BROWN'S HOTEL
Albemarle Street, London;
44 0 20 7493 6020; 1-888-667-9477; http://www.brownshotel.com.
ROOMS AND RATES
The Kipling suite, above, is named after the author of The Jungle Book, which was written here during one of his many stays. The living room is large enough to entertain eight people. (Courtesy f the Rocco Forte Collection)
Brown's offers 88 rooms
and 29 swanky suites.
Rates from $900 a night.
London is a city of great hotels. The Savoy, Claridge's, the Dorchester, the Waldorf, the Ritz, Grosvenor House and on it goes. But one is different from the rest - the intimate and charming Brown's Hotel. It is London's oldest five-star hotel, but what really makes it exceptional is its understated elegance, comfort and privacy - features often missing from the larger, brasher luxury competition.
Brown's was established in 1837 by James Brown, the butler of poet Lord Byron, and his wife, Sarah, the maid of Lady Byron, as a townhouse for the aristocracy and gentry. This is where Queen Victoria took tea, Alexander Graham Bell placed Britain's first telephone call, Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book and Franklin Roosevelt stayed on his honeymoon. While the historic fabric of the hotel has been immaculately preserved and its traditional afternoon tea remains legendary, it has emerged from a major renovation as a stylish and thoroughly contemporary hotel for business and leisure travellers.
Location In the heart of London's Mayfair, perfectly situated among the designer shops of Bond Street, the clothiers of Savile Row and Jermyn Street, and Piccadilly, home of Hatchards - one of the world's finest booksellers - and Fortnum & Mason. Also nearby is Green Park, where you'll find Pierre Granche's evocative Canada Memorial, dedicated to the memory of Canadian soldiers who served in the two world wars and situated near the Canada Gate at Buckingham Palace. The West End, Trafalgar Square and Soho are all within easy striking distance.
AMBIENCE Brown's is at the epicentre of what can fairly be described as the capital of the world, but London's sometimes frenetic pace is left at the threshold. The atmosphere inside the hotel is relaxed, efficient and courteous, bordering on outright friendly.
DESIGN The hotel's original wood panelling and mosaics are offset by fresh and crisp contemporary colour schemes and plenty of designer touches. Despite its recent $40-million refurbishment, Brown's still wears its Victorian origins proudly. There are no ostentatious touches here; it's all about intimacy and understated elegance.
CLIENTELE Business travellers, shoppers and even writers in search of a muse at the place where Kipling found his number among Brown's regulars. But the hotel is also a beacon for families, and not just because it's near the legendary Hamleys toy store on Regent Street. The hotel's kids' program includes homemade cookies and milk at bedtime, special bath accessories and bed linens, toys, miniature versions of the hotel's sumptuous robes, and a gift such as a personalized copy of The Jungle Book or teen magazine.
ROOMS Brown's may trace its pedigree to the 19th century but you'd never guess it once ensconced in its spacious rooms, outfitted with all the tech necessities, including Bang & Olufsen flat-screen TVs in the suites. The bathrooms are on an equally grand scale, with tubs so big you feel like attempting some laps, and wonderful shower/steam baths. The only problem is the terrible temptation not to leave, which would be a shame as this is London.
FOOD AND DRINK London has no shortage of bars or restaurants, and many, from the Ivy, an upscale haunt for theatre people, to the more relaxed Kettners in neighbouring Soho, to the diner Hamburger Union in Covent Garden, are all in the general vicinity. But here, too, is a temptation to stay put, as Brown's offers the Albemarle (which will put the unfortunate stereotypes about British classic cuisine to shame), the chic Donovan Bar and the legendary English Tea Room.
Hotel vitals
TOP DRAW
I'm tempted to say it is the Donovan Bar, indisputably one of London's most fashionable watering holes, or the spa. But I found the best of Brown's in my room: a large, flawlessly appointed bathroom with a steam room/shower that caused me to languish, too long perhaps, given all the other attractions.
NEEDS WORK
Brown's is an exceptional hotel well situated in a great city. You expect to pay a premium for that. But the rates, starting at $900 a night for a "classic double," still have the potential to surprise. Either it won't matter, or hope for an off-season special.
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