goodold-fashionedglamourwithout
a hintoffustyformalityorfuss.
Sowhatwasthebigoccasion?
MydeparturetoLosAngelesfor
severalmonthsona writing
assignment.Gettingridofmeis
somethingworthcelebratingin
style,andI’ddecidedtotreatmy
twobestbudstoa fairlyspectacular
finalhurrah.It wasjusta regular
Wednesdaynight,andweall
hadworkinthemorning,but
Claridge’shasthemagicalability
toturneventhedrabbestofwinter
Wednesdaysintoa glittering
Saturday.I canseehowtheendless
Saturdaysat Claridge’scouldprove
addictive,andentertainerswho
usedthehotelastheirregular
Londonaddressthroughoutthe
1950sinclude Cary Grant, Audrey
Hepburn,
Katharine
Hepburnand
BingCrosby.
Whygoto
anotherhotel
andhaveto
livethrough
Mondaysand
Tuesdays,when
it’salways
Saturdayat Claridge’s?
Thenextmorning,wesplashed
outon$80-a-headChinese
breakfasts,completewith
delectableprawndimsum,pork
gyozaandchickencongee.You
cantella lotabouta hotelbyits
breakfastmenu,andI stubbornly
clungtothemenuafterthewaiter
tookourorder,studyingit like
a horoscope.Therewerehipster
favouritessuchasaçaibowlsand
greenjuices,butalsoclassicssuch
asscrambledeggsontoast.Butthe
MiddleEastern,Japanese,Chinese
andEuropeansetmenusarebyfar
themostexciting.It wasreassuring
tothinkofallthecelebrity
hangoversthathadbeencured
bythisvenerableinternational
breakfastmenu;if theChinese
breakfastcanfixfuzzy-headed
diplomatsandbusinessmagnates,
surelyit couldfixme.I wondered
whatSovietstatesmenNikita
KhrushchevandMarshalNikolai
Bulganinhadforbreakfastafter
theirrowdycocktailparty in the
Royal Suite in 1956.I feltpartofa long,historic
traditionofhungoverhotelguests,
prayingandbrayingfora remedy.
BackwhenKateMosscelebrated
her30thherein2004,thecure
wasa BloodyMary.Today,it’s
turmericjuice.
Admittedlyoureveningof
cocktailsandcardgameswasn’t
quiteasmomentousasthetime
QueenVictoriavisitedEmpress
EugenieofFranceinher“winter
quarters”herein1860.Thatroyal
visitcementedClaridge’sstatusas
thefavouritehotelofroyalsand
aristocrats,andsincethen,visiting
headsofstatehaveregularly
hostedbanquetsthere,earning
Claridge’sa reputationasan
annexetoBuckinghamPalace.
During World WarII,thehotel
remainedopen,
hostingmany
exiledheadsof
state,whowere
invitedto
makeuse
ofthehotel’s
specially-built
bombshelter.
In1945,atthe
requestof
WinstonChurchill,suite 212 was
declaredYugoslavianterritoryso
thatCrownPrinceAlexanderII
couldbebornonhisown
country’ssoil.
Thepreviousnight,ashe’d
mixedourdrinks,thebartender
recalleda morerecenttaleofthe
London 2012 summerOlympics,
whennofewerthansevenheadsof
statewereinresidence.Staffjoked
at thetimeaboutrecreatinga classic
episodeinClaridge’slorethat
datesbackto1947,justbefore
theweddingofthethenPrincess
Elizabeth.A stresseddiplomat
telephonedClaridge’saskingto
speaktotheKing.“Certainlysir,”
wastheresponse,“butwhichone?”
Thesummerof2020,however,
hasseenClaridge’swelcomean
altogetherdifferentclientele.
ForcedtocloseinlateMarch
owingtotheCovid-19outbreak,
Claridge’sswiftlyreopenedtohost
40 NHSdoctors,nursesandother
keystafffromthenearbyStMary’s
HospitalinPaddington.Many
NHS workers in the UK wereRight:The
Mayfairsuite
atClaridge’s,
London.
Opposite:The
Fumoirbarat
Claridge’sand
thehotel’s
mainentrance.
Previouspages:
TheEmpress
EugenieSuite
atClaridge’s;
The Ritz, Paris.
It’s thisabilitytowear
timewell,to navigate
stormywaterswith
grace,thatisthemost
alluringqualityofthe
grande dame hotel.forcedtosearchforemergency
accommodationduringthe
outbreakastheylivewithrelatives
inhigh-riskgroups,andClaridge’s
wasthemosthigh-endhotelto
offeruptheir$1200-a-nightrooms,
alongwithbreakfastanddinner.
It is sixmonthssincemytasteof
Claridge’ssuperlativehospitality,
andasI type,thehotelis still
graciouslyoperatingas a sumptuous
crashpadfordeservingdoctors
andnurses– whilethekitchen
contributesdailypre-packedmeals
forworkersacrossLondonhospitals.
Perhapsit’sthisabilitytowear
timewell,tonavigatestormywaters
withgrace,thatis themostalluring
qualityofthegrandedamehotel.
Claridge’slooksfabulousand
treatseveryguestlikea royal.But
havingthenerveandthenousto
turna humanitarianandeconomic
crisisintoa chancetooffercharity?
Thisis thesortofstrengthof
characterthatonlydevelops
throughtime.
Whilethesummerof 2020
forthisgrandolddamemight
bea surrealseasonofskeleton
staff,hospitalscrubsand
shutteredspaces,Claridge’s
hasneverlookedclassier.
claridges.co.uk➤GOURMET TRAVELLER 111PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD BOOTH (THE FUMOIR) & JAMIE MCGREGOR SMITH (MAYFAIR SUITE).