A funny thing happened on my flight over to London. I chose a film called ‘Last Chance Harvey” starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. It was a film about two unlikely characters falling in love but the strange thing was that the real star of the film was The Grosvenor House, which manages to steal most of their romantic airtime.
This venerable hotel is now the European flagship property for JW Marriott (the global luxury arm of the Marriot International). But before it was ever a hotel it was once Gloucester House, the London residence of King George III's brother, the Duke of Gloucester. In 1806, the mansion was bought by Robert Grosvenor, the second Earl Grosvenor who renamed it after his family. It was not until the 1920s that Grosvenor House became a hotel. Taking two years to build, it finally opened its doors in May 1929, replete with Art Deco styling and London’s first ice skating rink set within what is now the Great Room.
Throughout its history this landmark hotel has served as the glamorous home of the society set and wealthy Americans, attracting a fashionable crowd from Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson to Ella Fitzgerald and Jacqueline Onassis. Incredibly, at the end of the summer of 1993 it became the first hotel in London to record a one million pound bill, thanks to the sizeable tab settled by the Qatari royal family. Yet under the previous management the hotel fell into a state of disrepair and by the early noughties most of London’s Arab visitors were checking into rival hotels such as The Dorchester (next door) and the Carlton Tower. Thankfully, despite the economic downturn the hotel has had a cash injection and has been brought back to life. Consequently it was time to take another look and what better issue in which to review London’s largest five-star hotel than this one, the Extreme Issue?
The guest accommodations are all in the south wing of the hotel while the newly updated conference and business facilities are in the north wing. Apparently there are some apartments on the upper floors of the north wing but as they were being refurbished I did not get the chance to see them. Also, in case this is important to you, there is not yet a spa. That and the indoor pool are currently being finished before a grand unveiling early next year.
So how were the rooms? Well the great thing about hotels of this era is that the rooms, of which there are 494, are really very generously sized and the in-room entertainment comes via an equally enormous television. The décor has been updated in the classic JW Marriot colour scheme, that is burgundy, gold and green – don’t worry it was tastefully done if a little predictable. It all feels very traditionally English which is probably a good thing as it pays homage to the hotel’s past. The best part of the room in my opinion was the bathroom that had all the original Art Deco marbles and fittings yet was updated in a subtle manner and had plenty of character. Actually I am already wondering if the bathroom was perhaps topped by the double-king sized bed that was so colossal there could have been room for at least four people. Let us call it a close tie between the two. My least favourite aspect of the room was the Ethernet Internet connection that costs a truly absurd 20 pounds (32 USD) a day.
What this hotel is all about is impeccable service. You can expect smooth check-ins and checkouts, fast room service and a very good concierge that managed to get me a booking at Nobu for a party of 6 on a Saturday night – not an easy feat at all. It is also very proud of its extensive private business and function rooms’ portfolio. Of course it is also home to the Great Room, which, while it was still an ice rink, was where Queen Elizabeth II learned to skate. It is now Europe's largest banqueting space and venue for high profile events including the BAFTAs and the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair. I happened to be staying during the latter so I popped by.
With London still in the midst of a heavy recession, you certainly have a pick of top London hotels offering much-discounted rates. Should the Grosvenor House be on your list? Certainly, and for two reasons: firstly it’s a great hotel and secondly, you won’t be bumping into all and sundry at The Dorchester and the Carlton Tower.
