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Well Travelled
07 March 2010 By Sara Keating
The hotel
The Cavendish Hotel, 83 Jermyn Street, St James’, London.
Who’d love it?
Anyone looking for a discreet central hotel in London.
The 15-floor Cavendish is at a remove from busy Regent Street, on well-heeled Jermyn Street, where handmade shoe and shirt shops testify to the luxury of its Mayfair district. The unassuming entrance is opposite the glorious emporium of Fortnum and Mason.
The hotel opens up to a roomy pink-and-blue-lit lobby and a small bar. Tucked away from sleeping guests, the bar is lively at night, where a mix of guests of all nationalities and generations mingle.
Up on the 14th floor, you might well have the hotel to yourself, as enormous rooms and the vast skyline of London insulate residents from Saturday-night street noise.
Run by Irishman Ciaran Fahy for the last five years, the hotel’s design is subtly luxurious. Bedrooms have crisp white linen, gigantic beds, Nespresso coffee machines, baths big enough to swim in, plush towelling dressing gowns, and bed and breakfast at no extra cost.
Within walking distance of Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Theatre Land, the Cavendish is a perfect place for accessing London’s amenities.
Pamper potential
While the Cavendish does not have its own spa, central London provides all the beauty treatments you might need. And the rooms themselves are an oasis.
Drape yourself across the ottoman or wallow in the bath in a face mask from the local pharmacy to make the most of the comforts of the Cavendish at no extra cost. All bathroom products are from Villeroy and Boch’s new eco range.
Eating in
David Britton’s AA Rosette Restaurant serves food from breakfast to evening meal. A roomy dining room overlooks the street, while mood lighting transforms the atmosphere from clean and functional for the morning meal to romantic for a dinner for two.
The upstairs lounge has a relaxed feel, and afternoon tea comprises sandwiches and cup cakes with acid-coloured yet surprisingly appetising fillings.
But there’s nothing as nice as an old-fashioned, warmed scone. The Lobby Bar serves food too, with a grazing menu that offers sandwiches and snacks. Food is available until midnight, but you would be advised to leave room for breakfast in bed the next morning, a decadent treat.
Out and about
Despite its vastness, London can be manageable is you choose a central hotel. Piccadilly is five minutes’ walk from the Cavendish. The National Gallery, with its permanent collection and visiting exhibitions, and Oliver Peyton’s impressive National Dining Rooms, suggests a perfect afternoon.
Shopping in Oxford Street or the new-built Westfield Emporium at Shepherd’s Bush are just a few stops away on the Tube.
What we liked
The views; room service; the location.
What we didn’t
No fitness facilities; the £7.50 residents’ admission fee at La Fitness up the road seemed a little steep; the blue light from the mini-bar glowed all night.
Cost and contact
Rooms start from »140. To book online, visit www. thecavendish-london.co.uk for special offers, or call 0044-207-9302111.
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