HIGH TEA AND HISTORY
THE LANGHAM, ONE OF LONDON’S FIRST GRAND HOTELS HAS A RICH 140- YEAR LEGACY THAT ENDURES EVEN TODAY, FINDS PRACHI BHUCHAR
The past is omnipresent at London’s Langham Hotel
It rises among the modern clutter on Regent Street like a relic, its grand architecture bestowing it with a veneer of old- world charm. The Langham Hotel, London, wears its heritage like a talisman. The hotel, which was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales ( later King Edward VIII) in 1865, is today a moody study in history. Its pale pink and russet interiors with gold paisleys, its iconic afternoon tea, and the soft freshness of wood rose that sits delicately on your nose as your flit from one part of the hotel, is quintessential to the whole Langham experience that draws on over a century of culture and tradition.
While the hotel has changed many hands over its almost 150- year- history, its relationship with royalty, artists and writers has remained constant. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who created Sherlock Holmes, used the Langham as a setting in A Scandal in Bohemia published in 1889. He spent many weeks in the trusted hotel and like him, in later years, playwright and novelist W. Somerset Maugham, actress Gracie Fields and a host of royalty including Diana, Princess of Wales and actors like Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford, Martin Sheen made it their charming home in an elite part of London. The hotel was modernised in the 1920s- 30s, and more recently underwent an £ 80 million refurbishment which has left the facade intact but given the lobby, rooms and Palm Court, the site of its famous afternoon tea ritual, a wrapped- in- tissue feel. The rich Orient meets Occident look is played out in the large Victorian bay windows, the dark, expensive looking Artesian bar, the alabaster marble stretching to the ceiling which has bespoke chandeliers made of hand- blown Murano glass attached to it, and the tranquil Chuan spa. You half expect in smart hats and gowns to glide
across the lobby in a shimmer of Victorian grace evocative of the grand age the hotel has stood testimony to.
While the rooms are smart with the signature paisley and pink edging in the form of stationery and even the ethernet cable; rooms apart, you stay at the Langham for two things: its gorgeous location ( opposite BBC House on Portland Place and within walking distance of Regent’s Park) and its historic afternoon tea.
The Palm Court with its wrought iron gates sits like a shiny jewel with cut mirrors, crystals and semi- precious stones, in the centre of the hotel. It hosts the elegant and aristocratic Asprey Diamond Jubilee afternoon tea so named after the jewellery company which enjoys a royal heritage. Featuring imaginatively hand- crafted creations, the tea is inspired by Asprey’s jewellery lines. Use the services of the tea sommelier to choose from over 30 blends of fine tea and nibble on exquisitely cut smoked duck with foie gras and blackcurrant sandwiches; you can also savour one with smoked Scottish salmon mousse and caviar. The pastries and tea cakes light up with food glitter, rich plum hues and edible accessories that highlight Asprey’s jewel- toned creations. The scones ( chocolate and marinated orange or the Bedford variety) are served with clotted Devonshire cream and smooth strawberry preserve. The other cakes and pastries on display include the blueberry and bilberry Battenberg, purple jasmine with apricot and the pina colada macaroon with Malibu ( from £ 40 per person). With a live pianist in attendance, this could well be a setting for a classic English film and most people who come here dress and live the part. Stay at the Langham or head here for cocktails, jazz of the afternoon tea to feel cultured and British to the hilt. It is after all the place to be seen in London.