LONDON - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 182

Carlos Place, London W1K 2AL. www.the-connaught.co.uk. & 020/7499-7070 or 800/63-SAVOY
(637-2869) in the U.S. Fax [phone] units. £339-£369 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking £48.
Tube: Green Park. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; babysitting; concierge; health club & spa; room
service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, hair dryer, minibar, MP3 docking station, Wi-Fi (free).
The Dorchester Few hotels have the time-honored experience of “the
Dorch,” which has maintained a tradition of fine comfort and cuisine since it opened
in 1931. Breaking from the neoclassical tradition, the most ambitious architects of
the era designed a building of reinforced concrete clothed in terrazzo slabs. The
Dorchester boasts guest rooms outfitted with Irish linen sheets on comfortable beds,
plus all the electronic gadgetry you'd expect, and double- and triple-glazed windows
to keep out noise, along with plump armchairs, cherry wood furnishings, and, in many
cases, four-poster beds piled high with pillows.
53 Park Lane, London W1A 2HJ. www.thedorchester.com. & 020/7629-8888 or 800/727-9820 in the
U.S. Fax [phone] units. £295-£565 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking £45. Tube: Hyde Park
Corner or Marble Arch. Amenities: 3 restaurants, including Alain Ducasse (see review, p. 126); bar;
babysitting; concierge; health club & spa; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, CD player, fax, hair dryer,
minibar, Internet (£20 per day).
Expensive
The Chesterfield Mayfair Only in super-expensive Mayfair could the
Chesterfield be considered a bargain, but it serves up that ritzy grand hotel feeling at
a better price than The Connaught or The Dorchester (see above). The hotel, once
home to the Earl of Chesterfield, still sports venerable features that evoke an air of
nobility, including richly decorated public rooms featuring woods, antiques, fabrics,
and marble. The secluded Library Lounge is a great place to relax, and the glassed-in
conservatory is a good spot for tea. The guest rooms are dramatically decorated and
make excellent use of space—there's a ton of closet and counter space.
35 Charles St., London W1J 5EB. www.chesterfieldmayfair.com. & 020/7491-2622 or 877/955-1515 in
the U.S. and Canada. Fax [phone] units. £155-£215 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Tube: Green Park.
Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; concierge; use of nearby health club; room service. In room:
A/C, TV/DVD, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (free).
ST. JAMES'S
Very Expensive
Haymarket Hotel The understated Georgian entrance, right by the Hay-
market Theatre, hides a surprisingly bold and colorful hotel. Public areas are a riot of
turquoise, fuchsia, mango, and even acid green while rooms are classy in black and
white. Although completely modernized and perhaps the most sophisticated small
hotel in the city, many satisfying proportions of the original 19th-century John Nash
architecture remains. Bedrooms are sumptuously elegant with fine linens and the
latest amenities. There's even an indoor pool lounge.
1 Suffolk Place, London SW1Y 4BP. www.firmdale.com. & 020/7470-4000. Fax [phone]
units. £250-£330 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Tube: Charing Cross or Piccadilly Circus. Amenities: Restau-
rant; bar; concierge; exercise room; pool (indoor); room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, CD player, hair
dryer, Wi-Fi (£20).
The Stafford Famous for its American Bar, its St. James's address, and the
warmth of its Edwardian decor, the century-old Stafford attracts a tasteful, discerning
clientele. All the guest rooms are individually decorated, reflecting the hotel's origins as
a private home. Many singles contain queen-sized beds. Some of the deluxe units offer

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