Photo courtesy of NoMad London
The West End theater district is THE hotspot for where to stay in London for 2023.
Samuel Johnson famously said “When a man is tired of London, he’s tired of life.” As one of the most dynamic, interesting cities in the world, truer words have never been spoken.
The United Kingdom’s capital city has much to attract today’s traveler, but lately it’s the city’s West End that has become the “it” place for where to stay in London. Traditionally known as the theater district, the West End is also bursting with museums, galleries, boutiques and enough Michelin stars to dazzle any foodie. The newest and recently renovated West End Hotels in London make for a perfect base for all types of travelers to explore this ICONIC city.
Photo courtesy of Biltmore Mayfair
COUPLE TIME
For a romantic getaway in London, make the five-star Biltmore Mayfair your home. Located in Grosvenor Square in the toniest section of the city, the property underwent a £50 million renovation in 2019. Splurge and book a signature suite and enjoy 24/7 butler service. The hotel’s concierge is your ticket to some of the best VIP experiences in the city including an exclusive champagne and canapés cruise aboard a luxury Venetian tender on the River Thames, or a 30-minute private viewing of the Crown Jewels, hosted by a resident Beefeater.
Shoppers will love the hotel’s close proximity to London’s top shopping spots including New Bond Street and Oxford Street. Take the hotel’s famed Biltmore Bentley to arrive in style. After a long day exploring the city’s top stores, relax back at the hotel with an afternoon tea curated by Executive Chef Luis Campos.
Photo courtesy of Biltmore Mayfair
With the West End London hotel near both Hyde Park and Green Park, couples will want to create a gourmet picnic of goodies from Fortnum and Mason to enjoy a romantic al fresco meal.
DESIGN DIVA
Photo courtesy of NoMad London
What was once a prison housing illustrious characters like Oscar Wilde, was transformed in 2021 into the boutique NoMad London in Covent Garden. It’s the American brand’s first hotel outside the United States.
Housed in a grade II 19th century historic building the design preserved the architectural integrity and was named the best hotel conversion at the AHEAD Europe Awards in 2021. The main focal design element is a three-story atrium with other eye-catching elements like theatrical patterned wallpaper, bold tiling, rich jewel toned velvet upholstery, and more than 1600 curated pieces of Abstract Expressionist art.
Photo courtesy of NoMad London
Performing art lovers will want to explore the famous Royal Opera House across the street from the West End London hotel. See a performance or take a behind the scenes tour to learn more about the history of the theater that dates to the 1700s. Afterwards grab an appropriately named English Garden cocktail at the year-old secret garden bar at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It’s where King Charles III and Camilla ended their day touring the recently restored theater.
OVER-THE-TOP OPULENCE
Photo courtesy of The Londoner
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Opened last year, The Londoner ushered in a new category of West End hotels in London with the world’s first super boutique hotel. The hotel took an astounding 14 years and £500 million to complete.
Boutique used to mean small design driven but The Londoner puts the big and bougie in boutique with 16 stories, 350 rooms and six concept restaurants. Guests enjoy access to three exclusive spaces to relax and dine in that are open only to residents, The Drawing Room, The Y Bar, and The Whiskey Room where you can discover the whisky collection via a secret door through the powder rooms.
Photo courtesy of The Londoner
Explore the nearby National Gallery, housing over 2,300 paintings including Sunflowers by Van Gogh and The Virgin of the Rocks by da Vinici, with a customized private tour by a local art historian.
OLD WORLD GRANDEUR
Photo courtesy of Beaumont
When the Beaumont opened in Mayfair during the 1920s it brought the glamour of New York’s Gatsby era to London. The five-star hotel closed in 2020 and 2021 for an extensive renovation that included the addition of 25 new rooms in an art-deco warehouse behind the West End London hotel and a new lounge and al fresco terrace dining outlet.
For a truly unique stay book ROOM, a suite that sits inside the giant abstract sculpture by Antony Gormley that dominates the entrance to the hotel from Brown Hart Gardens. The suite’s bedroom is paneled and only houses a plush king-sized bed. The ultra-minimalism is designed to encourage meditative rest which can be hard to find in the bustling city.
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Photo courtesy of Beaumont
Mayfair is known for its style and you can visit the bespoke tailors of nearby Savile Row and some of the finest jewelers and perfumers in the elegant boutiques of Burlington Arcade on a private shopping tour. Your guide will share the history of London as a fashion capital, as well as take you to exclusive, in-the-know boutiques and ICONIC department stores and markets.
LITERARY LONDON
Photo courtesy of Mayfair Townhouse
Located on Half Moon Street, the setting for Oscar Wilde’s most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest, the Mayfair Townhouse plays homage to its artistic roots. During Victorian England the street was a gathering spot for bohemians, bachelors and artists. Today, that colorful spirit and ICONIC literary characters like Wilde’s Algernon Moncreiff and P.G. Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster lives on in the whimsical hotel.
The heart of the West End London hotel is its Dandy Bar, where the stylish gather in the dimly lit bar that has a feel of a private club. Order the KingPin cocktail created to honor the newly crowned King Charles III.
Photo courtesy of Mayfair Townhouse
During the day explore Mayfair art galleries like Michael Werner, Castle Fine Art or Hamiltons or head to Apsley House, the home of the first Duke of Wellington and now a showcase for over 3,000 pieces of art, including works by Velazquez and Rubens.
To see the characters of ICONIC plays brought to life head to @sohoplace, the first new build theater to open in the West End in 50 years and the anchor breathing life into a neglected corner of Soho.
Whether it’s your first time in the city or your 10th, exploring the West End hotels in London will give you a fresh perspective on this timeless city full of life.