Why book Corinthia London?
The Corinthia London gives you an unbeatable location, lovely food and beverage, and impeccable service in a beautiful historic building, but above all, it gives you the feeling of being in a place where things have happened – and where they’re happening right now.
Set the scene
Entering off quiet Whitehall Place, in a pocket of London frequented by drab bureaucrats, the hotel’s opulence is a bit of a shock. After being greeted by natty, uniformed doormen, you plunge into a symphony of grand symmetry, with an enormous flower arrangement at the centre. Up a short flight of stairs is the light-filled Crystal Moon Lounge, where one of the hotel’s signature touches, a 1,001-crystal Baccarat chandelier, hangs. Throughout its history, the hotel has been a gathering place for government officials, and the feeling remains that this is a place of movers and shakers, whether convening for lunch or a drink or on holiday.
The backstory
Since opening on a triangular site near the Embankment in 1885, the grand building has had multiple lives as both a hotel and a government headquarters, due to its proximity to the Palace of Westminster and 10 Downing Street. After an initial incarnation as the high-society Metropole Hotel, the government took it over during World War I, returned it to its original purpose during the interwar years, then claimed it again before World War II and used it for the Ministry of Defence for decades. The Malta-based Corinthia Hotels International reopened it as a flagship in 2011, and since then it has been one of London’s most beloved grand hotels; In a recent period of thoughtful expansion for the family-owned hotel group, which has included reopening of New York City’s legendary The Surrey as a Corinthia property and the debut of The Corinthia Brussels and The Corinthia Bucharest, the company’s signature property has gotten a glow-up of its own.
The rooms
The Corinthia’s 279 rooms, which include 55 suites, are notably generous, with king-size beds, a table and chairs, and plenty of room to stretch out. The suites have recently been overhauled and mine, the Trafalgar Suite, was an exceptional city oasis, with a sitting room featuring a plushy, curved sofa in dusky green, a dining table for four, and (as you might expect) views of Trafalgar Square. The bathroom was predictably divine, with a rainforest shower, a generous tub with a TV, and underfloor heating.
Food and drink
The Corinthia has recently overhauled its restaurant offerings. The Italian-inspired alfresco spot The Garden is an otherworldly oasis right inside the hotel, bursting with foliage and festooned with twinkling lights; it was winter when I visited and the seasonal menu was Alpine-inflected, with a deeply comforting raclette course and several hot Italian cocktails. There are also always gorgeous little pizzettes any time of year. I greatly enjoyed eating there alone more than once, but the couples I saw at tables throughout might have been enjoying themselves even more. Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, which you can access from Northumberland Street, is the perfect elevated English pub, and a great place to go with an old friend (in my case, my cousin). The clubby space manages to be grand and intimate at the same time, with unusually high ceilings and rounded leather banquettes that encourage close conversation. Carnivores will enjoy being escorted to the Chef’s Larder, a glass display case containing dry-aged ribeye, côte de boeuf, Cornish rack of lamb, and other specimens, where a thorough discussion of provenance will ensue. I also had several lovely breakfasts at airy Northall Bar, which serves drinks and bites in the evening, but for an elaborate, cocktail-as-spectacle experience, visit Velvet by Salvatore Calabrese. Afternoon tea is served beneath the Baccarat chandelier.
The spa
This sleek, multi-level subterranean space, which can be accessed from the suite level by a dedicated lift, just got a new dedicated spa partner in Augustinus Bader and is overhauling its treatment menu. My massage therapist here was truly exceptional at her craft and had a warm, not-too-formal manner that made me feel immediately comfortable; this was one of those times that I welcomed a little chit-chat during my session. Guests can also visit this level to visit the full gym, hair salon, or the longevity-focused wellness lab designed in partnership with the London Regenerative Institute.
The area
This is one of those rare addresses in London that feels close to everything and apart from it all. The entrance on Whitehall Place is relatively quiet – especially at night – but you’re steps from Trafalgar Square and just a short walk over the bridge from the South Bank.
The service
It’s smooth and anticipatory without ever being obsequious or annoyingly omnipresent. I was particularly charmed by my servers at The Garden and Kerridge’s, who managed to be both fun and helpfully encyclopaedic about the menus they were offering. And the service in the spa was first-rate.
Eco effort
The Corinthia London adheres to a number of company-wide best practices around energy use, water conservation, and sourcing ingredients. It has been acknowledged with several awards for its environmental efforts.
Accessibility
The hotel offers a ramp and wheelchair lift. There are seven accessible rooms.
Family
The Corinthia London is a good address for solo business travellers and a good address for families, which is a trick not a lot of hotels can pull off. The afternoon tea service and proximity to a number of London’s best sights make it a smart choice for families on holiday, and the hotel’s Family Escape package gives parents a discount on a connecting room while providing an array of kids’ amenities. The hotel’s partnership with the venerable folding bike manufacturer Brompton is another unique perk for families who might want to get out and explore the city on two wheels.
£
