The Landmark London, A 5 star stay

222 Maryleborn Road, London NW1 6JQ +44 (0)20 7631 8000

The Landmark London is a 5 star luxury hotel, obviously or it won’t be on our list. But what is really interesting about it is its history. Did you know this hotel was actually opened as Hotel Great Central by the Great Central Railway? It was during the age when railways were transforming the country when this hotel was opened with 700 rooms making it one of the largest hotels any railway ever had. With the biggest guest rooms you’ll ever find in London boasting Italian marbling and lavish décor, the theme of the hotel has been and still is opulence.

It was all envisioned by Sir Edward Watkin for Marylebone Station – Hotel Great Central would serve as the centre of railway running through a tunnel linking Europe and Great Central Railway but his plans were cut short when railways faced the financial winds in 1895. The hotel was still just a plan in his mind and hadn’t even started taking a shape yet. The land for the hotel was bought by the owner of Maple, Sir John Blundell who hired an architect, Robert Williams Edis, to design the hotel which was opened in 1899. Although the terminal was considerably small, its hotel was grand, all with a courtyard and clock tower. It was designed to reflect wealth and power, luxury and opulence of the Victorian era.

And then, everything changed. Decline of railways as new modes of transportation came up inadvertently resulted in deteriorating business of railway hotels as the railway traffic decreased. This grand hotel even served as a military base before the demand increased and it was reopened to be used for what it was supposed to be – a luxury hotel. After changing owners, it finally came into the hands of the Landmark group which renamed it to The Landmark London. A lot of renovation and facilities later, it is one of the best hotels in London offering banquet rooms, health spa, beauty treatments, restaurants and bars besides the rooms that everyone provides.

With 300 grand rooms and suites, space has been very intelligently used. But make no mistake, every room has an element of surprise – the sophistication and style will make you go weak in your knees, it’s that awesome. Other than that, the restaurants and bars add a lot to its charm. Where Winter Garden, TwoTwentyTwo are perfect settings to enjoy your meals with your family, The Gazebo is an ideal business meeting spot and Mirror Bar could help you unwind after a long, tiring day. Then there is Sunday Brunch to make every Sunday a special one and Afternoon Tea, which in addition to the famous English beverage, also serves scones, pastries and sandwiches to go with it. As far as the services go, every penny you spend here will be well-deserved and totally worth it.