HOTEL OF THE WEEK
London
WHERE AND WHY: Jimi Hendrix loved it. So did Buddy Holly. Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and Madonna have also checked in.
The Cumberland Hotel near Marble Arch has a history of hosting music’s biggest names.
Inside, a black taxi doubles as a photo booth and a chandelier 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 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.
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. It’s all tremendous fun and our stay was a happy mixture of great music and relaxation.
ON THE MENU: Its spectacular 360° Sound Bar, pictured inset, is a must. We 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.
The Sound Cafe’s Americanainspired menu offers burgers including a delicious Classic Cheeseburger (£18) – or go large with a special London DoubleDecker Cheeseburger (£22.50).
All dishes come with a side order of live music from the Sound Cafe’s stage. The night we were there, The Dirty Tree played funk and soul covers, creating a party atmosphere.
Our waiter, Leo, couldn’t do enough for us – and he was only slightly upstaged by the robot waiter whizzing between tables.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: It’s a short walk or bus ride to Soho and the West End. Hyde Park is just over the road.
WAKE-UP CALL: Rooms from £190 per night including breakfast. guoman.com