In a city like London, you’re never too far from some form of luxury. Palaces, boutiques, fine dining, or hotels. And in some, special cases, a mix of all four under one roof.
AFAR Magazine recently named their favourite new hotels in the world, and out of the thirty-three mentioned, two are right here in London. The magazine relies on discerning writers with refined, global tastes to choose the best of the best. And this year, their top picks are west London’s Raffles London at the Old War Office Building and The Peninsula (London) in Belgravia.
This is Raffles’ first hotel in Britain, and they’ve left no gemstone unturned while designing a guest experience. The historic OWO Building underwent a £1.4 billion renovation ahead of the hotel’s opening last September, which now boasts five stars, 120 rooms and suites, and 85 private residences. The building has been split in two, with one side dedicated entirely to residences, and the other encompassing the hotel, nine bars, and fine dining restaurants.
Raffles London was also awarded ‘Hotel of the Year’ in Tatler Magazine’s 2024 travel guide, alongside other similarly ritzy residences, which are all part of London's recent luxury hotel boom.
The similarly extravagant Peninsula London is operated by Asia's oldest hotel group, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH), and is situated between Green and Hyde parks in west London. This is the first time Peninsula hotels has touched down in The Land of the Rose, and they did it with a bang. Their main restaurant in residence, Brooklands, earned two Michelin stars in its opening year, and their bourgeois spa offers 24-k gold face masks and hi-tech ‘e-Finger facials’ in a historic, palatial setting.
But you don’t need a hotel reservation to enjoy some of the luxurious amenities that these two hotels have to offer. Bars and restaurants are accepting reservations, and information regarding wellness and spa treatments can be found on their websites.
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