Travel
Several landmark hotels have opened in central London recently, shining a spotlight on an already vibrant accommodation scene, with options ranging from characterful Edwardian town-houses to slick luxury pads.
ByNational Geographic Traveller (UK)
Published December 18, 2023
• 15 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK)
It’s been a busy year for the capital’s luxury hotel scene. A string of high-profile, and often high-priced, openings was crowned this autumn when the long-anticipated Raffles London at the OWO flung open its doors, taking over the building that once housed the Old War Office. Beyond such headline-grabbing launches, the accommodation offering in the city remains in rude health, with plenty of character available for travellers looking beyond the very top end of the market. There are boutique hotels squirrelled away in Georgian townhouses, budget pads in the midst of Piccadilly and huge complexes offering a world of bars, restaurants and entertainment across multiple floors.
1. Raffles London at The OWO
Best for: opulence and heritage
After a seven-year, £1.3-billion restoration, the Old War Office on Whitehall has been reborn, and it can already claim to be one of London’s finest hotels. Thousands of craftspeople worked on the transformation of the 1906 building, breathing new life into architectural elements that include the show-stopping central staircase, complete with bespoke chandelier, and wood-panelled hallways lined with mosaic flooring. Former occupants, such as Winston Churchill and author Ian Fleming, are referenced throughout, from the subtle theming in the Heritage Suites to a hidden bar on a floor that once housed secret service offices. Inviting social spaces include Mediterranean restaurant Saison in the old library, and the cosy Guards Bar, which serves a ‘London sling’, a version of the cocktail made famous by the original Raffles in Singapore. Rooms: From £940.
2. The Peninsula London
Best for: modern luxury
The long-anticipated opening of The Peninsula London finally happened in September 2023, the UK outpost of the Hong Kong-based hotel group being several decades in the planning. The £1 billion new-build property, in a prime Belgravia position near Buckingham Palace and Harrods, is as plush as they come. The 190 rooms and suites, starting at a rather generous 550sq ft, offer bespoke furnishings, textiles and fittings from British craftspeople. The dining options include Claude Bosi’s delectable Brooklands on the eighth floor and the signature Cantonese restaurant Canton Blue, while the bars, spa facilities and fleet of cars — including a 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom Sedanca de Ville — offer all the luxury you’d expect. Service levels are, of course, a given. Rooms: From £1,300, including breakfast.
3. The Hari
Best for: understated sophistication
Tucked away in leafy Belgravia, recently renovated The Hari has a decidedly laid-back and personal feel with just 85 rooms and suites. Rich fabrics, such as leather and velvet, deep shades of maroon and sapphire blue, and contrasting textures of fluffy pile rugs and steel-frame furniture are mixed throughout the hotel to create a bohemian vibe – enhanced by the expressive postmodern art displayed throughout. The relaxed vibe extends to the king rooms, which have custom linens and walk-in rainforest showers, while the Studio King suites have bay window bathtubs with views over the London skyline. Take a seat at one of the curved, green booths for an evening meal at in-house Italian Il Pampero. Homemade pastas and mains of smoked porchetta, spatchcock chicken and tuna steak are just some of the options. Save space for the signature tiramisu – prepared tableside with your choice of spirit from a large wooden cart, wheeled from table to table. Rooms: From £550.
4. Great Scotland Yard
Best for: unique dining
In a handsome Edwardian building on a quiet side street off Whitehall lies the Great Scotland Yard Hotel. In the 19th century, the site was home to the first HQ of the Metropolitan Police and the 152-room hotel draws playfully on that heritage, with various cops-and-robbers paraphernalia such as police helmets and Victorian bottles of poison on display in the common areas, alongside an impressive collection of art. Rooms are comfortable, quiet places to retire to after an evening spent in the bars and restaurants on the ground floor. Pick of the bunch is Ekstedt at the Yard; the London outpost of Swedish star chef Niklas Ekstedt, the restaurant is a cosy, candle-lit space with exposed brickwork and mid-century furnishing. The highlight is the wine-paired tasting menu, with Nordic dishes such as juniper-smoked wild duck or buckwheat waffles cooked over the fire and arriving at table with plenty of natural theatre. Rooms: From £319.
5. The Londoner
Best for: everything under one roof
Step into the Londoner and all thoughts fade of noisy Leicester Square, on which the hotel sits. A sense of hushed calm reigns over the 16 floors, half of which lie below ground. You’ll want to spend some time exploring — this is less a hotel than an entire city. Start at the rooftop bar, which has views over London and eight floors down through an extraordinary atrium, then work your way to the basement spa, complete with jewel-bright pool. Between are an array of restaurants and bars, a residents’ lounge, cinema and even a ballroom, each hung with a rotating display of artwork. Whitcomb’s, where you’ll also have breakfast, serves sophisticated French Mediterranean dishes; for more casual small plates, try Joshua’s Tavern. Explorations done, retire to one of the quiet, wood-panelled rooms with ridiculously comfy beds (thanks to the handcrafted Vispring mattresses), intuitive lighting and hi-tech Japanese toilets. Rooms: From £471.
6. The Mandrake
Best for: wild fantasies
Themes of light and dark are at play at the Mandrake, named for a type of nightshade traditionally used in medicine and magic. A tunnel-like entrance takes you from the streets of Fitzrovia to a vision of South America, where fantastical, mythological beasts lurk in the common areas, the sounds of the rainforest fill the lift and foliage drapes down through a central courtyard. DJs and live bands play at night, providing a rollicking soundtrack to dinner at upscale Yopo or cocktails at Jurema. It’s only when you turn in for the night that you’ll remember you’re actually in London: the light-filled bedrooms are all English elegance, with four posters and marble bathrooms. You can take things down another notch by booking a spiritual workshop, from sound healing to meditation. Rooms: From £347.
7. The BoTree
Best for: personable service
On arrival at newly opened The BoTree, guests are invited to sit with a glass of wine or Champagne while they check-in – the first sign that this is a hotel that offers the slickest service without a hint of stuffiness or formality. Each floor has a dedicated host, too, who’ll make sure you have everything you need over your stay, whether that’s an in-room cocktail or some local tips. The hotel itself is a design-magazine vision of marble flooring, blonde wood panelling, luxuriant foliage and rich pops of colour in the furnishings. Be sure to call into the lively ground-floor bar before heading to the in-house Italian restaurant, Lavo. Spread over two floors, with a vertical garden running up the atrium wall between them, it offers sophisticated sharing plates such as grilled octopus and veal chop Milanese. The large rooms are peaceful cocoons to retire to afterwards, offering every facility you could think of plus the bonus of a turn-down service. Rooms: From £349.
8. NoMad London
Best for: conversion
It’s easy to get lost in the history of the NoMad London. The former Bow Street Magistrates’ Court dates back to 1740, but the real story is the spectacular transformation of the Grade-II listed building into a hotel in 2021. It’s faithful to the original ethos of the NoMad brand, with wood panelling, dark curtains, black lacquer furniture, stand-alone baths and Chinese screens. The character of the building has been sympathetically preserved, with the courtroom now a ballroom, the police station now one of three bars and, the highlight of the hotel, a stunning three-storey glass atrium where the restaurant’s menu is equal to its surrounds. While it might be in the heart of Covent Garden, opposite the Royal Opera House, with the level of service, decor, food, drink and comfort on offer, you’ll never want to leave. Rooms: From £445.
9. Henrietta Hotel
Best for: cocktail fans
If you’ve ever wondered what a hotel dreamt up by the owners of a group of cocktail bars might look like, book into the Henrietta. Created by the Experimental Cocktail Company (ECC), which has bars in locations from Paris to New York, as well as in London’s bustling Chinatown, the boutique hotel is split across two townhouses on a handsome street leading off Covent Garden’s piazza. The buildings’ Victorian dimensions — all high ceilings and tall sash windows — are given a 1930s spin, with art deco styling in the 40 bedrooms. As you might expect, the in-room mini bars are impressive, with bitters included alongside premium spirits and the ECC’s drinks recipe book, should wannabe mixologists need inspiration. The restaurant, Da Henrietta, is a lively, informal place with more of a 1970s vibe, and a long cocktail list to accompany the Italian plates. Rooms: From £252.
10. Hazlitt’s
Best for: Georgian style
Dating from 1718 and named after essayist William Hazlitt, who lived and died here, this period hotel is formed of four townhouses knocked together. The result is a warren of warmly lit drawing rooms and libraries in which guests enjoy wine or G&Ts from the honesty bar, perhaps curling up with a book from the cabinet of works signed by authors who have stayed here, including JK Rowling. Breakfast is brought to the wood-panelled bedrooms so residents can enjoy coffee and Brick Lane bagels in their four posters. Rooms: From £365.
11. Treehouse Hotel London
Best for: playful design
An austere tower block north of commercial Oxford Street seems an unlikely location for one of London’s more whimsical hotels. Ascend to the reception desk on the 15th floor, however, and you’ll soon get the measure of Treehouse Hotel London. The building’s concrete bones are on proud display throughout but are softened with playful design touches. Cheerful staff check you in behind a counter filled with sweet jars, while your gaze skips between the view of the London skyline and the foliage and cuckoo clocks covering the walls. Cuckoo clocks make an appearance in the guest rooms, too — alongside sloth-shaped cushions, piggy-bank wall lights and vintage Magic 8 Balls. Don’t miss a meal or drink here — there’s a panoramic rooftop bar The Nest; modern Mexican cuisine one floor beneath at Madera; and gourmet pizza at street-level Mozza. Rooms: From £378.
12. The Lime Tree
Best for: family feel
The Lime Tree The Lime Tree is a rare find in central London: an independent, family-run hideout that’s reasonably priced despite its location in upscale Belgravia. The interiors are more reminiscent of a smart country house than a city pad. The 26 rooms are individually decorated, with bed throws, framed Penguin book covers and vintage-style rotary phones adding to the home-from-home feel. The Buttery serves a classic breakfast menu and more inventive dishes such as kimchi fried chicken at brunch and lunch. Rooms: From £170.
13. Zedwell Piccadilly Circus
Best for: peace and quiet
It’s just 50 yards from Piccadilly Circus, but there’s no way of knowing that while snoozing in the depths of Zedwell’s flagship hotel. The complex has 723 rooms it likes to call ‘cocoons’, all but one with no windows, all sharing the pared-back, oak-panelled aesthetic of the lobby and guest areas. Sleeping here can feel like an experience outside of time, without the lights and sounds of Theatreland to disturb you. Hypnos beds, optimised room temperature and adjustable lighting colours all add to the soporific effect. Rooms: From £120.
14. Zetter Marylebone
Best for: full-on Victoriana
Wicked Uncle Seymour has eccentric taste. He’s the fictional Victorian owner of the Zetter Marylebone, set in a townhouse in a surprisingly genteel neighbourhood behind frenetic Oxford Street. Among the many curios of his on display are ceramic elephant bookends, sepia family photographs and an enormous ticking grandfather clock. The 24 rooms are individually styled, with fun touches such as newspaper-print wallpaper, alongside Hypnos beds and heavy hardwood furnishings. The Zetter Group is known for its cocktails, so you’ll want to spend time picking from the imaginative drinks menu in the elaborately decorated ruby-red Parlour bar. Tipples range from the fruity twist on the French martini to more adventurous tastes such as Cocktail No2, which is made with scotch and artichoke. Rooms: From £322.
Published in the December 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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