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1 Bulgari hotel, London: review
The Bulgari, in Knightsbridge, London, is a luxury hotel offering superb beds, charming service and an above average restaurant.
What on earth has happened to luxury? It used to be such fun; now it takes itself so very seriously. Back in the day, I remember adoring my occasional visits to London’s top hotels: drinking cocktails in the American Bar at The Savoy, dancing at The Dorchester, lunching annually with a beneficent godfather in the hushed surroundings of The Connaught, where British sobriety so perfectly met French culinary savoir faire. Even taking tea with disapproving aunts at Brown’s had a sense of occasion.
Now what? For me, only The Goring and The Ritz have retained the time-honed character that makes a prime London hotel more than just luxurious.
Take the Bulgari, London’s newest enclave for the super rich. It’s bland. It’s humourless. It’s overpriced.
Bland? The lobby, deliberately meant to be more “des res” than “grand hotel” is stern, granite grey. There are acres of glossy sapele mahogany veneer, in public rooms, bedrooms, corridors. All 85 bedrooms are spacious, extremely comfortable and superbly kitted out, but they are all the same, their big excitement being bedheads and curtains based on a 19th-century Bulgari brooch design (the company started as Italian silversmiths) and the clever minibars that look like steamer trunks. The restaurant, down a swirling, gleaming staircase, could be on a cruise ship.
Humourless? Doormen in grey-black; porters in grey-black; robotic security men, pacing up and down, in grey-black; receptionists in grey-black. A group of women, dressed mainly in black, were taking tea, surrounded by designer shopping bags, but they weren’t smiling either. Yes, there are huge jars of children’s sweets in the lobby, and a cabinet of Italian cakes set out like Bulgari jewels, but they don’t help all that much.
But all is not lost. Far from its roots though Bulgari may be (the company is now part of LVMH, the vast luxury goods conglomerate, and its three hotels – in London, Milan, Bali – are operated in conjunction with Marriott) it is humans who steer this sterile ship, and despite their Men-in-Black exteriors, the hotel team, led by a true, old-school professional, Sylvain Ercoli, were natural and friendly and anything but oleaginous.
At dinner (overpriced; the £30 lunch is more affordable) we enjoyed ticking the list of options for our antipasti; my risotto alla Milanese with bone marrow was the business and Sam the sommelier generously extended his selection (mainly Italian) of by-the-glass wines in order to accommodate us. And the spa (see “Fiona’s Choice”) is seriously cool.
The hotel claims to be running at 92 per cent occupancy (14 per cent of its guests are from the UK) so someone must like its sleek and chic design. But as far as I’m concerned, you can keep modern luxury. Put the laughter back in luxury, I say.
Who goes?
Foreigners, including plenty of Italians, naturally. Lots of men in black with designer stubble and sunglasses and women surrounded by designer shopping bags, none seeming to be having much fun.
Location
Knightsbridge, a strange place these days, full of shaven-headed chauffeurs guarding their limos and bemused, footsore tourists plodding along to Harrods. The traffic is terrible and there are no decent views from the Bulgari. Perhaps it’s a fitting part of London in which to corral the super-duper rich who now inhabit the area; it certainly doesn’t feel typically London anymore, which it certainly once did.
Style/Character
Designed by Antonio Citterio and Partners, also responsible for Bulgari Milan and Bulgari Bali, the granite grey lobby is deliberately pared down to resemble a ‘des res’ rather than a grand hotel, but it only succeeds in feeling sombre, and the acres of too glossy sapele wood veneer are repetitive, while the sweeping stainless steel staircase to the restaurant reminds me of a cruise ship.
Service
Not in the least oleaginous, but professional and friendly, with some charming personalities behind the Men in Black exteriors (uniforms are grey-black throughout). The team is run by old school professional Sylvain Ercoli.
Rooms
It’s a shame that all the rooms are the same, their decorative highlight being headboards and curtains whose motif is based on a 19th-century Bulgari brooch, but they are certainly supremely comfortable and well kitted out with excellent marble bathrooms, Bulgari toiletries, and superb beds.
2 Chiltern Firehouse hotel, Marylebone, London: review
Chiltern Firehouse is a Marylebone hotel offering charmingly retro interiors, polished service, excellent breakfasts and a Nuno Mendes restaurant popular with the likes of Cara Delevingne, Kate Moss, David Beckham and Kylie Minogue.
The tree-filled, six-hectare island of San Clemente in Venice’s southern lagoon first housed a pilgrims’ hospice in the 11th century. The accommodation these days is certainly more luxurious, thanks to St Regis which offers 189 elegant suites and rooms, professional service, good dining, jaw-dropping views and the utter joy of manicured greenery and tranquility just a stone’s throw from the crowds across in the city.
Location
On a manicured six hectares of private island in the southern lagoon, the St Regis is the perfect pampered bolthole after a bout of intensive sightseeing in visitor-packed Venice. The trip from San Marco to tree-clad San Clemente takes little more than 10 minutes in the hotel’s launch, which potters back and forth regularly.
Style/character
The Starwood group’s St Regis banner was hoisted over San Clemente in 2014, but a €25-million refurbishment to bring it fully up to ultra-luxury standards is still only 20 per cent completed. For now the style is grown-up classic, with no concessions to the contemporary except in the occasional art show inside and in the gardens. It’s stately rather than warm, but it is supremely elegant. Open from Easter until early November, this St Regis is a warm-weather kind of place.
Service/facilities
Butler service and the kind of knowledgeable, highly professional staff associated with the St Regis imprint are the hallmarks here: the emphasis is on discretion. Tours, shopping trips, tickets and reservations can be arranged. The scene around the large pool is charming, with white-shaded pavilions on the perfect lawn. There are two tennis courts (with instructor if you wish), a mini-golf course, a well-equipped gym and spa treatments, though the spa itself is not due to open until the 2016 season. There’s a conference centre for up to 300 people. And weddings can be held in the consecrated 12th-century church, the beautiful 15th-century façade of which is a San Clemente landmark.
Rooms
Spacious, elegant and well appointed, the 189 rooms and suites are mostly located in a somewhat austere building dating from 1885. All accommodation is similar in style, with silk wall coverings, stately antiques, high ceilings, traditional terrazzo flooring and superbly accoutred bathrooms with Acqua di Parma toiletries. Some rooms overlook the hotel’s stunning gardens and courts; others face on to the lagoon. For the ultimate in luxury, a selection of villas have private gardens and jetties.
4 The Wellesley hotel, Knightsbridge, London: review
The Wellesley, in London, is a Knightsbridge hotel offering glossy Art Deco interiors, plush rooms and Rolls Royce transfers, near Harrods, Harvey Nichols, West End and Hyde Park.
Wealthy, discerning travellers who have tired of London’s longstanding luxury hotels. Middle Eastern visitors make up a notable proportion of the Wellesley’s guests, but the clientele is international.
Location
The hotel is buffered by Harrods and Harvey Nichols on one side, and the West End’s theatres and restaurants on the other; Hyde Park is just across the road, too. All are easily reached in the hotel’s Rolls Royce - guests can enjoy complimentary transfers in the automobile (up to 1.5-miles), on a first-come, first-served basis.
Style/character
Housed in a decommissioned London Underground station, the Wellesley has adopted an Art Deco theme with gusto and seemingly no consideration for expense. Behind the hotel’s bronze doors, the marbled lobby shimmers under dazzling crystal chandeliers; bespoke furniture flanks the corridor and the concierge desk is draped in studded ostrich leather. All those disparate elements combine to create a look that is glossy, extravagant and immaculate.
Service
Fine, generally. Staff, most of whom seemed to be Italian during my stay, are typically quite helpful but standards could occasionally benefit from refinement. Round-the-clock butler service is provided for guests in suites but my only attempt to use it was a disappointment: clothes I had requested be pressed were returned to me on hangers but in the same creased state as before.
Food & drink
The hotel’s designers have made a virtue of the Wellesley’s small footprint by creating communal spaces that are intimate and exclusive. The jewellery box-like 28-cover Oval restaurant is awash in soft golds and dusty pinks; plushly furnished and dimly lit, the adjacent lounge draws amorous couples for hearty Italian cuisine and Live at the Wellesley, the hotel’s series of live jazz performances. I enjoyed dining at both, though waiting times – particularly at breakfast when an à la carte menu is served – could be lengthy. Belying its diminutive size, the hotel’s bar stocks an expansive selection of rare cognacs and whiskies, and a covered cigar terrace is among the largest in Europe (according to the hotel). No doubt that’s a lure for many, but as a non-smoker it didn’t interest me and the drift of stale smoke, noticeable when I first entered the hotel lobby, marred the positive impression made by the property’s exceptional looks.
Rooms
Plush and richly detailed, the hotel’s 36 rooms and suites feel lavish and decadent without being overwrought. Finished in veined Carrara marble, bathrooms are glamorous affairs decked out with Hermes toiletries and vintage photographs from Vogue. Most finished in golds, ivories and champagnes, rooms retain an Art Deco feel, with some featuring crescent-shaped couches and lacquered coffee tables. Discreetly integrated though they are, more modern amenities are present too. Curtains can be operated electronically, a tablet with local information – which could do with being updated more frequently – is available in each room and Wi-Fi is fast, reliable and complimentary.
The Bulgari, in Knightsbridge, London, is a luxury hotel offering superb beds, charming service and an above average restaurant.
What on earth has happened to luxury? It used to be such fun; now it takes itself so very seriously. Back in the day, I remember adoring my occasional visits to London’s top hotels: drinking cocktails in the American Bar at The Savoy, dancing at The Dorchester, lunching annually with a beneficent godfather in the hushed surroundings of The Connaught, where British sobriety so perfectly met French culinary savoir faire. Even taking tea with disapproving aunts at Brown’s had a sense of occasion.
Now what? For me, only The Goring and The Ritz have retained the time-honed character that makes a prime London hotel more than just luxurious.
Take the Bulgari, London’s newest enclave for the super rich. It’s bland. It’s humourless. It’s overpriced.
Bland? The lobby, deliberately meant to be more “des res” than “grand hotel” is stern, granite grey. There are acres of glossy sapele mahogany veneer, in public rooms, bedrooms, corridors. All 85 bedrooms are spacious, extremely comfortable and superbly kitted out, but they are all the same, their big excitement being bedheads and curtains based on a 19th-century Bulgari brooch design (the company started as Italian silversmiths) and the clever minibars that look like steamer trunks. The restaurant, down a swirling, gleaming staircase, could be on a cruise ship.
Humourless? Doormen in grey-black; porters in grey-black; robotic security men, pacing up and down, in grey-black; receptionists in grey-black. A group of women, dressed mainly in black, were taking tea, surrounded by designer shopping bags, but they weren’t smiling either. Yes, there are huge jars of children’s sweets in the lobby, and a cabinet of Italian cakes set out like Bulgari jewels, but they don’t help all that much.
But all is not lost. Far from its roots though Bulgari may be (the company is now part of LVMH, the vast luxury goods conglomerate, and its three hotels – in London, Milan, Bali – are operated in conjunction with Marriott) it is humans who steer this sterile ship, and despite their Men-in-Black exteriors, the hotel team, led by a true, old-school professional, Sylvain Ercoli, were natural and friendly and anything but oleaginous.
At dinner (overpriced; the £30 lunch is more affordable) we enjoyed ticking the list of options for our antipasti; my risotto alla Milanese with bone marrow was the business and Sam the sommelier generously extended his selection (mainly Italian) of by-the-glass wines in order to accommodate us. And the spa (see “Fiona’s Choice”) is seriously cool.
The hotel claims to be running at 92 per cent occupancy (14 per cent of its guests are from the UK) so someone must like its sleek and chic design. But as far as I’m concerned, you can keep modern luxury. Put the laughter back in luxury, I say.
Who goes?
Foreigners, including plenty of Italians, naturally. Lots of men in black with designer stubble and sunglasses and women surrounded by designer shopping bags, none seeming to be having much fun.
Location
Knightsbridge, a strange place these days, full of shaven-headed chauffeurs guarding their limos and bemused, footsore tourists plodding along to Harrods. The traffic is terrible and there are no decent views from the Bulgari. Perhaps it’s a fitting part of London in which to corral the super-duper rich who now inhabit the area; it certainly doesn’t feel typically London anymore, which it certainly once did.
Style/Character
Designed by Antonio Citterio and Partners, also responsible for Bulgari Milan and Bulgari Bali, the granite grey lobby is deliberately pared down to resemble a ‘des res’ rather than a grand hotel, but it only succeeds in feeling sombre, and the acres of too glossy sapele wood veneer are repetitive, while the sweeping stainless steel staircase to the restaurant reminds me of a cruise ship.
Service
Not in the least oleaginous, but professional and friendly, with some charming personalities behind the Men in Black exteriors (uniforms are grey-black throughout). The team is run by old school professional Sylvain Ercoli.
Rooms
It’s a shame that all the rooms are the same, their decorative highlight being headboards and curtains whose motif is based on a 19th-century Bulgari brooch, but they are certainly supremely comfortable and well kitted out with excellent marble bathrooms, Bulgari toiletries, and superb beds.
2 Chiltern Firehouse hotel, Marylebone, London: review
Chiltern Firehouse is a Marylebone hotel offering charmingly retro interiors, polished service, excellent breakfasts and a Nuno Mendes restaurant popular with the likes of Cara Delevingne, Kate Moss, David Beckham and Kylie Minogue.
Who goes?
Media and entertainment, darling. The more ornamental and frivolous types can be seen in the restaurant; guests of the hotel tend to be at the top of their professions, and interesting, many American.
Location
Housed in a fire station dating from 1887, the building has huge charm. The street on which Chiltern Firehouse stands has been recently regenerated street and is now lined with interesting shops. Happily the traditional barber’s shop and the newsagent opposite have not been swept away, thanks to the help of Chiltern Firehouse owner André Balazs, also known for the Mercer and Château Marmont
Style/character
The original façade has been restored and the former ladder shed is now the guest lobby; the engine house holds the restaurant, with bedrooms above; and the newly constructed extension in between holds the horseshoe-shaped bar and a courtyard for outdoor seating. The whole is compact, but it works. The comfort and happiness of the guests have been given impressive thought and you feel it the moment you are ushered in by doormen straight from central casting (head doorman Matt McClure really is also an actor). The interiors, by Paris-based Studio KO, are timeless, homely, stylish, vintage and glamorous. You won't want to leave. Humour is there too: in the Ladies, ‘Cigarettes and Men’ is scrawled lipstick-style on a glass door; open it and you are in a cute smoking area.
Service
Superb: friendly, polished, relaxed, swift – just how we like it today. General Manager Guillaume Marly has the Ritz and Claridges behind him and has assembled an impressive team. Simplicity and directness is the key: no directories for ‘housekeeping’, ‘room service’, ‘reception’ etc; instead, a handwritten note by the bedroom telephone: “Dial 0 for everything”. Mind you, I’d still like area information in the room, currently missing. Perhaps a quirky, instructive, amusingly illustrated booklet that guests could keep as a memento of their stay.
Rooms
As is so often the case these days, all the rooms are decorated the same. However, at the Chiltern Firehouse, their decoration is so charmingly retro, sensible and domestic, yet stylish and original, that it matters far less than in other hotels. Looks and comfort wise, rooms are impossible to fault.
4 St Regis Venice San Clemente Palace hotel, Venice, Italy: review
St Regis Venice San Clemente Palace is a luxury Venice hotel, offering spacious rooms, stately gardens and butler service, on a private island in Venice.
The tree-filled, six-hectare island of San Clemente in Venice’s southern lagoon first housed a pilgrims’ hospice in the 11th century. The accommodation these days is certainly more luxurious, thanks to St Regis which offers 189 elegant suites and rooms, professional service, good dining, jaw-dropping views and the utter joy of manicured greenery and tranquility just a stone’s throw from the crowds across in the city.
Location
On a manicured six hectares of private island in the southern lagoon, the St Regis is the perfect pampered bolthole after a bout of intensive sightseeing in visitor-packed Venice. The trip from San Marco to tree-clad San Clemente takes little more than 10 minutes in the hotel’s launch, which potters back and forth regularly.
Style/character
The Starwood group’s St Regis banner was hoisted over San Clemente in 2014, but a €25-million refurbishment to bring it fully up to ultra-luxury standards is still only 20 per cent completed. For now the style is grown-up classic, with no concessions to the contemporary except in the occasional art show inside and in the gardens. It’s stately rather than warm, but it is supremely elegant. Open from Easter until early November, this St Regis is a warm-weather kind of place.
Service/facilities
Butler service and the kind of knowledgeable, highly professional staff associated with the St Regis imprint are the hallmarks here: the emphasis is on discretion. Tours, shopping trips, tickets and reservations can be arranged. The scene around the large pool is charming, with white-shaded pavilions on the perfect lawn. There are two tennis courts (with instructor if you wish), a mini-golf course, a well-equipped gym and spa treatments, though the spa itself is not due to open until the 2016 season. There’s a conference centre for up to 300 people. And weddings can be held in the consecrated 12th-century church, the beautiful 15th-century façade of which is a San Clemente landmark.
Rooms
Spacious, elegant and well appointed, the 189 rooms and suites are mostly located in a somewhat austere building dating from 1885. All accommodation is similar in style, with silk wall coverings, stately antiques, high ceilings, traditional terrazzo flooring and superbly accoutred bathrooms with Acqua di Parma toiletries. Some rooms overlook the hotel’s stunning gardens and courts; others face on to the lagoon. For the ultimate in luxury, a selection of villas have private gardens and jetties.
4 The Wellesley hotel, Knightsbridge, London: review
The Wellesley, in London, is a Knightsbridge hotel offering glossy Art Deco interiors, plush rooms and Rolls Royce transfers, near Harrods, Harvey Nichols, West End and Hyde Park.
Wealthy, discerning travellers who have tired of London’s longstanding luxury hotels. Middle Eastern visitors make up a notable proportion of the Wellesley’s guests, but the clientele is international.
Location
The hotel is buffered by Harrods and Harvey Nichols on one side, and the West End’s theatres and restaurants on the other; Hyde Park is just across the road, too. All are easily reached in the hotel’s Rolls Royce - guests can enjoy complimentary transfers in the automobile (up to 1.5-miles), on a first-come, first-served basis.
Style/character
Housed in a decommissioned London Underground station, the Wellesley has adopted an Art Deco theme with gusto and seemingly no consideration for expense. Behind the hotel’s bronze doors, the marbled lobby shimmers under dazzling crystal chandeliers; bespoke furniture flanks the corridor and the concierge desk is draped in studded ostrich leather. All those disparate elements combine to create a look that is glossy, extravagant and immaculate.
Service
Fine, generally. Staff, most of whom seemed to be Italian during my stay, are typically quite helpful but standards could occasionally benefit from refinement. Round-the-clock butler service is provided for guests in suites but my only attempt to use it was a disappointment: clothes I had requested be pressed were returned to me on hangers but in the same creased state as before.
Food & drink
The hotel’s designers have made a virtue of the Wellesley’s small footprint by creating communal spaces that are intimate and exclusive. The jewellery box-like 28-cover Oval restaurant is awash in soft golds and dusty pinks; plushly furnished and dimly lit, the adjacent lounge draws amorous couples for hearty Italian cuisine and Live at the Wellesley, the hotel’s series of live jazz performances. I enjoyed dining at both, though waiting times – particularly at breakfast when an à la carte menu is served – could be lengthy. Belying its diminutive size, the hotel’s bar stocks an expansive selection of rare cognacs and whiskies, and a covered cigar terrace is among the largest in Europe (according to the hotel). No doubt that’s a lure for many, but as a non-smoker it didn’t interest me and the drift of stale smoke, noticeable when I first entered the hotel lobby, marred the positive impression made by the property’s exceptional looks.
Rooms
Plush and richly detailed, the hotel’s 36 rooms and suites feel lavish and decadent without being overwrought. Finished in veined Carrara marble, bathrooms are glamorous affairs decked out with Hermes toiletries and vintage photographs from Vogue. Most finished in golds, ivories and champagnes, rooms retain an Art Deco feel, with some featuring crescent-shaped couches and lacquered coffee tables. Discreetly integrated though they are, more modern amenities are present too. Curtains can be operated electronically, a tablet with local information – which could do with being updated more frequently – is available in each room and Wi-Fi is fast, reliable and complimentary.
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