in such a prime Mayfair location. Travel advisors can find out more by contacting Kate Dixon ([email protected]), director of sales & business development.
The Beaumont’s 1,820-square-foot Roosevelt Suite has an expansive Sitting Room.
Given its Corbin & King pedigree, The Beaumont is home to the always lively American Bar and The Colony Room (here is where you’ll find London’s equivalent of the Power Breakfast). Other facilities include The Cub Room, a bar and lounge for the exclusive use of hotel residents and their visitors, plus a well-outfitted gym, Spa and Hamam, and salon.
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