You’ll spot this monumental Gothic revival edifice on Marylebone Road from blocks away. Traffic roars past, but once the doorman welcomes you inside the arched red stone lobby, the hum of engines fades into glory. Built to impress and rival The Savoy by Great Central Railway in 1899 and the visionary entrepreneur Sir Edward Watkin, his Victorian masterpiece has been reincarnated many, many times and now feels decisively 21st century. Imposing it may be, but stuffy it ain’t.
Why stay at The Landmark London?
Affable concierge Jacob clearly loves this place after 17 years’ service. The hotel is designed around this courtyard with eight storeys of rooms rising above and encircling this dramatic entrance where guests once arrived in carriages. Now with a glazed roof, it has the light-filled feel of a tropical greenhouse or palm court.
Further on is the elaborately decorative Marble Room leading to the blingy Italian marble staircase, garlanded with carved figures, plasterwork flowers, with stained glass windows, big lanterns and neoclassical arches and pillars. The Grand Ballroom is all chandeliers and plasterwork, as big as a football pitch – the Empire Room might comfortably host a couple of badminton courts.
The hotel’s back entrance has a glass-covered walkway to Marylebone Station. The doorman was busy filming an influencer posing in a diamante-encrusted dress – as common a routine as opening the door, he told me. A stay here is like stepping back in time and fast-forwarding to now, in a nano-second.
What are the rooms like at The Landmark London?
Back in the tail end of the 19th century there were just shy of 700 rooms, where a stay cost three-shillings-and-sixpence a night (18p). Now, with fewer than half that number, the rooms and suites are claimed to be some of the most spacious in London. A 560sq-ft executive room in an elegant cream and grey palette with a proper king size bed (not two twins shoved together) has a double sofa and armchair and a work desk. There are damask curtains and multiple lamps with pleated shades so you can create an ambience to suit your mood. The black and white marble bathroom has a separate loo with door, bath and walk-in shower, a double sink and Argentum toiletries. Slippers, robes and an ironing board are provided in the wardrobe. There were only six hangers, but should you check in for longer (as many super-wealthy do for months at a time) I wager that armfuls would arrive in a jiffy on request. As you might expect, there is a coffee machine with pods, a kettle, tea bags, a small bottle of milk, Walkers biscuits and a drinks chiller. Most importantly, I slept well.
What is the food like at The Landmark London?
Options in the hotel are plentiful. We ate amongst the palm trees (the trunks are real) in the Winter Garden – head chef is Brian Hennessey. A pianist played classic tunes, as our super-keen and charming management trainee Anth brought menus. It caters with equal choices of meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan dishes. The seasonal menu is £55. The a la carte menu features a chilled heirloom tomato and basil consommé (£15), poured theatrically from a jug at the table, a Dover sole a la meunière (served off the bone) with brown shrimps, capers, parsley and butter sauce (£54) and veggie options like a courgette flower tempura (£15) and pan-fried herb gnocchi with Yukon turnips (£27).
I had breakfast at the same table – the dozen fresh salads on the buffet were welcome and delicious – I had smoked salmon mousse and avocado, followed by red peppers, aubergines, courgettes and pumpkins. There are dozens of other buffet dishes, and you can order anything you desire from the kitchen too – I sneaked an egg poached to runny perfection. Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst must have enjoyed a Welcome Breakfast here in 1908 after a hunger strike at Holloway Prison. Her breakfast was hosted in the Grand Ballroom, and she received a bravery medal too.
Other food and drink options are served in the Champagne Bar in the mezzanine gallery above the Winter Garden, lined with upmarket beauty and fashion boutiques and a bespoke tailor. The subterranean Mirror Bar is the place for cocktails and snacks and the Great Central Pub by Matt Fletcher serves classic pub plates. The Winter Garden does afternoon tea.
What is the service like at The Landmark London?
Flawless. What makes a difference in a place, however fancy, is the people. Staff across the restaurants and public spaces all trod that special line between respect and friendliness. They have the knack of reading a person – so happy to chat on any topic I threw at them (sorry). I met a lovely woman with a room service trolley twice and she remembered what we had spoken about a day, and doubtless a hundred encounters with guests, earlier.
What is the spa like at The Landmark London?
It features one of London’s only chlorine-free, 15-metre indoor swimming pools – a plus in my book. I descended in the lift in my robe to the basement and at spa reception I was gently advised that children were in the pool for another half an hour (they have two sessions between 9am and 11am and 3pm and 5pm). I might want to come back or relax in the steam room in the ladies’ changing room in the meantime? I appreciated the heads up. All was calm in the cool pool, the sanarium offered gentle heat and the steam room was satisfyingly hot and steamy. The spa also offers face and body treatments with skincare brand Germaine de Capuccini, candlelit massages and ritualistic therapies. There’s a fitness centre gym too.
What’s the area like around The Landmark London?
It’s central London, so you can walk or ride to the main attractions. On a rainy afternoon I walked for 15 minutes to classy Marylebone High Street, to browse the shelves of that travel writers’ mecca, Daunt Books. You can spend hours in this three-storey Edwardian emporium with its oak balconies and stained glass. I passed artisan bakeries, delis, bistros, bourgeois boutiques and in Moxon Street, I couldn’t resist the heady aroma of La Fromagerie with its fragrant cheese room.
Next morning was sunny and nearby The Regent’s Park with its splashy Triton and Dryads Fountain in Queen Mary’s Garden is a delightful spot for a walk, scented by 12,000 rose bushes. On the way a huge queue waited outside the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Why you should you book a stay at The Landmark London?
If you have the means to fork out for genuine five-star service in exceptional surroundings in central London, I’d recommend this as the real deal. The service is efficient, friendly, but not intrusive. Staying here was a glorious experience.
DETAILS
Address: 222 Marylebone Road, London NW1 6JQ
Price: Rooms start at £500 rooms, Marylebone Suites for £800
Transport: Marylebone railway station and Underground in 30 seconds. Baker Street Tube is a five-minute walk