BACKGROUND It is a luxury, 5-star boutique hotel, the first from Corbin & King, noteworthy restaurateurs behind The Wolseley, The Delaunay and other eateries in London. Before the building launched as The Beaumont in September 2014, it was built to be a garage in 1926, and designed by architects Wimperis & Simpson. The property is also a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? The hotel’s design is inspired by the art deco hotels of the 1920s. It has an old-world charm, alongside modern-day technology. On the website, co-founder Jeremy King explains what makes the property feel homely: “At the heart of the hotel is a sense of history to match the 1926 building: the fictional James ‘Jimmy’ Beaumont becomes an architectural leitmotif, which haunts the corridors of what I imagine to have been a hotel created by a hotelier escaping the constrictions of Prohibition-shackled New York.”
The lobby bears checkered flooring that exudes a mid-western feel. Paintings, within bold frames, of presumably “Jimmy’s friends and family”, hang on wooden walls over wooden furniture and plush upholstery. The Cub Room is finished in wood and more photo frames on the walls. The fireplace lends a cosy feel to it. The Barber’s Shop and Grooming Salon here is designed after those commonly found in the 1920s.
Atop the hotel’s facade is a lego-like cement structure, which is actually the “inhabitable” Antony Gormley’s ROOM. It is a dark space that encourages the occupant to “enter a different state of consciousness”.
WHERE IS IT? Located between Grosvenor Square and Oxford Street, overlooking Brown Hart Gardens, it is a 39-minute drive from Heathrow Airport, and about 300 metres from Bond Street tube station.
ROOM FACILITIES Accommodation categories are divided into Classic rooms (30 sqm), Superior rooms (32 sqm), Premier rooms (35 sqm), studios (38-43 sqm), Superior studios (44-53 sqm), Classic suites (60 sqm), Mayfair suites (81-90 sqm), The (one bedroom) Terrace suite (91 sqm), The (one bedroom) Roosevelt suite (169 sqm) and The (five-bedroom) Roosevelt suite (606 sqm). All include Nespresso coffee, tea, free wifi, free local calls, work desk, in-room movies and books, free minibar with soft drinks and snacks, LCD television, USB connections for music, underfloor heating in bathrooms, D.R. Harris toiletries, and rain shower.
I was especially impressed by the large hallway and sliding internal door for additional privacy just after my Superior room’s entrance. Soundproof windows helped with undisturbed sleep. There are enough charging points in the room to plug in multiple gadgets.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS The Cub Room is a bar and lounge, exclusive to resident guests. They may entertain visitors around small wooden tables here. Alternatively, one may escape to this room for a quiet drink or just to relax on the homely sofa-chairs. The Colony Grill Room is an all-day eatery that serves “classic dishes from both sides of the Atlantic”. Signature dishes include lobster à la Russe, New York hot dogs, omelette Arnold Bennett, and chicken pot pie. The American Bar is open from 11:30am-midnight and serves snacks, steaks and sundaes with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The Lotus Room is a private dining and function space. It can fit 18 delegates for a board meeting, up to 40 guests for a sit-down dinner and 60 in standing reception style. It has a plasma screen television, surround sound and wifi.
LEISURE FACILITIES There is a hammam with sauna, steam and massage therapy rooms, as well as a plunge pool, a salon and a 24-hour gym.
VERDICT Overall it is a luxurious stay in the heart of the city, within proximity to London’s business and leisure districts.
PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in June started from £477/₹38,188 for a Classic room.
CONTACT Brown Hart Gardens, Mayfair; tel: 000800 650 1281; preferredhotels.com/destinations/london/the-beaumont-hotel
Ravi Lalwani
