The Connaught

This handsome red-brick executes stylish sophistication with exceptional panache. Elegant yet homely orchid-infused, butler-serviced rooms flourish with contemporary artworks, two excellent restaurants yield the finest cuisine, and one of the bars has possibly the most highly sought-after martini trolley in the city.

Hotel Location

Despite The Connaught’s camouflage as a classic London des-res, you’ll spot it immediately for ‘Silence’, a mist-expelling elliptic water feature by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The setting is undeniably smart and the hotel, which hugs the corner of Carlos Place, is surrounded by high-end restaurants and swanky shops.

Bond Street underground station is just over five minutes’ walk away, meaning so are the shops of Oxford Street, and a five-minute walk in the opposite direction will bring you to the fringes of Hyde Park. The museums, galleries and theatres of Knightsbridge are half an hour or so away on foot.

Service and Facilities

Nothing is too much trouble here and the staff are slick and convivial, from the butler who unpacks your suitcases and the concierge who can arrange theatre tickets, to the martini-juggling bartenders and the therapists at the svelte Aman spa. It’s worth noting that if you have a spare two-and-a-half hours you should treat yourself to a Native American signature experience there – after enjoying the ionised pool and steam room.

There’s a gym and a business centre, and airport transfers, chauffeurs, clothes pressing and John Lobb-trained shoe shine services (boom 24 hours ahead) are available.

Rooms

Rooms start with the Superior Queen category, with views of Adams Row, Carlos Place or the inner courtyard, and are contemporary in feel with a ‘greige’ palette and mahogany furnishings. They feel airy and classy, like you’ve walked into a very well-off relative’s townhouse. All have Bose docking stations, dressing gowns and slippers and minibars, along with the usual amenities such as air-conditioning and televisions.

All bathrooms are clad in marble and have televisions, heated loo seats and products made by Cowshed for The Connaught; Superior Queen rooms have showers and no tubs, but other categories have both.

If you have a spare £16,800, plump for The Apartment, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Hospitality and Cuisine

With Hélène Darroze (two Michelin stars), Jean-Georges, and two bars (stylish Coburg Bar and American-style Connaught Bar – the latter is famous for its great martinis), guests have always been spoilt for choice when it comes to eating and drinking well here. Jean-Georges is a picture of gentle greys and pale blues, with curved sofas, tub chairs and a conservatory that hugs the corner of the building. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s menu offers pan-Asian fare with European (mainly French) influences. The caviar on toast (£38), is a must; a texturous dish with gentle, bulging egg yolk sandwiched between two slices of chewy, crispy brioche and a healthy topping of caviar; the tuna tartare is also great, served over a lemony mash of avocado, topped with sliced radishes and ginger soy sauce. If you can stretch to it, get the lettuce-strewn fontina cheese-and-truffle pizza. For dessert, try the crunchy, caramelised (and bitter) peanuts and dark cacao-ey chocolate.

Since early 2020 a third restaurant has opened. Also overseen by Jean-Georges Vongerichten: the Connaught Grill. First opened in 1955, the original Connaught Grill closed in 2020 and it has now been reprised in the same intimate space, with bespoke furnishings by renowned woodworkers Nakashima from Pennsylvania and dishes from an open kitchen cooked on a wood-fired grill or spit roasted, plus a couple of classics from the old days such as Welsh rarebit and cheese souffle.

Breakfast at Jean-Georges stands out as one of the best in London. From the classic poached eggs over granary toast with mashed avocado (add a side of crispy streaky bacon) or the deeply indulgent French brioche with crispy caramelised-butter edges and a gentle, bready centre, doused in maple syrup with slices of banana and mango, it’s a real treat.

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