Green and Pleasant Land
The Wellesley maintains the best of British refinement.
The Art Deco building does “small” well, filled with intimate spaces and little nooks, ideal for socializing or sitting quietly and relaxing.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE IS ONE OF LONDON’S BEST neighborhoods, and this grand hotel is one of its premier landmarks. It is not large — no more than 36 bedrooms and suites — but maintains a stately grandeur and dedication to sophisticated service that remains world class. The Art Deco building, originally the Hyde Park Corner tube station, does “small” well, filled with intimate spaces and little nooks, ideal for socializing with close friends or simply sitting quietly and relaxing.
Fine Repast
The Crystal Bar, Jazz Lounge, and Oval Restaurant are well-known London institutions, specializing in Italian food, international spirits, and stylish live music. The Crystal Bar, especially, uses its impressive collections as décor, with walls lined with glass cases showing off whisky, cognac, and Armagnac, including bottles dating to 1770.
The Cigar Terraces, off the Humidor Lounge — the largest hotel humidor in Europe — have a collection of the world’s finest cigars worth in excess of $2 million, and a laser-cut inlaid-marble map of Cuba in the floor. And Executive Chef Michele del Monaco uses fresh, seasonal ingredients to create memorable meals for no more than 28 covers.
Guest Comforts
Guest rooms consist of 17 bedrooms and 19 suites spread over seven floors, each one uniquely decorated. Occupying the sixth and seventh floor, the Wellesley Penthouse Suite comprises four bedrooms, lavish bathrooms, its own humidor, a large table for private dinners, a private staircase, and rooftop terrace.
Guest bathrooms bear echoes of the Art Deco era with veined Arabescato Corchia marble from Italy’s Cararra region, and Hermès amenities and televisions recessed into mirrored walls.
All guests can use the complimentary Rolls Royce drop-off service locally, and a 24-hour butler service including unpacking, steaming or pressing, and room service. In-room Samsung tablets are connected to the concierge desk, and provide international newspapers, flight information, and a calendar of local events. The hotel maintains a partnership with Grace Belgravia, a health and well-being members club for women, which provides guests with spa treatments and access to the Grace Gym, Grace Spa, and Grace Apothecary Bar and Café. Another partnership, with the legendary Burlington Arcade shopping promenade, brings the possibility of a complimentary historical tour of the arcade from a traditionally dressed Burlington Beadle Guard, and VIP shopping experiences such as perfume profiling or a complimentary Chanel makeover.
What’s more is that the Wellesley also has its own superyacht for charter, MY The Wellesley. The 184-foot vessel has a crew of 12 and can be booked for up to 12 guests, who can enjoy the Jacuzzi, sundeck, Jet-skis, outdoor cinema, and the same world-class service as the hotel while
Mediterranean.• exploring ports of the