I
t is onlyhumantobedazzledbythenew,
drawntoshinyhotelsandcaptivatedbyslick
conceptrestaurants.Weareona lifelongquest
forthesurprisingandthenovel,mainlybecause
it givesussomethingtotalkabout.Asepicurean
adventurers,we’llbravewaitinglistsandqueuesin
ordertosidleuptoa much-hypedhotelornewly-
openedrestaurant,baskingintheglowofthisyoung
hospitalitystarlet,enjoyingwhatmightturnoutto
bejust 15 minutesoffame.
Ourcollectivefetishisationofnewnessmeans
weshouldbeevenmoreinaweofthehistoricgrande
damehotelwhohasquietlycharmedtravellersfor
decades.Thetougholdbirdwhohasweatheredthe
stormshistoryhurledherway– wars,recessions,
pandemics– withdignityandgrace.Whohasan
endlessstreamofscintillatingstoriesandstar-studded
anecdotes,butknowswhentoleanbackdemurely
andprovidea decorativebackdrop.Andtheultimate
markerofa classyhotel:theknackofputtinganyone
intheroomatease.
LikeClaridge’s,inLondon,whichwelcomedmy
twomalecompanionsandI intooursuitewithout
battinganeyelid.“We’rejustfriends!”I insisted,
butClaridge’swastooclassytocare.I’lladmitI was
worriedtheymightfindmyrequest– a sleepoverwith
mytwobestfriends– unusual,buthere’sthething
abouta centralLondonhotelthatdatesback
to1812:They’veseenit all.
Claridge’sis thedecadentMayfairaddresswhere
JoanCollinsthrewa weddingparty,KateMoss
celebratedher30thbirthday,MickJaggerracked
upa $1.5millionbillandBradPittandAngelina
JoliebunkedupshortlyafterPitt’ssplitfromJennifer
Aniston.A platonicthreesomeintheEmpress
EugenieSuitewasnothing.
A bottleofchampagnegreetedus– justoneofthe
36,000bottlesofchampagneconsumedbyClaridge’s
guestseveryyear– alongwiththreechampagneflutes
ina row.(Throughoutourshortstay,Robbieand
Ryanwerebothaddressedas“MrHart”,tomygreat
delight.)I’dconsideredbookingtheatretickets,but
whenyou’reina historichotellikethis,it seems
a shametomissa moment.Afterall,wewerealready
inoneofthebestplacesinLondon.Whygooutin
searchofsomewheresecond-best?A grandedame
hotelofferssweetrespitefromthissortofexhausting
traveller’sguilt.Soweclattereddownthesweeping
staircaseintotheglitteringArtDecolobby,before
sinkingintothesoftleatherseatinginTheFumoir,
a sexy,shadowy1930sjewelleryboxofa cocktailbar,
withoriginalLaliquecrystalpanels,auberginewalls
anda marblehorseshoebartop.
Muchofthehotel’scharacteris owedto
a spectacularArtDecomakeoverintheearly1930s
overseenbyOswaldMilne,whotransformedthe
lobbyfroma slightlyold-fashionedcarriagedriveway
intoa gleamingcentrepiecewithmirrors,a revolving
dooranddecadentlighting.Nearlya centurylater,
Claridge’sis consideredanArtDecogeminthe
heart of Mayfair, the London hotel of choice for110 GOURMET TRAVELLER