One of the most elegant hotels in London’s Mayfair, Claridge’s has been the favorite residence of visiting industrialists, international aristocracy, statesmen, and illustrious celebrities since 1898. Completely restored to its art deco splendor, it now features 269 individually designed rooms and suites.
The ambitious renovation after it was acquired by a Qatari-owned British company has taken seven years and involved mining by hand. The work was completed in September 2021.
L’Epicerie (the spice store) at Claridge’s offers a unique dining experience. Set within Claridge’s kitchens, this beautiful “Chef’s Table” seats 14 guests and provides a front row seat to the culinary magic performance of the kitchen. The French name can be traced back to the Middle Ages when it defined a small shop specializing in selling spices from around the world.
Claridge’s purchase and expansion into the neighboring building also created space for numerous new suites such as the Mayfair in a modern style with scallop-shaped furniture in a coral and pastel palette. The suites on the top floor feature long terraces overlooking Brook Street.
Claridge’s enjoys the unrivaled reputation of combining the grace and traditions of a bygone era with the superb comfort and amenities of the present. The staff of 320 is some of the most highly trained in the world. During our stay, the maid unpacked for us and pressed what needed pressing, while room service brought dinner from Claridge’s dining room that is noted for haute cuisine and an excellent cellar.
On our last stay at the property, there was a bottle of champagne, orchard-fresh fruit, and handmade chocolate truffles waiting for us on a table in our living room. Bathrobes in our size (they keep records from previous visits) were waiting in the bathroom, and slippers were laid out on a linen mat next to the bed.
We normally take an early flight from Kennedy Airport and take advantage at Heathrow of Claridge’s “Meet and Greet” service to bring us to the hotel in a chauffeured Mercedes or BMW in time for an evening business meeting or the theater.
Since my time of working with the Leading Hotels of the World that used to represent the hotel worldwide as part of the Savoy Group, I’ve loved staying at Claridge’s. The property is very conveniently situated in the heart of London, which makes it the best base of operations.
Claridge’s was only about 15 minutes from the Abbey Road studios, where I used to create and edit soundtracks for my films and videos, and a few more minutes from Soho, the theater district, Harrods, and Liberty department stores. It’s also close to some of the best London pubs and wine bars.
The Foyer is “the” place to have afternoon tea – a daily ritual of London’s society, where waiters serve finger sandwiches, the best tasting scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserves, petit fours, and miniature fruit tarts. We always try to take advantage of this repast in the company of friends or business associates.
Claridge’s has observed this enjoyable feature of the British national culinary tradition for more than 150 years. Currently, the fine bone china table settings are made to Claridge’s specifications in a proprietary pattern by the French porcelain masters at Bernardaud.
Nowadays, the waiters are dressed fairly formally in white jackets and black ties, but in the past, they would wear Edwardian britches and appropriate vintage outfits while serving the tea! I’m sorry I no longer have any images of those servers in their uniforms. They were spectacular. It was definitely something to remember, and a stay at this hotel will also be something you long remember.
Manos Angelakis is one of the founders, the former Managing Editor for 25 years, the current Managing Editor Emeritus, and Senior Food & Wine Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. He is an accomplished travel writer, photographer, and food and wine critic based in Hackensack, New Jersey. As a travel writer, he has written extensively about numerous cities and countries. Manos has also been certified as a Tuscan Wine Master and has traveled to wine-producing areas in order to evaluate firsthand the product of top-rated vineyards. In the past year, he has visited and written multiple articles about Morocco, Turkey, Quebec City, Switzerland, Antarctica, and most recently the South of France. Articles in other publications include Vision Times and Epoch Times.
0 Comments