London
England


The Experience

There is an actual, if not metaphoric, whiff of beeswax and brass polish at the prestigious Connaught. In fact, with its wood paneling, majestic mahogany staircase and leather fenders, it has the quintessentially English atmosphere and style of a gentleman's club. However, having managed to keep the outside world at arm's length, the hotel has had to make certain concessions to a more egalitarian age. Women in trouser suits for instance, or mini bars in the bedrooms, once considered improper, are now the norm here. When the hotel closes for six months in mid-2007 to create 35 additional rooms in a fresher contemporary style, as well as an indoor swimming pool and health club, it will be brought firmly into the 21st century. Even so, many regulars no doubt will continue to prefer to get things done the old-fashioned way, summoning their floor butlers to mix them a gin and tonic or unpack their bags; it is this kind of service, after all, for which the Connaught is justly famed.

The Rooms

Soundproofed, well-insulated rooms are in traditional country-house style. Conservatively upholstered in damask and chintz, with hunting scenes hanging over marble fireplaces, they are comfortable and even luxurious without being ostentatiously grand. With their high ceilings and cornicing and large windows, the impression is always one of space, while bathrooms, solidly built and generously proportioned, often share the rare commodity of natural light.

The Service

The service here is flawless; staff are so well trained they know when to bustle and when to leave well enough alone, and so polite that it is impossible not to feel at home. Their discretion is legendary; guests can check in incognito -- which is why the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Mick Jagger keep coming back.

The Highlights

The Grill Room was always the spiritual home of the Establishment, but Gordon Ramsay's protégée chef Angela Hartnett -- who is half Italian -- has given the place a much-needed lift, with her Continental take on traditional British comfort food. Sure, there's Scottish venison, but with the lightest gnocchi as an accompaniment, as well as pear tarte Tatin as a substitute for apple crumble, and the intriguing hot chocolate soup.

-- Catherine Fairweather

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