The Cavendish’s 1960s building stands on the site of a hotel of the same name run by Rosa Lewis, rumoured to have been a mistress of King Edward VII. It may lack that property’s raffish, fin de siècle appeal, but it’s a comfortable, fairly reasonably priced hotel in an expensive neighbourhood. Plush, neutrally decorated rooms come with coffee machines, Villeroy & Boch bathrooms and White Company toiletries. There are cocktails in the Rosa Lewis bar, and British dining in the restaurant, Petrichor.
Sandwiched between the Mall and Piccadilly, St James’s is genteel, English and somehow masculine by reputation – perhaps because of the presence of several gentlemen’s clubs in the area, along with Jermyn Street, known for its gentlemen’s outfitters. The best hotels in St James’s range from the discreet, like the charming Dukes – home to Dukes Bar, renowned for its martinis – to the exuberant, like the storied Ritz. The Wolseley, an elegant modern rendition of a grand café, is a great place to eat – it’s open from breakfast to dinner – and drink in the atmosphere. Piccadilly Circus and Green Park tubes sit at two corners of the area, and it’s is also a short walk from Charing Cross and Covent Garden. Here is our pick of the best hotels in St James’s.
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