Elite Traveler Summer 2024

elite traveler SUMMER 2024 141

The Peninsula London THE PENINSULA SUITE The Peninsula was one of two $1bn hotels to open in London in 2023, but this one could not be more di ff erent from its counterpart, Ra ffl es London at The OWO. Ra ffl es occupies a historic military site oozing grandeur and historical anecdotes; The Peninsula, on the other hand, is a built-from-the-ground-up, 21st-century hotel. What it lacks in storied walls, it makes up for in high-tech toilets, digital infotainment systems and an interior style that Peninsula loyalists will fi nd instantly comforting. The lobby is lifted straight out of its property in Hong Kong. There are a few local touches, such as hand-painted murals depicting nearby Hyde Park, but The Peninsula came to London not to settle into local customs, but to introduce the city to its way of doing things. Take The Peninsula Suite, for instance. At 5,059 sq ft, it is one of the biggest in London. If you take the option to connect the six additional rooms, it becomes the biggest suite in town. It’s on a scale that the cramped legacy hotels of Mayfair cannot o ff er. Beyond the huge living area, you get a private gym, a dining room, ano ffi ce, not one but two huge dressing rooms and a 13-seat cinema. There’s a wraparound terrace for the two weeks of summer that London usually enjoys and fl oor-to-ceiling windows for the other 50. Interiors-wise, you’ll fi nd everything feels very Peninsula, once again. The hotel’s top suites have been designed with a similar look and feel so that VIP guests won’t feel out of sorts should their usual suite be occupied. Expect plush carpets, heavy drapes, high-quality handmade furnishings and a reliance on dark woods. If you do want a taste of London, you don’t have to go far. Head up to Brooklands by Claude Bosi, a two-Michelin-star restaurant inspired by Concorde. The chef has designed a menu that pays homage to some true British classics such as coronation chicken and roast lamb. By Alex Martin Price on request. Contact reservationpln@peninsula.com, +44 203 959 2888, peninsula.com

Photos Will Pryce