The affluent neighbourhood of Mayfair is a fitting host for one of London’s most desirable grand hotels, which first opened in 1815. A clubby type of luxury has always led the way here, but following an extensive redesign, the traditional references have been joined by muted colours, clean lines and a contemporary way of thinking. Drawing together the very best of British and international art and design, it’s this blend of the old and the new that makes The Connaught feel so original.

The Savoy has spent over 130 years at the forefront of London’s hotel scene. The first purpose-built deluxe hotel in London, it was the brainchild of theatre producer Richard D’Oyly Carte, who knew all about glamour and putting on a show. Fast-forward to 2007 and it was time for a refresh. The hotel underwent a three-year restoration by French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, who sympathetically recreated its former Edwardian and art deco highlights using photographs from the hotel archives.

A true London institution, Claridge’s first opened in 1856 and is still as charming as it was that day. A timelessly beautiful art deco property, this Mayfair landmark first rose to fame with the fashionable set in the 1920s and, a little later, hosted royals waiting out the Second World War.

Located in the heart of Whitehall, Raffles is a contender for London’s most history-packed hotel. Opened in 1906, this baroque-style property housed over 1,000 rooms, 2.5 miles of corridors and 2,500 government and military officials. It was where Sir Winston Churchill masterminded the Allied victory over Hitler. Today, it boasts three bars, nine restaurants and a 600-seat ballroom accessed by a magnificent staircase.

London’s original Mandarin Oriental is a stunning hotel in an equally stunning location. It sits in the perfect spot between the high-end shopping mecca that is Knightsbridge and the leafy expanse of Hyde Park, and the textures and colours not only welcome nature within but are designed to echo the ever-changing skies.

Not only was this the first of the Four Seasons Hotels in London, it was also the first Four Seasons in Europe. It opened in Mayfair in 1970 as the Inn on the Park, with Issy Sharp’s vision to create “a personal, down-to-earth hotel. Not for dukes or duchesses, but for people who want to be treated that way.” Over 50 years later, the brand is known worldwide and, with its lavish public spaces and luxurious bedrooms, guests still feel like royalty.

The Peninsula London may only have opened its doors in 2023, but the group’s first property launched back in 1866 in Hong Kong. Now one of London’s most lavish lodgings, it was well worth the wait. Its 190 rooms come with finely crafted, bespoke British furnishings, mahogany-panelled dressing rooms, and luxurious honey onyx bathrooms — not forgetting stunning views out over Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch.

It might be one of the most expensive hotels in town, but it offers all the luxury you’d expect for such a price tag. From the attentive service to the impressive spa, the Bvlgari has it all, its top-shelf luxury equally at home here in the affluent London Borough of Knightsbridge as in its original location of Milan.