Rosewood London is a luxury hotel located in Holborn, London. The hotel underwent an £85 million renovation of its 1914 Edwardian building and focuses on high-end interior design. The Hamiltons stayed in a large Premier Suite and were impressed by the marble bathrooms, linen robes, and pastries. They enjoyed dining in the hotel's Mirror Room and Holborn Dining Room, with most dishes being excellent quality though a banana creme brulee was subpar. Overall, the Hamiltons found Rosewood London to be a breathtaking property and gem of a hotel.

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more roomy, you can reserve the
Grand Manor House Wing, when
booked with the five connecting
rooms, which has a private lift and
its own street entrance – the only
hotel suite in the world to have its
own postcode.
The rooms and public spaces have
been designed by Tony Chi and
Associates so expect lacquer,
textured wood veneers and
prismatic mirrors.
Staff ‘wardrobes’ are also on the
button with elegant tweedy
three-piece suits and brogues –
designed by Nicholas Oakwell to
resemble attire worn by staff
working in a British manor house.
(The only negative I felt was,
despite being most charming to
watch, the hotel keeps finches and
budgies in cages by the gloom of the
elevators. But I am told when the
aviaries are cleaned twice weekly,
they are able to fly in a safe area.
The cages also have custom made
covers between 10.30pm and 6am
so light or loud noise is
ameliorated.)
Guests have two main dining
options, the Holborn Dining Room
and Mirror Room.
Before our evening’s scoff,
however, we took an aperitif in
Scarfes Bar, named after the
cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, who has
collaborated with the hotel to create
a drawing room cum gentleman’s
club vibe, with his work displayed.
It’s sumptuous, moody and sexy,
Breathtaking
setting for a
luxury break
I
’M safely wrapped in my
complimentary linen kimono
after completing my evening
toilette and strolling to bed in
our suite at Rosewood London
when something catches my eye
as I pass the window.
Some tipsy gentlemen across the
street have paused in their
stumbling progress to behold the
stunning facade of this Holborn-
based hotel. They take out their
mobile phones and begin snapping
pictures of this revamped
caravansary.
And who can blame them?
Rosewood London is quite
breathtaking and just as distracting
inside.
Condé Nast Traveller in both the
UK and US have put it on their ‘The
Hot List 2014’ while Telegraph
Ultratravel simply rates it Best
New Hotel in the World 2014. And
last month it won luxury travel
network Virtuoso’s Hotel of the Year.
As you come from Holborn tube
station, just a few steps away you
enter a cobbled path through
evocative wrought-iron gates into
the hotel’s courtyard.
The interior is one breathtaking
masterclass of interior design after
another; a sultry reception area
with literary themes, leading on to
leather/suedey lifts or if you choose
to take the stairs then behold the
grand Pavonazzo marble staircase
which rises up through all seven
storeys of the hotel beneath the
166-foot cupola.
After an £85 million revamp of the
1914 Edwardian Belle Epoque
building, Rosewood London opened
on October 15, 2013. The original
architectural features have been
restored by craftsmen including the
Grade II-listed street frontage and
dome – so loved by said passers-by.
The hotel has 262 guestrooms and
44 suites. We stayed in a Premier
Suite, big enough to host a milonga,
my favourite features being the
Italian bedding, Italian marble
bathroom, linen kimonos and
complimentary patisserie before
bed.
But should you want something
Suite success: Mr & Mrs Hamilton stayed in a Premier Suite. Inset, Scarfes Bar
Impressive interior: The hotel’s Grand Pavonazzo marble staircase, left, and the rose bronze gallery
Touch of glass: The Mirror Room
Rosewood London is one of the newest hotels on the
block, already winning awards. Mr & Mrs Hamilton
discover why people can’t help stopping in their tracks to
take in this stunner
n The Hamiltons were guests
of Rosewood London, 252 High
Holborn, London, WC1V 7EN.
For more, call 0207 781 8888 or
visit www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/
london.
n Rooms start at £320 inc VAT for
Deluxe entry level rooms.
The Hamiltons’ room, a premier
suite, starts at £800 inc VAT.
with herringbone wood floors.
However, a bright red plastic lamp
more at home on the shelves of
IKEA, was sitting next to the little
table we chose. Not sure what it was
doing there but it was somewhat
incongruous. You can also get lunch
here which includes pizzas, burgers
and a lobster macaroni cheese
which I intend to try one day.
The Mirror Room, quite dazzling
as its name suggests, offers all-day
dining and afternoon tea in a salon
setting and it’s where we had
breakfast the next day.
Holborn Dining Room, where you
can also get breakfast, is hip yet
relaxed. It reminds me of one of the
Harrods food halls but it in fact
used to be the East Banking Hall of
Pearl Assurance. We spent a few
hours here earlier in the day
enjoying coffees on their red leather
booth seats. We particularly loved
the chandeliers, antique mirrors,
leather, and copper and brass
fittings. It connects to the hotel’s
delicatessen, which also opens on to
High Holborn for non-guests to grab
a coffee and other snacks to go.
Mr Hamilton started with a wild
boar charcuterie plate (£8.50) while
I enjoyed the Hot Wye Valley
asparagus with a perfect
hollandaise (£10.50). They also had
things like steak tartare, pea soup
with wild garlic and salt baked
heritage beets with goats curd. We
also nibbled on Ancient loaf with
hand made butter (£2.50).
Crustacea aplenty, mains could
include dressed Cornish crab or
Carlingford Lough but I went for
the special of half grilled lobster, sea
vegetables and chips (£20) while
husband wolfed roast rib eye with
pepper sauce and crispy onions
(£26.50). Other delights included
lamb rump with violet artichokes
(£24.50), cod fillet with rare breed
chorizo (£21.75) and fish finger
sandwich with pea puree (£7.25).
So far, so good. But then desert;
the only let-down for me, my
pudding, a horrendous banana
creme brulee (£6) – a lovely crisp top
but a thin layer of cold, mashed
banana underneath. Banana is good,
creme brulee is good but never the
twain shall meet on my lips again.
At least warm up the banana. Mr
Hamilton meanwhile sensibly had
the British cheese board selection
(£11) which elicited no complaints.
We would definitely eat here again
– maybe alfresco on the courtyard
terrace – which also has two (£18)
and three-course (£22) deals.
Rosewood is a real gem. We would
definitely return to stay or just for a
repast and if passing it’s a charming
place for afternoon coffee too. And if
you can tear yourself away from the
inside – it also has a spa and fitness
suite – then Covent Garden is a
stroll away for shopping and so on.