Luxury London
This luxury hotel opened in October 2013 in a Grade II listed building dating back to 1914. I kept hearing good things so went to stay with my daughter to see if it could live up to the hype.
My Stay at Rosewood London
As we walked the few steps from Holborn tube station by daughter said, "Look there's St Paul's Cathedral!" She looked again and corrected herself. "Well it's a dome. I wonder what is it?"
We walked a few more steps and admired the decorative ironwork alongside the street and I started to wonder if this was the place we were looking for. Huge iron gates were open and we stepped into the cobbled entrance with a Dining Room on the left ("What's that?" "It's a restaurant.") and a bar - Scarfes - on the right and I knew we were at the right place.
We entered a courtyard and two gentlemen smiled and said hello and we turned to another gent wearing a flat cap and quality tweed coat and he asked, "Can I help you ladies?" I was holding my daughter's hand and felt her stand a bit taller at that moment. I explained we had come to check-in and he instantly offered to take my bag and led us into the very grand Hotel Lobby.
As we followed my daughter said to herself, "Always take your hat off when you go inside as it's rude to wear a hat indoors" - I expect, reciting a line she hears at school regularly - and the doorman removed his hat at exactly that time and complimented her on her good manners.
As I checked-in he took my daughter to have a chocolate so she wasn't kept waiting and then we met some of the key staff there to ensure our stay would be perfect.
We had been allocated a butler who asked my daughter about her favourite food and her favourite drink so it could be arranged. Due to the information requested before arrival the hotel already knew her name, age, and some things about her.
Our butler led us to our room - our bag had been whisked away and was in the room already - and chatted to my daughter all the way.
He opened the door and we discovered the most luxurious suite I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. A one bedroom residence which seemed to have every finishing detail well considered.
A handwritten note on the table by the door welcomed me to the hotel alongside a vase of fresh flowers. More fresh flowers were on the table in the Living Room as well as two glass cake stands with bell-shaped covers displaying a chocolate pastry iced with my daughter's name and a fruit tart with gold leaf and a real flower for me.
The glass vases throughout the residence had stunning metal stag heads on the sides and even the extension lead and travel adapters were in a leather box.
The Living Room also had one of the three televisions in the suite, an incredibly long sofa - that would easily seat five people - and two more armchairs around a glass display coffee table with London books to peruse. The dark wood dining table had two leather dining chairs and a side table with a telephone and an interesting book choice: The Secret.
Dashing to the Living Room we missed the first Guest Bathroom, the wardrobe just for coats, and the best mini bar ever: with everything complimentary including alcoholic drinks. Of course, you could ask your butler to come and prepare drinks for you.
Yes, every suite at Rosewood London comes with a butler who can arrange all those extras that make your stay so special: dining reservations, theatre tickets, transport, shopping and attractions, as well as unpacking and packing, running baths, mixing drinks, etc.
Into the Bedroom we found a huge bed with Italian bed linen and, to my daughter's delight, a large television to watch in bed. The room had floor to ceiling windows so was nice and light and there's extra space for a dressing table.
As if the Bedroom and Bathroom were not already big enough, there's a separate Dressing Room between with lots of hanging space. And then into the Bathroom with an Italian marble bath, two sinks, a separate rainfall shower and Czech & Speake toiletries. There's lots more wardrobe space in the Bathroom too as well as the surprise television which appears from within the wall at the end of the bath.
I was simply overwhelmed. As Jose, our butler, explained he could arrange anything we might need during our stay I was stumped to know what more we could ever need in life. I almost felt disappointed we were going out to the theatre so we couldn't just stay in the suite for the rest of the day and pretend it was home.
The turndown service happened while we were out at the theatre and, in the bathroom, my toiletries were lined up neatly on a napkin and slippers were left out for me.
Evening dining was a little more challenging as we couldn't eat from the different menus in one place until we worked out we could go to Scarfes Bar and order my dinner to be sent to the room, and then go to the Concierge Desk to order my daughter's dinner to be sent to the room. Sadly, there were very limited options for me as a vegetarian but there is a separate children's menu (Rosebud dining). I wish the only veggie option wasn't mushroom risotto as that's a constant problem with hotel dining for me so I ordered a pizza.
Before bedtime, my daughter had a big bubble bath and watched the TV in the bathroom while I swanned around the suite in a fluffy bathrobe. Perfect.
Even though the building is on a busy road I honestly didn't hear any traffic noise in the room and we woke refreshed to enjoy breakfast in the Holborn Dining Room.
You can see more photos on my Facebook Page.
Click next to find out more about Rosewood London and here for contact information.
See also: What Does a Hotel Butler Do?
Disclaimer: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
Rosewood London is a large imposing building, a minute from Holborn station, making it both close to The City and to the West End - especially Covent Garden.
The building was initially constructed for the Pearl Assurance Company who clearly intended to impress. For example, the grand Pavonazzo staircase has seven types of marble (some of which are now extinct) and is worth many millions. This was the company's headquarters from 1914 to 1989 when the Marriott group undertook the initial transformation to a hotel.
Rosewood London has been designed by New York-based designer Tony Chi and Associates who is clearly a perfectionist as every attention to detail has been incorporated. There's been an £85 million investment and many architectural features have been restored.
The Lobby has shelves full of interesting objects and there are caged birds (real) at each end of the space, alongside British bulldogs (not real) wearing Burberry or Vivienne Westwood collars.
There are 262 bedrooms and 44 suites and signature suites - the most magnificent is the unique Grand Manor House Wing which can be configured to have six bedrooms, has its own entrance and is actually the only hotel suite in the world to have its own postcode.
There are also 11 event spaces - including the Grand Ballroom and 3 heritage boardrooms - and 3 restaurants and bars: Holborn Dining Room, Scarfes Bar and The Mirror Room. Scarfes Bar features 11 large canvases with over 70 caricatures painted for the bar especially by Gerald Scarfe. Do also take a look at the whisky display which has £1,000,000 worth of whisky.
Nicholas Oakwell has designed the 'wardrobe' (uniforms) and the Doorman's is particularly noteworthy as they wear tweed coats and flat caps which is so overtly British.
And, I believe, Rosewood London is the only London hotel to have a Director of Romance to help with wedding planning. There's a dedicated room displaying crockery styles, flower options, alcohol tastings, etc.
Would I Return?
Most definitely. I think next time I would just stay in my suite from check-in time to check-out as those rooms feel so luxurious. In-room dining was fast and efficient so I would have little reason to leave. I would make better use of having a butler as I felt a bit lost when he wasn't there in the evening - especially when trying to arrange dinner for me and my daughter. But I expect my next visit to Rosewood London will be to try afternoon tea in The Mirror Room as, again, I keep being told how good it is.
You can see more photos on my Facebook Page.
See my review from when I stayed at Rosewood London and here for contact information.
Address: 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
Tel: 020 7781 8888
Official Website: www.rosewoodhotels.com
You can see more photos on my Facebook Page.
See my review from when I stayed at Rosewood London and here for more information about the hotel and facilities.
This luxury hotel opened in October 2013 in a Grade II listed building dating back to 1914. I kept hearing good things so went to stay with my daughter to see if it could live up to the hype.
My Stay at Rosewood London
As we walked the few steps from Holborn tube station by daughter said, "Look there's St Paul's Cathedral!" She looked again and corrected herself. "Well it's a dome. I wonder what is it?"
We walked a few more steps and admired the decorative ironwork alongside the street and I started to wonder if this was the place we were looking for. Huge iron gates were open and we stepped into the cobbled entrance with a Dining Room on the left ("What's that?" "It's a restaurant.") and a bar - Scarfes - on the right and I knew we were at the right place.
We entered a courtyard and two gentlemen smiled and said hello and we turned to another gent wearing a flat cap and quality tweed coat and he asked, "Can I help you ladies?" I was holding my daughter's hand and felt her stand a bit taller at that moment. I explained we had come to check-in and he instantly offered to take my bag and led us into the very grand Hotel Lobby.
As we followed my daughter said to herself, "Always take your hat off when you go inside as it's rude to wear a hat indoors" - I expect, reciting a line she hears at school regularly - and the doorman removed his hat at exactly that time and complimented her on her good manners.
As I checked-in he took my daughter to have a chocolate so she wasn't kept waiting and then we met some of the key staff there to ensure our stay would be perfect.
We had been allocated a butler who asked my daughter about her favourite food and her favourite drink so it could be arranged. Due to the information requested before arrival the hotel already knew her name, age, and some things about her.
Our butler led us to our room - our bag had been whisked away and was in the room already - and chatted to my daughter all the way.
He opened the door and we discovered the most luxurious suite I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. A one bedroom residence which seemed to have every finishing detail well considered.
A handwritten note on the table by the door welcomed me to the hotel alongside a vase of fresh flowers. More fresh flowers were on the table in the Living Room as well as two glass cake stands with bell-shaped covers displaying a chocolate pastry iced with my daughter's name and a fruit tart with gold leaf and a real flower for me.
The glass vases throughout the residence had stunning metal stag heads on the sides and even the extension lead and travel adapters were in a leather box.
The Living Room also had one of the three televisions in the suite, an incredibly long sofa - that would easily seat five people - and two more armchairs around a glass display coffee table with London books to peruse. The dark wood dining table had two leather dining chairs and a side table with a telephone and an interesting book choice: The Secret.
Dashing to the Living Room we missed the first Guest Bathroom, the wardrobe just for coats, and the best mini bar ever: with everything complimentary including alcoholic drinks. Of course, you could ask your butler to come and prepare drinks for you.
Yes, every suite at Rosewood London comes with a butler who can arrange all those extras that make your stay so special: dining reservations, theatre tickets, transport, shopping and attractions, as well as unpacking and packing, running baths, mixing drinks, etc.
Into the Bedroom we found a huge bed with Italian bed linen and, to my daughter's delight, a large television to watch in bed. The room had floor to ceiling windows so was nice and light and there's extra space for a dressing table.
As if the Bedroom and Bathroom were not already big enough, there's a separate Dressing Room between with lots of hanging space. And then into the Bathroom with an Italian marble bath, two sinks, a separate rainfall shower and Czech & Speake toiletries. There's lots more wardrobe space in the Bathroom too as well as the surprise television which appears from within the wall at the end of the bath.
I was simply overwhelmed. As Jose, our butler, explained he could arrange anything we might need during our stay I was stumped to know what more we could ever need in life. I almost felt disappointed we were going out to the theatre so we couldn't just stay in the suite for the rest of the day and pretend it was home.
The turndown service happened while we were out at the theatre and, in the bathroom, my toiletries were lined up neatly on a napkin and slippers were left out for me.
Evening dining was a little more challenging as we couldn't eat from the different menus in one place until we worked out we could go to Scarfes Bar and order my dinner to be sent to the room, and then go to the Concierge Desk to order my daughter's dinner to be sent to the room. Sadly, there were very limited options for me as a vegetarian but there is a separate children's menu (Rosebud dining). I wish the only veggie option wasn't mushroom risotto as that's a constant problem with hotel dining for me so I ordered a pizza.
Before bedtime, my daughter had a big bubble bath and watched the TV in the bathroom while I swanned around the suite in a fluffy bathrobe. Perfect.
Even though the building is on a busy road I honestly didn't hear any traffic noise in the room and we woke refreshed to enjoy breakfast in the Holborn Dining Room.
You can see more photos on my Facebook Page.
Click next to find out more about Rosewood London and here for contact information.
See also: What Does a Hotel Butler Do?
Disclaimer: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
Rosewood London is a large imposing building, a minute from Holborn station, making it both close to The City and to the West End - especially Covent Garden.
The building was initially constructed for the Pearl Assurance Company who clearly intended to impress. For example, the grand Pavonazzo staircase has seven types of marble (some of which are now extinct) and is worth many millions. This was the company's headquarters from 1914 to 1989 when the Marriott group undertook the initial transformation to a hotel.
Rosewood London has been designed by New York-based designer Tony Chi and Associates who is clearly a perfectionist as every attention to detail has been incorporated. There's been an £85 million investment and many architectural features have been restored.
The Lobby has shelves full of interesting objects and there are caged birds (real) at each end of the space, alongside British bulldogs (not real) wearing Burberry or Vivienne Westwood collars.
There are 262 bedrooms and 44 suites and signature suites - the most magnificent is the unique Grand Manor House Wing which can be configured to have six bedrooms, has its own entrance and is actually the only hotel suite in the world to have its own postcode.
There are also 11 event spaces - including the Grand Ballroom and 3 heritage boardrooms - and 3 restaurants and bars: Holborn Dining Room, Scarfes Bar and The Mirror Room. Scarfes Bar features 11 large canvases with over 70 caricatures painted for the bar especially by Gerald Scarfe. Do also take a look at the whisky display which has £1,000,000 worth of whisky.
Nicholas Oakwell has designed the 'wardrobe' (uniforms) and the Doorman's is particularly noteworthy as they wear tweed coats and flat caps which is so overtly British.
And, I believe, Rosewood London is the only London hotel to have a Director of Romance to help with wedding planning. There's a dedicated room displaying crockery styles, flower options, alcohol tastings, etc.
Would I Return?
Most definitely. I think next time I would just stay in my suite from check-in time to check-out as those rooms feel so luxurious. In-room dining was fast and efficient so I would have little reason to leave. I would make better use of having a butler as I felt a bit lost when he wasn't there in the evening - especially when trying to arrange dinner for me and my daughter. But I expect my next visit to Rosewood London will be to try afternoon tea in The Mirror Room as, again, I keep being told how good it is.
You can see more photos on my Facebook Page.
See my review from when I stayed at Rosewood London and here for contact information.
Address: 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
Tel: 020 7781 8888
Official Website: www.rosewoodhotels.com
You can see more photos on my Facebook Page.
See my review from when I stayed at Rosewood London and here for more information about the hotel and facilities.
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