LONDON - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 180

1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4RH. www.campbellgrayhotels.com. & 020/7300-1000 or 800/745-8883
in the U.S. Fax [phone] units. £390-£470 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking £37. Tube: Temple
or Covent Garden. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 3 bars; babysitting; concierge; health club; pool (indoor);
room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, CD player, CD library, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (free).
The Savoy After a 3-year, £200 million restoration, the Savoy is back in glitzy,
high-octane business. Updating such an iconic hotel—at various times home to Coco
Chanel, Humphrey Bogart, Marlene Dietrich, Oscar Wilde, and Churchill's war
cabinet—can be tricky but initial signs are that it has been a success. It's lost none
of its turn-of-the-century appeal with rich fabrics and acres of gold leaf on display but
there's been a subtle updating to draw the 21st-century belle monde back to their
spiritual home. The restoration has left no two rooms the same, despite their mix of
Art Deco and Edwardian palettes, so ask to see your room before you move in. Us?
We'll take one of the Edwardian rooms near the rear—the combination of Thames
views and a real fireplace is London at its finest.
Strand, London WC2R 0EU. www.fairmont.com/savoy. & 020/7836-4343. Fax [phone]
units. £325-£995 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Tube: Embankment or Charing Cross. Amenities: 3 restaurants,
including Savoy Grill (see review, p. 130); 2 bars; babysitting; concierge; exercise room; room service.
In room: A/C, TV/DVD, movie library, CD player, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (£10 per day).
Moderate
The Fielding A firm favorite among theatre-goers, The Fielding is a little slice
of Dickensian London in the heart of Covent Garden. Named after local novelist Henry
Fielding of Tom Jones fame, it lies on a pedestrian street still lined with 19th-century
gas lamps. Rooms are, according to your taste, either quirky and cozy, or old-fashioned
and claustrophobic, and the furnishings and fabrics, although clean, have known better
times. With a location like this the Fielding keeps guests coming back.
4 Broad Court, Bow St., London WC2B 5QZ. www.thefieldinghotel.co.uk. & 020/7836-8305. Fax
020/7497-0064. 24 units. £115-£170 double. AE, DC, MC, V. No children under 13. Tube: Covent Garden.
In room: TV, Wi-Fi (free).
SOHO
Very Expensive
St. John Hotel The rise of the “restaurant with rooms” continues, and this
offering from much lauded caterers St. John (p. 143) was the most anticipated open-
ing of 2011. Right on Leicester Square, the former post-theatre eatery Manzi's has
been converted into a shrine to Modern British cooking, with some cozy—and for the
area, reasonably priced—rooms. Bedrooms are simple in white wood with turquoise
floors, but this is a hotel for exploring—an elegant cocktail bar and great pre- and post
-theatre dining should keep you from your room for a night or two at least.
1 Leicester St., London WC2H 7BL. www.stjohnhotellondon.com. & 020/7251-0848. 15 units. £276-
£380 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Tube: Leicester Sq. Amenities: Restaurant; bar, room service. In room:
Wi-Fi (£15 per day).
Soho Hotel Entering the Soho Hotel always gets our hearts racing. The
fans waiting for whichever Hollywood star is staying this week; the sleek lobby with
its giant cat sculpture and hip staff; the buzz from the bar and the restaurant. Tatler
called it “the most glamorous hotel in the world,” which might be pushing it, but
there's no denying it's a magnet for the glitterati. And behind the glitz it's a well-run,
deceptively spacious hotel. The rooms are huge for Soho, and individually designed
in granite and oak. All the famous Kemp (see Covent Garden Hotel, above) touches
can be found, from boldly striped furnishings to deep bathtubs for a late-night soak.

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