The most exquisite hotel room in Britain
FOR understandable reasons, the King has not yet seen the King’s Lodge on the fifth floor of The Connaught in London.
But it will cheer him up no end when he does, for this is the work of a charity he founded in 2006 called Turquoise Mountain, which supports artisans in Afghanistan, Myanmar, India and elsewhere.
It’s perhaps the most exquisite room I have ever seen.
Stepping inside this new suite under the eaves of the venerable Mayfair hotel is like arriving in an entirely different country.
Clad in walnut jali fretwork from Afghanistan — but made in Jordan by Syrian refugees — the room features marble panels carved by specialists descended from the Mughal court; handwoven carpets and paintings; fabrics from Myanmar; and carved marble and glass insets (of which there are thought to be some 900) from India.
For those who like symmetry there is plenty of it, especially in the bathroom, where the white marble florets come from the same quarry as that used for the Taj Mahal.
The overall effect is a celebration of craftmanship from far-away lands a lot less privileged than we are here in Britain. And it helps to know that a portion of what you pay for the room goes to the charity.
The Connaught began life in 1897 as The Coburg Hotel, but changed its name in 1917 to honour Queen Victoria’s seventh child, Arthur, who became the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. There are only 121 rooms (rather than 203 at Claridge’s) and it retains a unique intimacy.
Arriving is a thrill, with a host of staff in tailcoats keen to have a welcoming word.
One of them escorts us in the small boudoir lift with wooden floor and glistening brass knobs. He seems just as excited as we are about arriving at the King’s Lodge.
One of the joys of The Connaught is the grand mahogany staircase, thought to be the widest of its kind in the world.
Go to the top and then walk down, the chatter getting louder as you descend to the ground floor. On the second-floor landing, there’s a grandfather clock next to a portrait of the Duke of Connaught. It gets wound every three days.
Downstairs, it’s all about evolution on a grand scale. The newest piece of theatre is the Red Room bar, which opened last year. It’s tucked behind a velvet curtain and features various red-themed art. The cigar bar is next door.
There’s no end of dining choices: Helene Darroze and her three Michelin stars occupy the space beyond the Coburg Bar; Jean-Georges Vongerichten is in the bright and cheery spot closest to Mount Street; then there’s The Connaught Grill, where you can share a 2.2lb (1kg) tomahawk steak for £200.
If you love a grand, formal, historic hotel, The Connaught is hard to beat. And if a special occasion beckons, then raid the piggy bank and book the King’s Lodge.
The Connaught Carlos Place London W1K 2AL 020 7107 8843, theconnaught.co.uk (£2,060 a night, including breakfast, for the King’s Lodge. VAT included.)