Anthea Gerrie stays at the Grosvenor House Apartments, an iconic Park Lane address.
For oil tycoons and other wealthy businessmen who travel with entourages, the Grosvenor House Apartments in London offer the ultimate in self-contained privacy.
These top-end serviced flats are nothing to do with the hotel of the same name except for their geography – the operator of the capital’s newest five-star hospitality enterprise is Jumeirah, which owns the Carlton Tower in nearby Belgravia
But even the poshest hotel is too public a place to stay for many, and the point of Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living is that they are totally private. The only street-level access is a small glass door on the corner of Mayfair’s Park Lane and Mount Street, leading to a small lobby manned by bellmen who direct guests to the second-floor reception. And you can’t get even that far unless you are expected.
Up at reception level, there’s a huge atrium in which a statement sculpture is suspended. In the well is a large dining area for the use of visitors and their guests only. It is unlikely ever to be over-subscribed, given that every apartment in this complex has a fully-equipped kitchen, a fridge stocked with basics and the offer of room service. Acres of marble reminded me of the sleek, cool, slightly sterile luxury I last encountered in the first-class lounge of Qatar Airways, and this feeling extends to the apartments themselves – with the exception of a large penthouse which is gloriously art deco.
The masculine feel seems surprising considering that Anouska Hempel, who created Blakes Hotel, a riot of exotic, rich and flamboyant clutter, consulted on the design. The apartments, which range from studios to multi-bedroom flats with views of Hyde Park, do offer all home comforts; the beds, in particular, are extraordinary.
Living rooms feature a large dining table, and the kitchen area contains a dishwasher as well as a large fridge with items bespoke for each client. Mine contained organic butter, cheese, hummus, bread and milk, and there was a Nespresso machine with pods. But I was keen to try the Arabian Breakfast, not offered widely in London, and was reminded of an Israeli feast – cheeses, vegetables, labaneh, flatbread – with the Middle Eastern additions of ful (soupy spiced beans) and saksouka – scrambled eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. English and other options are available too.
Tell me more about the Grosvenor House Apartments
Prices at the Grosvenor House Apartments start at £450 per night for a studio rising to £11,000 for the penthouse, and a minimum of one week’s stay is required. There is a business centre, gym and licensed in-room dining and a partnership with certain Mayfair restaurants aims to bring their chefs and signature dishes into the building as a bespoke option to room service.
Tel: +44 207 518 4444
