Nick Walton checks in at Claridge’s London, one of British capital’s most historic and luxurious hotels, to see how this iconic hotel caters to today’s affluent traveller.

Background

Few hotels in the British capital have the rich heritage of Claridge’s London. Since Queen Victoria visited her friend Empress Eugenie of France at the hotel, Claridge’s has catered to royalty, heads of state and the celebrity set. The modern incarnation of the hotel, created by Harrods designer C.W.Stephens, opened its doors in 1898 and has since witnessed more than its fair share of historic moments, from Winston Churchill declaring suite 212 Yugoslavian territory (complete with a clod of Yugoslavian earth under the bed) so Crown Prince Alexander II could be born on his own country’s soil, to Bulganin and Kruschev’s controversial Royal Suite cocktail party in 1956 that was said to be so crowded that ‘buttons popped off jackets and wine was spilt on ladies dresses’. Today it’s a home-away-from-home for business travellers from across the globe looking for luxury and practicality in equal measure.

First Impressions

I had actually stayed at Claridge’s London 6 months previous and that initial encounter was a mixed bag; while the iconic Claridge’s components were all there – the doormen in their greatcoats, the hushed opulence of the lobby, the vitality of a hotel enjoyed by the true jetset – my courtyard-facing room was more ancient than historic. The bathroom hadn’t been changed since bathrooms were invented and the room had a darkness and mustiness that reminded me of a grandmother’s spare room after the grandchildren have grown up. Fortunately, my return visit brought to life all that is great about this noble house of slumber, but also showed the importance of room selection for business travellers looking for the best Claridge’s can offer.

The Room

My Mayfair Suite, one of 203 rooms and suites, is a sumptuous Art Deco space that boasts original architectural features, including an ornate fireplace. Bright and elegant, the suite’s bathroom in decked out in Italian marble and black and white tile, with Bamford amenities. There’s a cavernous master bedroom with a king-sized bed, and gently curving timber wardrobes (business travellers looking to dress like a stylish local will love the complimentary Burberry trenchcoats for use during their stay); and beyond, a beautifully-appointed sitting room with its own entrance, making it ideal for intimate meetings. While there are modern touches, from flatscreen televisions in all rooms, to iPod docking and high-speed WiFi, the suite is also a beautiful and authentic preservation of an illustrious era in British history.

Signature Selection

If the company budget can stretch to it, business travellers bound for London would be wise to splurge on one of Claridge’s signature suites; the hotel’s 11 suites include the luxurious Grand Piano Suite, designed by Diane Von Furstenberg, and the sumptuous Brook Penthouse, designed by Veere Grenney and inspired by the glamour of the 1930s. All can double as great event or meeting venues and can cater to private dining requests.

Happy Hour

As popular as its suites are Claridge’s two cocktail bars, Claridge’s Bar and The Fumoir. Claridge’s Bar is a popular enclave for hushed business gossip and has its own entrance from Davies Street. Home to an exceptional list of vintage champagnes and sought-after spirits, as well as classic and contemporary cocktails, Claridge’s Bar regularly works with craft spirit producers to introduce new flavours and products to their affluent and loyal clientele, will also maintaining an exclusive collection of now discontinued tipples.

An icon of both mixology and the 1930s, The Fumoir is a small and exclusive hideaway off the hotel’s lobby that has served the who’s who of London society for generations. Today, under a magnificent mirror etched by Basil Lonides, modern mixologists create homages to classic Prohibition-era concoctions, from swizzles, daisies, and crustas, to cups, sours, and juleps, all from original recipes, and served in Renee Lalique glasses.

Fine Dining

Claridge’s signature dining experience is one Michelin-starred Fera, which was opened in 2014 by Simon Rogan, the innovative chef behind L’Enclume in Cartmel (where he holds two Michelin stars), and The French in Manchester. Driven by seasonal produce and exacting technical skill, Fera offers an unashamedly contemporary dining experience overseen by executive chef Dan Cox and restaurant director Raphael Rodriguez.

Signature dishes include Swede dumplings with Isle of Mull cheese and truffle; belted Galloway beef, with golden turnip, king oyster mushrooms and bone marrow sauce; and caramelised apple, with celeriac, buckwheat and chestnuts. Dishes are matched with an enviable wine list of over 700 labels, including many award-winning English drops, and are served amidst interiors by British designer Guy Oliver that fuse Art Deco elements with contemporary lines.

A tiny bar in one corner features just six leather stools and a collection of prints by David Downton, Claridge’s ‘fashion artist in residence’, while a private dining room, ideal for corporate entertaining, accommodates up to 12, with two impressive works of art by Sergio Bustamante. For a truly spectacular dining experience, book well ahead for one of six seats at Aulis, the restaurant’s Development Table.

Tea For Two

No visit to Claridge’s London would be complete without enjoying the iconic Afternoon Tea. An English institution for 150 years and a great alternative to a conventional sit-down meeting, the coveted Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s includes a selection of over twenty teas curated by Henrietta Lovell of the Rare Tea Company, complemented by delicious finger sandwiches, warm scones and sweet pastries.

The skillfully curated selection has been sourced from some of the oldest tea plantations in China, Sri Lanka, Africa, India and even the UK. The teas are all natural containing no additives, preservatives or flavourings. Lovell has also developed a delicious Claridge’s Blend, which is re-blended every season, much like a fine wine.

Among the highlights of the menu are a White Silver Tip from the mountains of Fujian in far eastern China and one of the most prized teas in the world; the rare Malawi Antler, which is made from the shoots of the tea plant and cannot be found anywhere else in the UK; and an Earl Grey from Tregothnan, a walled tea garden in Cornwall that has been producing beautiful teas since the 14th century.

Find Your Zen

One of Claridge’s London’s best-kept secrets is the David Linley-designed Map Room, a joyous hideaway at lobby level only open to hotel guests. With plenty of Art Deco accents, this serene space is great for business travellers looking to read or hold an intimate pow wow.

While creating an ideal hideaway to read, relax, and be inspired, the Map Room marries the needs of modern travellers with the style and Art Deco flair for which Claridge’s is renowned. Elegantly designed by internationally renowned British design workshop Linley, who has balanced sophistication and functional design with technical innovation, the Map Room keeps business travellers in touch and ‘in the know’ however far from home they may be.

A Place of Musings

The Map Room at Claridge’s is far more than just a place to catch up on emails, check the latest market movements or arrange to meet with clients. With all the style that makes Claridge’s so special, and the impeccable service that ensures everything runs like clockwork, it is a beautifully designed bolt-hole created to inspire the generation of ideas and the flow of conversations. In fact, to impress this point, Claridge’s will shortly be launching their own inspirational gallery where some of the hotel’s distinguished guests will reveal items that have been the source of their greatest inspiration and creative genius.

The focal point of the room, and the piece from which it takes its name, is a magnificent marquetry wall-size map of the world alluding to the notion of the adventure inherent in travel. Designed by Linley, it is crafted from Macassar and walnut veneer and crowned by a bespoke steel clock sat on the Greenwich meridian. Drawing on the glamour of the golden age of travel, when liners sailed the Atlantic and deco décor dressed the first-class lounges of the Orient Express and the Queen Mary, Linley’s design pays homage to the hotel’s celebrated art deco aesthetic with hand-crafted furnishings, from the signature Transatlantic Chair with its generous curves to the glamour of the high-backed Salon Sofa. Even the carpet has been specially created for the room, based on geometric patterns originally produced in the 1930s by American-born textile and rug designer Marion Dorn.

Seeking Wellness

Alternatively, seek solace at Claridge’s Health Club & Spa, home to a comprehensive fitness centre and a clutch of sumptuous Claridge’s beauty treatment rooms, calm sanctuaries where you can relax completely and emerge refreshed and rejuvenated. A menu of indulgent treatments, using Sisley spa products, includes massage rituals, facials, and beauty and anti-ageing treatments.

Claridge’s London, Brook Street, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom; +44 20 7629 8860; www.claridges.co.uk

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