Nestled at the end of a tree-lined courtyard in the heart of Westminster, is St. Ermin’s an independent four-star deluxe hotel. It’s hard to imagine that this luxury hotel is just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of central London and just a stones throw from Buckingham Palace.Add to that its captivating history with spies, secret tunnels and espionage and you can see why this hotel sets itself apart from others in the Capital.
Walking through the revolving doors into a large elegant lobby, the attention to detail is evident everywhere you look, from the opulent chandeliers, intricate plasterwork and original mosaic tiled floor, to the awe inspiring theatrical grand staircase, the legacy of Victorian theatre designer J.P Briggs, this hotel is an instagrammable dream.
As we wait for the lift to take us to our room, there’s an original framed silk scarf hanging on the wall (SOE agents’ printed secret coded messages on pieces of silk and passed it to each other), the wartime spy connection is everywhere, if only the walls could talk what stories would they tell.
The hotel has 331 spacious rooms including 41 suites, all are individual in their shape, size and structure but all draw upon worldwide, textural influences to convey a real sense of relaxation and calm.
Our room, a King bed suite with an expansive bedroom, separate lounge and not one but two bathrooms (perfect, I could spend as long as I wanted pampering myself with the luxurious White Companytoiletries). A mix of neutrals in the lounge area provides the perfect backdrop to dark wood furniture and a deep red sofa and armchair, and the bedroom palette of greens and reds is the perfect ambience for lying down and doing nothing. Unfortunately that was not to be as the lure of sitting in front of the roaring fire in the Caxton Bar sipping a G&T was too much, the warm décor in the bar creates a sense of calm and you can’t help but let your mind wander to days gone by when spies would meet in this very bar passing secrets between each other. There was certainly no spying going on today though, well only if you count on the array of drinks and cocktails the bar has to offer.
All too soon its time to head through the bar into the Caxton Grill restaurant for dinner, offering guests a selection of delicious classics, alongside premium steaks cooked on the Josper Grill (an indoor charcoal oven, cooking meats and fish at very high temperatures to help retain the moisture and the flavour).
Seated at our table with a cool glass of wine, we whetted our appetites with some fresh bread with citrus and garlic butter while pursuing the menu before deciding on lobster mousse with poached prawn, puffed cereals & sea herbs and beef Carpaccio served with a basil dressing and smoked almonds, both dishes were beautifully presented, fresh and a real treat to the taste buds.
Organic Scottish salmon and the ultimate fish grill (a platter of fresh fish and shellfish) from the Josper grill was our choice of mains, fresh and cooked to perfection, with an amalgamation of delicious flavours on the palette, sides came in the form of broccoliand almond butter anda St Ermin’s salad.
Dessert had a lot to live up to after such a delicious dinner, but it did with artichoke parfait with sweet pickled quince & macadamia nuts and vanilla cheesecake with rhubarb and basil granita.
It is evident from the food we were served that Caxton Grill’s dedication to sourcing the freshest seasonal ingredients it can find is definitely true.
Time to retire for the night into for a restful nights slumber, before indulging in the delights of breakfast the next morning,setting us up perfectly for a day of shopping and sightseeing.
St Ermin’s stylish charm, historic elegance and relaxing environment is just perfect for a stay in the Capital, the only problem is you won’t want to leave.
BOOK IT
Prices start from £209 per room, per night in a double room and from £459 per room, per night in a suite.
*Prices may vary from those quoted.
