London has always had lavish hotels but never before in its long and revered history has the Big Smoke been blessed with so many luxury offerings in such a short a span of time, all racing to pass the winners’ tape before The Olympics had even begun. Many of them didn’t quite make it which is VERY good news for those of us wanting some new luxury in London post Olympics.
Here are the medal contenders for the newest openings. On your marks, get set, go!
Bulgari Hotel & Residences, Knightsbridge – A designer touch in fashionable London
Joining hotels in Milan and Bali, it’s now London’s turn to get star treatment from legendary Italian jeweller, Bulgari. Bollywood and Hollywood mixed with the London in-crowd when this fashionable hotel opened on June 14, just in time for The Olympics. The new hotel features 78 rooms and suites (guests staying in suites have access to full butler service), a lounge bar, a screening room, a cigar shop, private members club and lower ground floor restaurant.
Speaking about the lush interiors Bulgari’s CEO, Francesco Trapani, said Bulgari London has “a contemporary yet timeless style employing a range of marbles, woods and precious materials, together with Italian furniture and custom made textiles”. Other cities around the world have seen designer luxury hotels from the likes of Versace, Vera Wang, Christian Lacroix, Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta to name a few. It’s surprising that for a city as prominent as London, Bulgari is the first “fashion hotel” to open. Good news for luxury lovers is that if you really enjoy your stay, Bulgari’s private residences are available to purchase from Christies International Real Estate. www.bulgarihotels.com/en-us/london
Dorset Square Hotel, Marylebone – the best of boutique
This one just passed the tape after Bulgari, opening on June 18 but still in time for the main event. Dorset Square Hotel is the latest addition to the Firmdale family of properties which has a number of other boutique hotels scattered around London. Strangely, London’s newest boutique hotel is actually the group’s first. The hotel was Firmdale’s original property when it opened in 1985 but they sold it in 2002, only to repurchase it ten years later. The 38 room boutique hotel has been designed, as are all Firmdale’s hotels, by the talented Kit Kemp so there is a quirky but elegant style throughout. The hotel is located on the site of the old Lords Cricket Ground in Marylebone, so expect subtle design references to the British game. Following the Dorset Square, Firmdale Hotels will open yet another new hotel in London in 2013, the 90 room Ham Yard in Soho, which will also have a 120 seat cinema and a bowling alley. Maybe they should get a medal for opening two new London properties within a single year. www.firmdale.com
The Ampersand Hotel, Kensington – a little Victorian whimsy
Hot off the blocks immediately post-Olympics is The Ampersand Hotel, which opens August 29. The design has been inspired by the local museum district neighborhood. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, all of the hotel’s 111 rooms and suites have been influenced by the Victorian era values of discovery and wonder. Double rooms are inspired by astronomy, Superior rooms by music, Deluxe rooms by ornithological themes and Deluxe Studios by Space. It’s a short walk from the Royal Albert Hall, so expect classical music playing in the lobby as well as design touches inspired by the nearby V&A’s costume collection and floral displays inspired by the Science Museum’s plants and the Chelsea Physic Garden’s flowers. The Suites of The Ampersand Hotel will have floor to ceiling windows giving the greatest rooftop views over the city. www.ampersandhotel.com
ME by Meliá London, The Strand – the sound of the city
Adding a continental flavor to the UK capital, ME by Meliá London, will open its first UK hotel in September with bookings being accepted from August. It joins ME Hotels in Madrid, Barcelona, Cancun and Cabo (a ME, Vienna is set to open in 2013)
The hotel will feature 157 rooms, including 16 suites and a two story Penthouse which is located in the original London home of BBC radio, Marconi House. The hotel’s bar is named after Marconi, the inventor of the radio. Fashionable Londoners will no doubt be spotted in the hotel’s new bars and restaurants, especially Radio. The tenth floor rooftop bar is the only one on in the Strand area to be open from breakfast until late and the views of London are sure to be stunning. www.melondonuk.com
Cafe Royal, Regent Street – An artistic past
The Cafe Royal, Regent Street was once the meeting place for artists and intellectuals, so this will be a good place for people watching when it opens as a hotel. Originally set to open in summer 2012 ahead of The Olympics, this has now been postponed until October due to the ‘complex and sensitive’ nature of the listed building’s refurbishment. After a three year renovation, the 159 room hotel will offer a design mix of modern style and the preservation of the original Grade I listed 1860’s and 1920’s public rooms. Guests will be able to make use of the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, including pool, gym, spa, yoga and meditation studios. The hotel is part of new luxury hotel group, The Set, created by Alfred and Georgi Akirov and including Conservatorium, Amsterdam and the Lutetia, Paris (coming soon). www.hotelcaferoyal.com
South Place Hotel, London -a hotel with a sense of humour
Now this one’s a bit of a mystery. Details of this new hotel appear to be on a strictly “need to know basis”, but judging by its website it will be a hotel with a sense of fun. What we do know is that it will feature Jasper Conran designed interiors and specially commissioned works by contemporary London artists. It promises to be more “meet than sleep” where guests and Londoners can play. South Place Hotel is the first hotel from restaurateurs D&D London who operate more than 30 restaurants in London, Paris, New York, Copenhagen and Tokyo. Reservations are now open for bookings starting from September 3. www.southplacehotel.com
The Wellesley, Knightsbridge – gentleman’s club meets super suites
Due to open in November, The Wellesley is a townhouse hotel in Knightsbridge that will only offer suites. Fittingly for the building’s heritage, the hotel has been decorated in a 1920’s Deco style throughout. On the sixth floor, the hotel’s Penthouse Suite claims to be the largest suite in London with four bedrooms, boardroom facilities and a private lift. A rather un-PC feature (London banned smoking in public areas in 2007), the suite will house two bespoke humidors with a specially selected range of cigars. The hotel also features one of the biggest collections of cigars in the world, selling its own brand of cigar to enthusiasts and outdoor smoking terraces. www.thewellesley.co.uk
Harrods – Luxury retail meets luxury hotel
Last in the race but not least, the owners of the legendary luxury London department store Harrods, which originally opened in Knightsbridge in 1849, have announced plans to open the first Harrods hotel in London. The news has only just been announced so it obviously won’t be opening for some time after The Olympics finishes. Expect something special when it does. There are moves to build the British retailer into a global brand with long term ambitions to open Harrods hotels in Paris and New York as well as other parts of Europe and in Asia. www.harrods.com , www.qatarholding.qa