London Chintzy Hotels We Love

Story by Karen Walker
Photo by Mikhail Gherman

After years of hotels being all about the modern, post Philippe Starck thing I think it’s time to revisit the chintzy, fluffy old world look. On a recent trip to London I got to enjoy three of the best - afternoon tea at Claridge’s, drinks at Brown’s Hotel and staying at The Berkeley. Here’s why they strike gold in the chintzy takes:

The Berkeley:

• The beds are enormous and puffed up with most floral and feathery duvets imaginable. Minimalism? What’s that?

• The lifts have miniature red leather sofas in them in case that ride from reception to the 3rd floor is too much for you.

• The ashtrays, by every lift on every floor, never have any cigarette butts in them and always have “Berkeley�” stamped into the sand.

• The art in the rooms are etchings of Anne Bollin and Oliver Cromwell all hung in fancy gold frames.

• The wake up call comes from the bells in the little church across the road.

Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s:

• The light in the tea salon is pink and makes everyone in there look like Barbara Cartland … in a good way.

• Speaking of Barbara Cartland, there are always elderly ladies dressed entirely in pink and with big fluffy hair drinking their tea and eating their scones in the tea salon.

• Every single time I’ve been to tea at Claridge’s the violinist and pianist inevitably break from their Gershwin repertoire to play someone “Happy Birthday.”�

• The tea selection is magnificent but I always end up going for Royal White Silver Needles. The description of the tea reads, “Picked only two days of the year at dawn; processed entirely by hand, the beauty of its fine, silvery buds, its delicate and refreshing taste makes it one of the most glamourous teas in the world.�” It has got to be worth a try.

• The ladies’ rest room is still original. Everything in there is from the 20’s… including the ladies who fill your basin with water just the right temperature every time. How do they do that?

• Any hotel with pictures of Winston Churchill, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant and the like stepping through the front door is ok with me.

• Afternoon tea here takes at least two to three hours and is the most relaxing thing I can think of. Being in the tearooms at Claridge’s is like being in a bubble away from all the hassles of life. It’s like going to a day spa but with cake.

Drinks at Brown’s Hotel:

• Brown’s Hotel has been around since 1837 and, predictably, it’s dripping with history. Just to start - it was owned for many years by Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell made the first phone call in Britain from the hotel and Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book here.

• Sitting along from us in the bar was David Bowie and you don’t get that at the local Holiday Inn do you?

• When we left the doorman said to me: “Your chauffeur is waiting for you Madam.�? Well, he’s not mine and I’d borrow him for the afternoon but I’m only going around the corner.