My unforgettable (for the wrong reasons) London luxury hotel scene experience
Are city luxury hotel restaurants just smoke and mirrors? #61
Have you ever felt a bit of a fool for falling victim of very good marketing tactics by luxury hotels?
You see nice photos, you see articles, they invite influencers and you're like oh yeah that looks good and you're tempted to think ‘I can get a little bit of a feeling that I get when I go away on a hotel break by popping into the restaurant, popping into the bar, popping into the spa’.
But I had two experiences recently in London which were a real disappointment. It might be different when you stay as a guest in those hotels but as an outside visitor, it was really nothing special.
When I read about a famous Michelin star chef opening a restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, I quickly booked a table. And when the Berkeley posted photos of their attractive rooftop bar and I imagined ourselves enjoying a lovely cocktail and a touch of luxury in the middle of a busy city, again I hit the reserve button.
On both occasions, it was a true let down and certainly not worth the money - and there is a huge markup just for having gone through those doors!
First of all, the design and atmosphere were as bland as a plain slice of bread, especially in the first restaurant. The rooftop bar had nice views, a good size pool and more stylish settings though. Neither of them offered anything special in terms of food or drinks. We actually left the rooftop bar after a cocktail that was all ice and no alcohol when we saw that the menu was offering salads you could rustle up at home in five minutes. And don’t even get me started on the prices! I mean, I get it, you expect to pay a premium for such a setting, but you also expect an exceptional experience to match. Sadly, that wasn't the case.
I pride myself in being able to cut through the pretty picture or fancy website to be able to idently only the places that have the little “je ne sais quoi” and thankfully, so far, viewers who followed my recommendations have been very happy with their choice. But this time, clearly I failed !
Have you ever be disappointed by a hotel that promised a lot but delivered little? It would be fun to know about it, do share in the comments!
Extra finds
Heym, Bordeaux
From 190 Euros - Check latest prices and availability
Heym guesthouse is composed of five spacious rooms including one fully equipped and air-conditioned suite. It’s not the most exciting design but it’s a good price for a hotel with a heated indoor pool in the centre of Bordeaux.
Homa Serifos
From 747 euros - Check latest prices and availability
Homa (Χωμα- chó̱ma) in Greek means the earthy soil. These villas for rent are located in the valley of the village of Vagia in the south part of the greek island Serifos. Outdoors the earthy beige industrial floor and plastered walls in the color of the Vagia sand set the color palette. Indoors minimalist decor allows to relax. There are three two-bedrooms villas of 59-71 sqm, each with a pool (6.5x4.3m). They have direct view of the beach of Vagia which is only a 4 min walk away. Each villa has a pool
Pensons at Netherwood estate, Herefordshire
From £535 including a five course tasting menu- Check latest prices and availability
Two cosy, comfortable bedrooms in the courtyard garden of the Pensons restaurant. These are available to book on an inclusive dinner, bed and breakfast basis for Wednesday-Saturday nights. For single occupancy, they offer a discount of £85 per night. PThey also have two large historic houses on the Netherwood Estate that are available to rent for weeks or weekends on a self-catering basis. No pool
Berber Lodge, Morocco
Double rooms from €110 (£99) in low season; and from €140 (£125) in high season.
As said last week, one of the way to support Morocco will be to visit them and you can find my suggestion of hotels with pools here.
Otherwise Berber Lodge is a classic as well. Inspired by traditional Berber architecture, it was built on an old Olive Garden with all the olive trees preserved. The decoration is a mixed between local craftsmanship, local antics and a personal collection of 20th century design furniture. There are nine spacious cottages. Located between the Olive trees in the middle of the garden, the (unheated) pool at Berberlodge is 20 meters long and 7 meters wide.
Casa Rosalie, le Perche
From €210 a night (two-night minimum stay) - Check latest prices and availability
In a pristine part of Perche province, three small houses spread out over a three-hectare estate, located between a lake and a forest. A collection of 3 Casas with a unique design and architecture, combining noble materials and current trends with ultra-purified lines and verticals. Between forest and lake, the comfortable houses are equipped with private pools heated all year round. Each house has a private heated pool.