Background
One of the capital’s grand railway hotels, the Landmark London next to Marylebone station celebrates its 120th anniversary on July 1. Coinciding with the milestone, the luxury property will shortly complete a two-and-a-half-year refurbishment encompassing almost all 300 rooms and suites, its two ballrooms, its spa and some public areas.
I last stayed at the hotel when it was first embarking on the improvement works – for that review, which includes more detail on its history and architecture, click here.
A Leading Hotels of the World member, the property is part of the Thai-owned Lancaster Landmark Hotel Company, which also includes the Royal Lancaster and K West Hotel and Spa in London, plus the Landmark and the Lancaster in Bangkok.
What’s it like?
Whether you enter the property from the main Marylebone Road entrance or the side one directly across from the station entrance, you will be welcomed in by top-hatted doormen and be struck by the grandeur of the historic interiors.
Steps lead up from the wood-pillared reception area – where new lighting has been introduced to showcase the artworks – to the fabulous eight-storey Winter Garden atrium, where breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are served. Here, the mezzanine level has been developed into a Garden Terrace lounge for light refreshments, while nooks for informal one-to-one meetings have been added under the grand staircases.
Walking through to reception from the side entrance when we arrived on a Saturday lunchtime, we noticed everything from an Africa conference to a high-end hen party taking place – indicative of the scale of custom this hotel attracts. As on my previous visit, I was impressed with the warmth of service from all staff.
Where is it?
On Marylebone Road, not that you will notice that you are on such a busy thoroughfare once you are cosseted inside the property.
Rooms
The hotel has just completed a soft refurbishment of 291 of its 300 rooms, which include 51 suites. The room corridors are also being refreshed one by one, to be finished by the end of the year.
Rooms start from 30-35 sqm for the entry-level Superior category. They have been given a stylish and restful new look through the use of soft pastel tones and plush fabrics. Some of the furniture has changed, while marble has been replaced where necessary in the bathrooms. All rooms also now feature smart TVs and upgraded wifi. They are equipped with minibars, tea and coffee facilities (Nespresso machines in suites), safes, robes and White Company toiletries (Molton Brown in suites).
My fourth-floor Landmark suite (there are eight of these) was expansive with a large bedroom, a living room with a fireplace and desk (with universal plug sockets and USB ports), a kitchen and a guest washroom.
Classic and elegant, it featured a neutral colour palette with mint, gold and plum accents, and was fitted out with luxurious fabrics and furnishings (sofas and armchairs to sink into, a sumptuous king bed that I slept extremely well in, and deep carpeting).
Soundproofing was very good in the bedroom, which overlooked Marylebone Road with the BT Tower and the Shard both visible on the skyline. The bathroom had a great walk-in shower, a tub, twin sinks and two sets of robes (thick and thin).
Food and drink
Last time I dined in the oak-panelled lower-ground restaurant, which hasn’t been refurbished but has a new name – the Great Central – to honour the property’s original moniker. This time we had dinner in the Winter Garden, where modern European cuisine is served and a pianist plays until 10pm. My shellfish bisque and seared cod fillet with borlotti beans, grilled piquillo pepper, samphire and roasted pine nuts were both excellent.
The ground-floor Mirror Bar, which has been revamped with new furniture, carpeting and mirrored panelling to reflect its name, serves good cocktails.
Meetings
The property’s two ballrooms, the largest of which holds 750 guests for a reception, had a soft refurbishment in 2017. There are 11 function spaces in total.
Leisure
The spa was refreshed in 2017 – for a full review click here. Located on the lower-ground floor, it’s an attractive space with a 15-metre chlorine-free pool, a spa bath, four treatment rooms, a steam room and a sanarium. The pool area was fairly busy when I went for a swim in the early evening but quiet the following Sunday morning. There’s also a well-equipped gym.
Verdict
A welcome update for the rooms plus sensitive improvement works to the other spaces have given the Landmark London a renewed sense of luxury in time for its 120th anniversary. Highly recommended.
Best for
Superb service and the elegant yet homely new-look bedrooms
Don’t miss
Dining amidst the palm trees and piano sounds of the Winter Garden
Price
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in July started from £474 for a Superior room
Contact
The Landmark London, 222 Marylebone Road; tel +44 (0)20 7631 8000; landmarklondon.co.uk
