Walking into The Landmark London Hotel, you can’t help but think you’re a Royal Princess from days gone by, with its sophisticated style and lavish attention to detail this hotel is ranked amongst the finest of the Capital’s leading luxury hotels, having a distinctive style and ambience that makes it unique and elegant.
Complete with its own clock tower, the hotel is indeed as iconic as its name suggests. Having originally opened its doors in 1899 as The Grand Central Hotel – The Landmark London today still combines classic British elegance and grandeur with deluxe facilities.
Walking through the doors, the timeless luxury hits you, with attention to detail second to none, and the Jewel in the Hotel’s Crown being The Winter Garden, a stunning eight storey high glass Atrium of marble column, wrought iron lanterns and palm trees all housed within a glass roof that allows the outside in.
The Landmark London boasts some of the largest hotel rooms in the capital, and we were lucky enough to be staying in the luxurious Marylebone Suite, comprising of an elegant and expansive bedroom area with frosted French doors discreetly separating it from the lounge. Decorated in soft hues of greys and neutrals, with historic pictures on the walls and bold cushions featuring elephants as accents on the crisp white bed linen, this was luxury at its best.
The lounge with its feature fireplace, antique brass and gold accessories, executive desk and of course flat screen smart TV (there’s one in the bedroom as well) has you feeling you are in a luxury apartment not a hotel room.
The bathroom tempts you to relax for hours in the deep bathtub with a selection of full size Molton Brown toiletries to choose from (my favourite, I can just take the lid off and sniff them all day – weird I know!) and soft white fluffy monogrammed towels to wrap yourself in.
Back in the living room is the ever important (well it is for hubby as he’s Italian) Nespresso coffee machine!
Within minutes we’d changed into the cosy robes and slippers and were curled up on the sofa, sipping champagne and luxuriating in how the other half live. It is the thoughtful touches that make a hotel stand out and The Landmark London are very good at these, from an umbrella for rainy London days to a fresh fruit platter, 24-hour room service a complimentary newspaper and even an overnight shoeshine.
Dinner is served in the atmospheric Winter Gardens with pre-dinner drinks being enjoyed in the aptly named Mirror Bar. Created in a style reminiscent of the hotel’s Victorian heritage and finished with a selection of decorative mirrors adorning the walls, you almost feel that Hercule Poirot is going to come hurtling in trying to solve a murder!
Dinner for us though, was The High Palms High Tea, a new dining concept the hotel has introduced until the 2nd September, a twist on their classic, award-winning Afternoon Tea. High Tea differs from Afternoon Tea in that it’s served as a more substantial meal often over three courses, that’s similar to dinner.
Our High Tea was divine, beginning with a glass of rose champagne followed by starters of sandwiches of lobster and prawn cocktail, pimento humus and courgette, and Cajun spiced chicken. The mains were a warm mezze that included a feta, spinach, red onion and olive quiche, chicken, lamb with couscous and pomegranate, falafel with hummus and an Arabic salad with flatbreads and tahini, all dishes were presented like a work of art and tasted utterly delicious.
To accompany the High Tea, not only is there an extensive tea list, there is also iced teas, which in my opinion compliments this High Tea perfectly – Pomegranate and Lime iced Tea was my choice, so refreshing, it was like having a cocktail (minus the alcohol), hubbie chose the Chamomile, Strawberry and Orange cold brewed tea, which proved a big hit.
Dessert was a trio of sticky toffee pudding, topped with clotted cream, passion fruit, mango and ginger cheesecake, and strawberry and mint tartlet (all in miniature form), such an array of tastes and textures on the palette a real dessert delight.
After dinner we retired to our suite for what can only be described as the best night’s sleep awakening feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
Breakfast was another individual delight. Again, served in The Winter Garden, but this time buzzing with breakfast meetings, families and couples, thus creating a completely different atmosphere from the night before. Bright daylight streamed through the glass atrium creating a feeling of eating outside on a sunny day.
Different displays of perfectly prepared breakfast options greeted us with something to suit even the fussiest of palettes ranging from a sumptuous spread of freshly baked Danish pastries and breads, fruits, granola and organic porridge, meats and cheeses, salads including asparagus and salmon (yummy), scotch eggs (just as yummy) fresh smoothies and my favourite a small pot of guacamole with salmon, I could have sat and ate pot after pot of this all day and then there’s the made to order breakfasts that includes full English, eggs Benedict, and Belgium waffles, you really won’t go away hungry from a breakfast at The Landmark London, it really is a truly indulgent end to a momentous 5 star stay at this historic hotel.
BOOK IT
Prices start from £450 for a Superior room including breakfast, based on two sharing. Prices start from £575 for a Marylebone Suite including breakfast, based on two sharing.
*Prices shown are for August 2018 and may vary from those quoted.
To book and for further information visit: www.landmarklondon.co.uk
