Let the good times roll! The Wellesley Hotel is a boutique hotel that combines sophistication, luxury and glamour. It refers to the spirit of liberation, the Roaring Twenties and the fun-seeking jazz age. It reminded me of the days of The Great Gatsby with its jazz, nightcaps and cigars and the feathers and fans of the Art Deco era.
It opened its doors a decade ago as part of the Marriott brand and ‘Luxury Collection’ alongside its sister hotel The Langley in the British countryside. It overlooks Hyde Park and is close to Knightsbridge, home to the famous Harvey Nichols and Harrods stores.
What a welcome I received in true British style from the top notch doormen. I entered a hall decorated with the finest Italian marble and the most dazzling chandeliers. I knew instantly that I was going to experience something special. For I had traveled back in time to the age of elegance and romance of the 1920s, an age of flair and panache. The hotel is resplendent with etched mirrors, crystal chandeliers, polished marble and gilded brass.
In the hallways leading to the guest rooms were consul tables with old-fashioned telephones and walls adorned with portraits of prominent matinee idols. The 36 rooms and suites have prices starting at $915. There’s even a penthouse that takes up the entire 6th and 7th floors. I stayed in the Charlie Chaplin Suite (along with others named after luminaries such as Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald to evoke the spirit of the Jazz Age). My suite, with its fabulous view of the park, felt like a luxurious cabin on an old-time cruise liner for such was the ultimate in comfort. Fresh orchids surrounded a semi-circular velvet sofa. Everything was beautifully finished with golden brass decor and lacquered wooden doors. The walls were adorned with black-and-white photos in sparkling silver frames. Even the curtains were electronically operated. My bathroom had luxurious Carrera marble on the floor and walls, a walk-in shower, Asprey toiletries and that rarity still, even in the best hotels in London, of a built-in TV at the end of my freestanding bathtub.
The Wellesley’s intimate oval restaurant had a Art Deco patterned floor resembling the Chrysler Building in New York. The mirrors on the walls shone happily with prisms of light. From the Italian menu, confident in its selective offerings, I chose salmon and tuna tartare, avocado, soy sauce and chilli, followed by sea bass in Mediterranean sauce, baby potatoes, capers , berries and cherry tomatoes. I finished with the tiramisu: this classic and gourmet Italian invention.
The elegant Crystal Bar has a small cigar terrace out front. Inside are display cases containing whisky, cognac and armagnac in a collection including some extremely rare bottles. You can have a Cognac 1789 (Year of the Revolution) for over $8,000 a glass or a Double Macallam Anniversary Malt 50 Years Old for just under $12,000 a glass.
The hotel also has the largest collection of cigars in Europe (about 400) thanks to its impressive cigar cellar. There is a map of Cuba on the marble floor and a portrait of Winston Churchill painted on tobacco leaves on the wall. Cigars can reach over $10,500 at a time if you experience Cohiba’s 40th anniversary in Cuba, which was made by Fidel Castro’s personal cigar roller.
The dimly lit Jazz Lounge hosts jazz evenings from its small podium on a seasonal basis. It’s wonderfully plush with navy velvet banquettes and tub chairs. At the bar, an ornate drinks cabinet overlooks the proceedings. And in the corner stands a gleaming grand piano waiting for its ivories to be tickled. Some guests choose to jog in the park because it’s so accessible. Instead, I chose to watch from my window the parade of the 100-strong King’s Cavalry on their morning drills.
This adult-oriented hotel is most popular with American and Middle Eastern guests. There’s even the option of a personal butler and a free driver to drop one off anywhere in the area: perhaps a theatre, Buckingham Palace or Harrods. A century later, the good times keep rolling.
