Sitting pretty on Regent Street, the Café Royal could barely be deeper in the heart of London, yet there’s a trace of a French accent here. Opened in 1865 by Daniel Nicholas Thévenon, by the 1970s it had become a magnet for the city’s demi-monde and power-players alike, attracting the likes of Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill and Mick Jagger over the years.
Reopened in December after an extensive refit by David Chipperfield Architects, it now attracts a fresh glamour crowd as one of London’s most attractively appointed hotels, thanks not least to the six new suites unveiled in August. Whether it’s the DJ booth and terraces of the Dome, or the gilded-griffin mirrors in the 200-square-metre Empire suite, they represent serious luxury.
Rooms from $660 per night. 68 Regent St, London, +44 207 406 3322, lhw.com