Okay, let’s get this out the way first: this place is punchy. You’re not getting much change from four figures for a standard room, and the suites are really only for those with proper FU money. But you know what? It’s worth it. Honestly. If I was minted (ha!), this is totally the London hotel I’d hook my travel plans to.
It’s surprisingly understated, given it’s from a fashion house not exactly averse to a bit of bling. Maybe that’s because it’s clearly very confident in what it’s doing (this is one of eight Bulgari Hotels worldwide – run in collab with Marriott), or maybe I simply don't know enough about the fashion industry (probably a fair point – you should see my shoes). Either way, this place clearly prioritises sophistication over gaudy opulence. I liked it a lot.
There’s also a lot more to this hotel than meets the eye. There are five subterranean floors (yes, really) playing host on various levels to a really decent-sized swimming pool, a swanky two-floor spa, a gym, a conference room, and a cocktail bar. Oh, and there’s a private cinema down there, too. You know, just in case you want to invite forty or so of your pals over for a flick.
You’ll probably not be surprised to hear service is shockingly good. The staff were at once exceptionally polished and jovial; deferential and funny – to the point where they became a genuine highlight of my visit, especially the Greek girl on the front desk who didn’t get offended when I asked if she was Italian, and was inexplicably still learning her art at hospitality college. She’ll go far.
But let me leave you with one final thing: this hotel has by far the nicest smelling toiletries of any I’ve stayed in. Sure, you might expect that, given Bulgari’s pretty big in the fragrance game, but boy did I leave there smelling good. And feeling pretty good too, actually. What a place.
The neighbourhood
Swank central, basically. Harrods and Valentino are barely a waddle across Brompton Road, Sloane Street another block away (Dior, Tom Ford, Balenciaga), and there’s even a McLaren car dealership over the road, should you want to pick up some new wheels. Hyde Park is also very close, and if, for some reason, you’re staying here and want to use the tube with hoi polloi, Knightsbridge station is about a two-minute walk.
Nearby
Sette, the exceptional in-house restaurant from NYC restaurant group, Scarpetta. It’s not cheap, but the Italian food here is some of the best in London.
The Serpentine Gallery, just across the road on the south side of Hyde Park. Head down for world-class art exhibitions, with most free to enter.
Natural History Museum, for one of the world’s leading museums. Enjoy its Hintze Hall, home right now to a jaw-dropping and huge skeleton of a diving Blue Whale.
Time Out Tip
Am I allowed to say steal all the toiletries? No, be good. Instead, see if you can blag your way to a suite where you’ll get your very own butler(!), in-room sauna, and more space than you could possibly ever use. Finally, make sure you navigate the labyrinth underground for one of the best spas in town.