Somewhere to stay: The Landmark London

What’s the hotel like?

Built in 1899, this stately red-brick building, originally known as the Grand Central Hotel, was the last of the grand Victorian railway hotels. Located on the busy Marylebone Road, it’s around the corner from Marylebone mainline station and just up the road from Baker Street tube. As you walk in, the reception is on the left and straight ahead you can see the palm trees of the Winter Garden, a restaurant in the middle of the hotel’s eight-storey glass-roofed atrium. There are 300 guest rooms, including 51 suites, but it still feels very homely. And despite the fact that it’s a five-star hotel, it’s got a lovely relaxed atmosphere – our neighbour at breakfast looked quite at home sitting in her curlers. Also, there were lots of children around when we visited, so it’s obviously brilliant for families. The service is impeccable, with great attention to detail – when we returned to our room after dinner, the corners of the toilet paper had been refolded and the TV remote controls had been placed by the bed…

What are the rooms like?

Our corner executive room opened into a lobby, with the bathroom straight ahead and the bedroom to the left. The room was massive – 52 square metres – with a kingsize bed, three-piece suite, dressing table, and two enormous windows with balconies overlooking Marylebone Road. Fortunately the sash windows all have secondary glazing, which means you can barely hear the traffic. The downside of this is that you can’t open them, but you can control the temperature with the very efficient air conditioning.

The decor is classic, with muted cream and beige the predominant colours. On the coffee table were four glossy magazines, a bowl of fruit, two bottles of mineral water and a beautiful vase of flowers – a lovely welcome. There was also a flatscreen TV and a very well stocked mini bar containing a half bottle of Taittinger Champagne, a half bottle of white wine, two beers, numerous miniature bottles of spirits, and a selection of soft drinks. Plus there were bars of chocolate, nuts and crisps, a kettle, a coffee-making machine and a hairdryer. We didn’t take advantage of the 24-hour room service but I could happily have spent the whole weekend in our room!

How’s the bed?

The kingsize bed was super comfortable, with lots of cushions and a lamp on each bedside table, with a master switch above the bed to control all the lighting.

What’s in the bathroom?

The huge white marble bathroom, with black marble sink surround, was stunning. Ours had a bath under the window, glass-fronted shower and separate toilet and two sinks. The toiletries were by Molton Brown and there were plenty of white fluffy towels, two bathrobes and two pairs of slippers.

What about eating and drinking?

There are two restaurants – the Winter Garden for fine dining, and Two Twenty Two, which is more casual. We ate in Two Twenty Two, which boasts a life-size black horse (with a lamp on its head) at the entrance. This is a nod to the horse-drawn carriages that used to drop off diners when the hotel was first built. The menu is modern European and includes steak, burgers, pasta dishes and club sandwiches. I chose asparagus followed by sea bass on a bed of risotto and my husband had smoked salmon followed by steak. All the food was delicious, the helpings were very generous, and our waitress was lovely and very attentive. Breakfast, served in the Winter Garden, was sumptuous, with a buffet serving fresh fruit, cereals, freshly baked pastries, yoghurts, pancakes, eggs in every variety, sausages, bacon and more.

Anything else I need to know?

There’s a spa in the basement with a 15-metre chlorine-free swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and gym. The health club offers more than 40 treatments including massages, facials and body wraps. Hotel guests pay £10 to use the spa for the first hour, and £15 thereafter, although it’s free if you book a treatment.

What’s nearby?

Beautiful Regents Park and London Zoo are just around the corner, and down the road you’ve got Madame Tussauds. It’s also not too far from Theatreland and the shops of Oxford Street, so it’s perfect for a weekend break in London.

Find out more

An overnight stay for two with breakfast costs from £269, or from £414 per night for a family of four. Visit www.landmarklondon.co.uk for more information.

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