Seek solace in the heart of Central London at The Athenaeum Hotel London.
Seven stories up, our room at The Athenaeum felt worlds away from the hustle and bustle of Central London. The light-filled floor-to-ceiling windows have the most spectacular view of Green Park, and if it wasn’t for the red routemasters, black taxis and hordes of people below, you’d be forgiven for thinking you weren’t in London at all.
It’s this that makes The Athenaeum so special. You’re got one of the city’s best-loved parks, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and the shops, bars and restaurants of Mayfair just a hop, skip and a jump away. Yet inside The Athenaeum is cool and calm, all wrapped up in five star luxury.
We check in on a grey Sunday afternoon and are shown to our room by the hotel’s caring staff. Although it’s blustering outside and by no means a day fit for picnicking in the park, we’ve got the best view in the house, straight from our bed or thrown-like seats sat by the window.
The décor is luxe, with soft blues and stark whites mixed in with traditional ‘London’ iconography – a cabinet filled with charming British soldier toys and a bespoke map highlighting all the good stuff that surrounds the hotel, from The Serpentine to the designer shopping district. Our mini bar is stocked with sweet treats and soft drinks – which to our delight are complementary.
If you’re visiting London with little ones, The Athenaeum should be top of your list. They have everything covered from a cuddly teddy waiting on arrival, to their famous Kids Concierge – all done to the highest standard without it feeling like a typical ‘family’ hotel. The hotel itself is family run and many of the staff have been there for years working their way up the ranks, which is probably why they do service, especially family service, so well.
The Kids Concierge will take care of everything from booking theatre tickets to making sure your room is filled with your little one’s favourite books, food or DVDs – if half an hour of Peppa Pig allows you to catch up on the Sunday papers, then so be it. And for those wanting to make the most of the city with the family, the concierge will be happy to arrange bike rides, picnics or even a kite to fly if that’s what you fancy.
Those wishing to visit the city with man’s best friend will be pleased to know The Athenaeum welcome the four-legged types too, with silver dog bowls and biscuits in reception and a selection of dog friendly rooms. Rather disappointingly, we didn’t spot any dogs on our visit.
As typical Londoners, constantly moaning about getting away from the madness of the city, we spent the afternoon blissfully seeking solace in our peaceful room. The higher up you climb at The Athenaeum, the more expensive the room rates get but it’s worth it if you want to experience what a ‘room with a view’ really is. Within the hotel itself there’s plenty more to do from the award-winning afternoon tea service to an extensive indulgent spa menu including REN and Elemis treatments. Guests are welcome to use the hotel’s new ‘wet area’ and Swedish style hot tubs too.
In the evening we headed down to the restaurant for dinner. The menu is full of British classics with a twist, and being a Sunday we thought it appropriate to order the roast beef – which was excellent. A wine list of over 40 new and old wines is also available, as is the helpful knowledge of the restaurant staff.
After dinner we headed to the hotel’s famous Whiskey Bar. Small but perfectly formed it’s full of mirrors, low lights and of course bottle after bottle of whiskey. If we hadn’t indulged so much at dinner we would have certainly sampled The Athenaeum’s Whiskey & Cheese Pairing menu, another time perhaps. You can take a pew at the bar but we snuggled up in one of the adjacent bar’s hidden corners and sampled a few of the hotel’s delicious cocktails. Try the Amaretto Twist – sweet, moreish and retro it even comes with a 70s style glace cherry.
After a satisfying slumber we woke to glorious views of the park once again. Morning coffees and a hearty breakfast set us up for a busy day in London.
If you’ve strolled down London’s Piccadilly you’ll probably have noticed The Athenaeum, as its ‘living wall’ filled with a assortment of flowers and plants ensures it sticks out amongst its Mayfair counterparts. Its unique charm and individuality proves that this is a Central London hotel that likes to offer something that little bit different.
Need to Know
Rooms: 164 rooms, some of which are suites and apartments.
Rates: Prices start from £366 per night.
Facilities: Each room has free Internet connection, Nespresso coffee machine, free soft drinks and nibbles in the mini bar, iPod docking station, 32-42” plasma screen TV, free daily newspapers and REN toiletries. The hotel offers a restaurant, afternoon tea lounge, whiskey bar, bar, spa, gym, hot tubs and steam room.
Check out time: 12noon
How to get there: The Athenaeum is a 5minute walk from Green Park or Hyde Park tube station, or 5minutes taxi journey from London Victoria.
The Athenaeum, 116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BJ
For more information or to book your stay visit www.athenaeumhotel.com or call 020 7499 3464
To find out more about The Athenaeum’s Park Pleasures Package click here.