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Arguably the finest example of Art Deco hotel in the UK and probably the world, Claridge’s is an incredible five-star luxury experience. One of the reasons it’s such an Art Deco icon is due to the timing of its decorative transformation at the end of the 1920s. This is when Oswald Milne, a leader in the Art Deco style at the time, transformed the hotel’s lobby. Quite a bit of the transformation remains to this day including work by Basil Lonides and a stunning Lalique door panel.
If you’re visiting London, for an extremely special occasion if you’re staying at Claridge’s, you’ll find the location almost unbeatable for shopping, site seeing and just about everything else in the capital. It’s a short walk from Oxford Street, Regent Street, Hyde Park and Bond Street Tube Station. Having said that, Chauffeur driven limousine’s more likely to be the mode of transport for most of the hotel’s guests.
On the subject of quests the list of famous visitors who have frequented the hotel in the past is incredible – Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Yul Brynner, Bing Crosby, Spencer Tracy and the Kings of Greece, Norway and Yugoslavia to name but a few! Churchill even declared one of the suite’s Yugoslavian territory so Crown Prince Alexander II could be born in his own country.
As you’d imagine, service is exceptional and the hotel, despite its age, has pretty much every modern facility you can think of including a gym, treatment rooms, spa, bar, restaurant, laundry and of course Wi-Fi.
The bedrooms are beautifully decked in Art Deco style and you even get your own personal butler if you book one of the stunning suites.
We were lucky enough to dine at the hotel’s restaurant a few years ago and to this day, we can safely say it’s the finest meal we’ve ever had. It’s also worth noting that afternoon tea is a major event at the hotel.
All this decadent luxury and glamour doesn’t come cheep of course - you’ll definitely need deep pockets, but you’ve probably already guessed that.