We spend a lot of time researching where to find the most luxurious hotels in London. So much so, that sometimes some of the best ones are staring us right in the face…
The Conrad London St James is literally there – across the street from St James’ Park tube station in the middle of everything. London is like a second home to a lot of people who probably choose to stay a little further away from the action, but this place is perfect for first-timers who want to be right in the thick of it.
The 19th Century façade screams old boring government building but still makes you feel like a part of history when you walk inside. Conrad have done away with the drab office interior and transformed the place into a plush paradise. One thing that remains is the level of efficiency – never having to look around for help or reach to open a door. It’s a slick show.
Given the hotel’s close proximity to Westminster, the beating heart of our country, we anticipate a certain level of tech, and we get it. TVs, fancy light switches and Nespresso machines are our day-to-day, but when it comes to it there’s nothing that gets us more excited than a remote-controlled curtain. Jackpot.
Here, families of tourists and very special business people are treated just as important as one another, so the rooms are mostly all the same, but differing in size. What runs as standard are the oasis-like bathrooms in each room, with steamy rainfall showers, fluffy robes, soft lighting and lotsand lots of marble.
A great nights sleep here is inevitable, so let’s just skip right to the morning. Whether you’re setting yourself up to hunt down black cabs and red phone-boxes, or battle it out in the boardroom, you’re going to need that hearty breakfast to get you going.
Breakfast at the Conrad London St James is an occasion in itself. When you see the personal tiny jars of HP or Heinz Ketchup, you know you’re already onto a winner. It’s all very decadent – with chunky silver sugar dishes and coffees served in actual goblets. With all continental bases covered (there were too many pastries for us to remember, and then list), the Full English offering can be a dealbreaker, but we’d give a firm handshake to whoever selected those sausages.
What strikes us most about this place is how easily it all fits in. True, we’ve never met a marble lobby floor we haven’t loved, but it’s about a lot more than that now. Hotels that belong to bigger chains these days have to try even harder to make their mark on wherever they are, but Hilton have knocked up a winner here. Small touches, like comic book art collections and ready-to-go tourist itineraries, make the world of difference.
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