Grand Reopenings: Claridge’s

THE VIBE

It is near impossible to do Claridge’s justice without straying into a stream of superlatives. Here is a Mayfair legend that truly deserves that chronically overused term: iconic. Whizzing through those revolving doors and strolling across that gleaming Art Deco-tiled floor feels like the ultimate luxury and yet, somehow, it also feels like coming home. In the glamorous lobby, a vast chandelier tops a scene plucked from a film set, filled with big, bountiful bouquets from nearby McQueens Flowers and the most wonderful staff buzzing around to the tinkling of live piano.

This is a landmark that’s not resting on its laurels; during lockdown, it opened those famous doors to frontline workers and forged ahead with a spectacular makeover that’s been five years in the making, which will include a basement extension plus an über-luxe rooftop supersuite. Now that it is officially open once again, the mood at Claridge’s is positive and uplifting—save for the masks, everything feels joyously normal, and the team appears genuinely delighted to welcome guests back.

THE ROOMS

The discreet lift opposite reception gives a hint of the elegance that awaits upstairs, with a charming tailcoated attendant and plush floral bench (that forms the backdrop of many a glitzy Instagram post) on which to collapse.

Many of the suites are fresh from a refurb, and a jewel in the crown is 218, a corner suite designed by a long-time guest, American architect and designer Leo A. Daly, who liked staying at the hotel so much that he designed his own room. The ceilings soar and vast bay windows form the perfect backdrop for an eclectic yet comforting mix of Regency chic, mid-century pieces and splashes of bold print, set against a colour palette that instantly calms the senses. The suite comes with 24-hour butler service and every touch needed to complete the no-decadence-spared hotel fantasy: apartment-worthy square footage, two marbled bathrooms, plush monogrammed Frette bathrobes, high-tech Japanese bidet toilets, Laurent-Perrier on ice, Fornasetti candles atop the mini bar.

The space is so relaxing that it feels physically hard to leave—and hard to believe you’re perched directly above Brook Street, with the retail delights of Bond Street and the re-emerging buzz of central London mere steps away, should you be interested in such things. Another update causing a stir is the Mayfair Suite, an irresistibly millennial take on Art Deco that marries hip scalloped edging, copper touches and shades of pink with the hotel’s distinctive grandeur.

No hotel can please everyone, of course, but when I overhear a fellow guest tentatively enquiring about an upgrade, he is offered a different room within moments, a porter wordlessly deployed to transport luggage to his new abode. This is the Claridge’s effect: instinctive service combined with the serene and the sumptuous for the most effortless, luxurious stays.

THE FOOD & DRINKS