Hotel Review: The Landmark, London.
Overview
We visit London quite often and there are so many great places to stay. The Landmark doesn’t tend to be as high profile as some, but it’s an amazing location and hotel. Fantastic service, great rooms and the absolute highlight is always breakfast in the incredible Victorian atrium. Smells wonderful too. During 2019 the hotel was celebrating its 120th anniversary (from 1899).
I normally always choose from the selection of Leading Hotels of the World properties (of which The Landmark is one) but recently I’ve been recommended to book through Grand Luxury. Though not actually stayed yet on one of those bookings, I have laterally been booking more through them than LHW, despite the Aurelian membership status.
Hotel website: https://www.landmarklondon.co.uk
Would I stay here again? Yes, yes, yes! Have already stayed here numerous times and it never disappoints.
Location
This old ‘Grand Dame’ hotel is located on Marylebone Road, right opposite Marylebone Station and only a very short walk to the shops, bars and restaurants of Baker Street and Marylebone High Street.
There is a canopy cover from the station (the hotel would originally have been a Victoria railway hotel I assume) which is serviced by Chiltern Railways, this is also a TFL stop here too on the Bakerloo line between Edgware Road and Baker Street. This makes it so easy to get around, the station is in the central Zone 1.
Accommodation
There are a total of 300 rooms including 51 suites, these are located across five floors of the hotel and either face outwards or into the huge glass roofed atrium. We’ve always stayed facing out, rooms are very spacious and extremely well appointed and always super clean. There are Superior, Deluxe, Executive, Executive Family and Corner Executive rooms; Marylebone Studio (and Family version), Marylebone, Atrium, Landmark, Great Central and Presidential suites. I think over the number of stays we’ve already had we have probably been in all room types and the Marylebone Studio suite.
This time we had booked with LHW so had a pre-upgrade to an Executive room, in the past we have tended to have a Marylebone Studio separate living and bedroom space) but this time the Executive room has an entrance corridor, separate bathroom/dressing area and then one huge open-plan bedroom/living area. As always, a super-comfortable king-size bed, exemplary house-keeping standards and a marble-lined bathroom with twin sinks, bath, large walk-in shower and a separate WC. Toiletries here are by The White Company but spotted Molton Brown on the housekeeping trolley which is perhaps reserved for suite guests. Room was on the fifth floor, looking out over to the station building - if your room is on that side of the building, if you enter from Marylebone station there is a small lift which takes you up rather than walking across the atrium to then walk back along the corridors. I normally dislike rooms with an interconnecting door (mainly for noise considerations) and our room 530 had one in the entrance hall; but it has to be said it was extremely well soundproofed as no noise issue whatsoever.
Food & Drink
We have actually only ever had breakfast and afternoon tea in the hotel, these are served in the majestic Winter Garden restaurant (soaring 8 storey glass atrium with palm trees). A sumptuous breakfast buffet is served daily from 7am to 11am (11:30am at weekends) and the restaurant remains open throughout the day until 10:30pm.
The High Palms afternoon tea is served daily from 3-5pm weekdays and 1:30-5pm at weekends. It’s £45 per person or £52 including a glass of champagne - while not cheap, this is so worth it. Any time we have had this we have been constantly topped up with sandwiches and tea, and they make all accommodations for dietary requirements. This is a really special occasion.
As well as the Winter Garden restaurant there is also the Great Central Bar & Restaurant, The Mirror Bar and The Garden Terrace - we will have to make time for these on another visit.
Facilities & Service
The hotel has an incredible spa - this is located on the basement floor. As well as a large heated indoor pool (15 meter), there is a state-of-the-art gym, Jacuzzi and sanarium (both by the pool) but also a steam room in the changing rooms. The pool is open from 6:30am to 10pm during the week and 7am to 9pm Saturday and Sunday - last entry is an hour before closing.
I would normally always try to have at least one spa treatment when staying away and had planned to this weekend, but whenever we are in London we always try to fit in so many things that we often can’t do everything. I had contacted the spa in advance about availability and choice of treatments, they were very quick to respond and incredibly helpful suggesting appropriate treatments. Like everything in this hotel, I can’t imagine treatments here would be anything other than exemplary.
ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)
Only one very minor point is that there is often a lot of things left in corridors for a while (meal trays, iron/ironing boards, things like that)
ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights:
The breakfast in the Atrium
The Winter Garden champagne Afternoon tea
Feels like such a welcoming home from home
Useful website links:
The Landmark London https://www.landmarklondon.co.uk
Leading Hotels of the World https://www.lhw.com/hotel/The-Landmark-London-London-England
Grand Luxury Hotels https://www.grandluxuryhotels.com
Marylebone Station https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/routes-and-destinations/london-marylebone
The Conran Shop https://www.conranshop.co.uk
Everyman Cinema https://www.everymancinema.com/baker-street
Barbican Conservatory https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2019/event/visit-the-conservatory
