Great Cumberland Place London
Jimi Hendrix loved it. So did Buddy Holly and his Crickets. Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and Madonna have also checked in over the years.
The Cumberland Hotel near Marble Arch has a rich history of hosting some of music’s biggest names and the minute we entered its lobby we were in a world of glitzy London glamour.
A black taxi doubles as a photo booth and a chandelier made of drumsticks hangs over the check-in desk. The music theme continued upstairs where our room had a boutique feel. Hard to imagine there are 899 more of them!
As well as the usual coffee machine and mini-bar, ours contained a Crosley Record Player with a stack of LPS and a Marshall Bluetooth speaker.
With a splash of Union Jack chic everywhere, it was refreshing to see there was no place for bland hotel art. Instead, we had portraits of Mick Jagger and sculpted seven-inch vinyl singles. The mirror even had a height chart to see how you measure up against your pop idols. I discovered I’m taller than Mick Jagger but only come up to Snoop Dogg’s shoulder.
It’s all tremendous fun and our stay was a happy mixture of great music and relaxation.
Its spectacular 360° Sound Bar is a must. We grabbed stools at the bar beneath its multi-coloured roof and sampled its signature cocktails. Our favourite was Rocket Man (£15.50), a blend of Bulleit Bourbon, Cointreau, Aperol and fruit juices.
Next to it is the Sound Sports Bar, where you can catch the day’s sporting action on nine 4k flat screens.
The Sound Cafe’s Americana-inspired menu offers burgers including a delicious Classic Cheeseburger (£18) – or go large with a special London Double-decker Cheeseburger (£22.50).
All dishes come with a side order of live music from the Sound Cafe’s stage. The night we were there, Dirty Tree played funk and soul covers, creating a fantastic party atmosphere.
Our waiter, Leo, couldn’t do enough for us – and he was only slightly upstaged by the robot waiter whizzing about between the tables.
There’s so much on The Cumberland’s doorstep. We were in Oxford Street within 30 seconds and it’s a short walk or bus ride to Soho and the West End. Hyde Park is just over the road.
It’s easy to get to the Science, Natural History and V&A museums and being next to Marble Arch Tube on the Central Line means most of central London is within striking distance.