My family and I spent a weekend in London and stayed at the stylish and urbane COMO Metropolitan Hotel. The hotel, located in the heart of the Mayfair District, offers stunning views of Hyde Park, a world-ranking gourmet restaurant on the premise and an award-winning spa. Add to this the Emporio Armani clad staff there to anticipate your every need, and it’s easy to see how the Metropolitan earned its stellar reputation.
Cool and contemporary, the rooms at the Metropolitan have all of the amenities you’d expect at a luxury hotel, including an iPod dock, flat-screen satellite TV, and free wi-fi. The large picture windows flood the room with light, making the already spacious adjoining rooms we occupied, feel even bigger. The bathroom, by contrast, is a bit small and considering all of the other stylish touches in the hotel, surprisingly bland. However, the Shambhala bath amenities will do much to assuage any disappointment in this regard.
Extracting ourselves from the ridiculously comfortable bed with its Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down duvet proved difficult, but the al la carte breakfast, which includes everything from homemade pastries, juices, and smoothies to a full English breakfast enjoyed under the glass pyramid ceiling of the White Room, made it worth the effort.
Though it may no longer be the newest, hottest restaurant on the scene, the perpetually hip Nobu and its celebrated chef are known the world over and can still draw a crowd with its New Japanese cuisine. When booking dinner at the Michelin starred restaurant that occupies the first floor the hotel, be sure to request a table with a view of Hyde Park.
Indulge in a spa treatment at the hotel’s COMO Shambhala Spa Urban Escape, winner of the Hotel Awards “Top Places to be Pampered in London”. There is an extensive range of treatments offered, including acupuncture, deep tissue massage, and the signature COMO Shambhala massage, which I choose and thoroughly enjoyed.
The Metropolitan Hotel is conveniently located, with Buckingham Palace, Knightsbridge and Bond Street all within walking distance, as are the Hyde Park Corner and Green Park tube stations, thus making most other major attractions within easy reach.
