First impressions
The Langham has just celebrated its 140th anniversary, a milestone that befits
a hotel brimming with fusty antiques and nurturing a boarding school whiff
of furniture polish and taxidermy. But the Langham has no such traits. The
vast arched stone entrance gives a nod to the hotel’s origins as London’s
first grand hotel (when built it was the largest building in London), but
there’s no fustiness. Pale stone walls, elegant paintings and smooth
mahogany furniture make for an attractive lobby, although what will remain
of these after the hotel’s upcoming refurbishment is not certain.
At a cost of £50 million, a comprehensive redecoration will bring the Langham
into line with its fashionable rivals, and if the new hotel bar, Artesian,
is anything to go by, the new look will be sensational. Overhauled by modish
designer David Collins, who has the Wolseley and Berkeley under his belt,
the Langham’s former polo-themed bar has thrown off its chukkas and baize in
favour of lush textures in silver, white, black and purple. The leather
floor, bevelled mirrors and lilac marble ooze opulence and fun, and together
with the bespoke rum, bottled exclusively for the hotel, ensures the bar is
fast becoming a hangout for the trendy media types who work nearby.
When the same design team has overhauled the restaurant, whose incongruous
palm trees and Moroccan lanterns are crying out for the scrap heap, the
designers will move onto the bedrooms and lobby, with a finish date set for
the end of 2008. In the meantime though, the food, service and location mean
the Langham is still a winner.
Why it’s special
The hotel’s history makes it a London institution, and the location, five
minute’s from Oxford Circus tube station, is unbeatable for access to the
West End, shopping and media offices surrounding BBC Broadcasting House.
Hitting the sack
The 427 bedrooms include 47 Langham Hotel Club rooms, located in the
relatively new wing of the hotel, added ten year’s ago when the hotel
acquired an adjoining bank building. Navigating the route between the two
parts of the building isn’t easy and it was a relief when, on arrival in
reception I was escorted to the Club check-in.
The modest desk located in a corridor outside the Club lounge was a
disappointment after the grand lobby, but staying in the club rooms has its
advantages – drinks and food in the lounge throughout the day, including
evening cocktails and afternoon tea, free local calls, complimentary
pressing of one garment, use of the health club and use of the boardroom for
up to three hours, among other extras.
My room had a mediocre view of nearby buildings and non-descript but
inoffensive décor, in beige, cream and gold tones. All the essentials were
there – broadband internet (charged at £20 for 24 hours), minibar,
hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities, and so forth. The marble
bathroom was slick and spartan and the shower offered a refreshing morning
blast.
Sampling the food
The current restaurant, Memories, is on death row, and it couldn’t come a
moment too soon – the spectacular room, with a vast high ceiling and huge
curved windows is spectacularly undersold. The renovation and name change
will be completed this summer, but head chef David Collard will stay on, so
it’s worth mentioning the food. Collard has Michelin starred experience with
such luminaries as Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, and offers a two-course
dinner from £30, with three courses from £36.50, a reasonable price for this
quality of cuisine.
