MANDARIN ORIENTAL
I’m lying in what must be the biggest, most lavish bed I’ve ever slept in. It’s fully seven-foot square, with (I can only assume) million-thread-count sheets. I’d say this bed is a microcosm of the super-luxurious experience at the Mandarin Oriental. The real estate is insane. We’ve been upgraded to a suite and the sitting room has three huge windows overlooking the treetops of Hyde Park. The decor is Art Deco gilt: our room has shimmery wallpaper and panelling, giant statement gold branch ceiling lights, a fully stocked glass and gold bar, a marble fireplace and a huge Chesterfield mink velvet ottoman. The bathroom is top-to-toe black and white marble with Miller Harris bath and body products.
We head for drinks at the bar, which, like the rest of the hotel, has been totally redecorated since a major fire broke out in June 2018. It’s the perfect starter place for a big night out, and you can sit at the bar stools on the left-hand side for maximum people watching.
We eat at the more casual of the two restaurants, the basement
Bar Boulud by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud. The crowd is mixed: big families who look as if it’s their canteen and dressed-up dating couples. It specialises in charcuterie; I have pâté de campagne then a beautifully pink duck with red-wine-marinated fennel and cherries. We finish the night with a (slightly drunken but very fun) walk in the park in the dark. But the best part of our stay is breakfast: smoked haddock with asparagus and grated eggs and two of the most delicious coffees ever, washed down with that incredible view. The biggest treat. BRIGID MOSS
TRIP NOTES Rooms from £952, including breakfast (mandarinoriental.com/london)