Staying at this West End hotel "is like visiting a rich aunt and being given her best guest room." Interiors range from traditional to modern; the doors and paintings in the Oliver Messel Suite have gilded frames. Promenade Bar showcases fire-colored glass "spears," a high-backed banquette, and 37 different vodka labels. Rooms "boast the deepest tubs in London, yet they fill up in three minutes." For even more relaxation, visit the spa, whose focal point is a chandelier of 75,000 South Pacific pearls.
(250 rooms)
Also featured on the: Gold List for 2005, Gold List for 2007, Gold List for 2008, Gold List for 2009, Gold List for 2011