With a super central London location behind Fortnum and Masons, yet on the corner of the peaceful Duke and Jermyn Streets, The Cavendish London manages to offer a quiet stay with easy access to the hot spots of the capital.
The hotel is a stylish and contemporary offering with 230 rooms for guests as well as a bar and lounge, meeting rooms and resident restaurant, Petrichor.
Hotel
The hotel entrance sits opposite the famed Tramps nightclub, while in a mere minute you’ll find yourself walking the bustling Piccadilly, spotting high end shops and passing by top-notch restaurants. The 4-star hotel is a central spot for Buckingham Palace, the sights of Westminster, Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street – it truly sits in a great location.
The stylish lobby offers a nice welcome for guests, I visited in December and loved the Christmas decorations adorning the inside of the hotel as well as the shops and streets outside. A Cavendish Mayfair hotel has existed since the mid-19th century and the hotel’s current site has been in operation since 1966, being formerly run by Rosa Lewis AKA the Duchess of Duke Street, the formidable chef and owner, who had King Edward VII and Kaiser Wilhelm II as admirers of her culinary skills.
Room
I stayed in an executive room on the 14th floor and was wowed by the fantastic views of the city as well as being rather impressed by the size of the bed and bath.
Windows covered the width of one wall, making those top London sights even easier to spot. The London Eye, Shard and St Paul’s Cathedral were all there to see as well as the many other various buildings and rooftops of the capital that lit up the night sky just as beautifully.
Inside the 27-30 square metre space a curved wood feature wall made a statement as well as a beige leather effect chaise longue. I slept so well in the large bed that I was rather reluctant to leave but an espresso from the machine in my room certainly perked me up. There was a hospitality tray too as well as a bowl of fresh fruit to indulge in. Robes and slippers could also be spotted as well as a small fridge and air conditioning to ensure a level temperature – a must for me as I like a cool room to sleep in!
Dark wood furniture highlighted the golds and beige tones in the room’s soft furnishings while the bathroom held a rather big bath with a separate shower all in cool, neutral tones.
Food
Petrichor restaurant on the first floor is the resident 2 AA Rosette eatery, serving up British delights in the bright, open space. I visited at lunchtime so was offered the set lunch menu at £19 for two courses with a glass of house wine or three courses for £24. I opted for three courses (of course) along with a glass of Chardonnay.
I started with the ham hock terrine with piccalilli, black garlic, pickled vegetables, micro leaves and mustard. The pretty plate consisted of two small slices of terrine with colourful vegetables, dots of black garlic puree and a garnish. I’m not a big lover of mustard so I was glad that I could enjoy this without the flavour ruining it for me, but I think if you would be expecting big flavours you may be disappointed.
Next up was a delightful 6oz beef rump, presented in chunky slices with even chunkier chips, which were glorious – no skinny fries for me! A tasty red wine jus complemented the steak as did a dollop of Béarnaise sauce and some honey roasted root vegetables on the side were a good addition. I could have eaten another portion of those chips; they were fluffy on the inside with a superb crisp outer. Yum.
There were plenty of staff members about on the day – all pitching in and ensuring that I had everything I needed at any time – a very friendly bunch of people. I also spotted an afternoon tea or two being enjoyed and they looked really nice, not for me though, I had a traditional Christmas pudding on the way. Served with vanilla custard and cranberries and decorated with sugar holly leaves, this was a lovely sweet and satisfying end to the meal.
Breakfast was also served here but I missed it as I was having such a delightful snooze, however the espresso machine and fruit in my room came in handy. I also made up for it with a hearty chicken burger for lunch in the bar/lounge, where I spent a few comfortable hours catching up on some work.
Getting there
From the south west, the best way to get to London, in my opinion, is by train. Great Western Railway offer a fantastic first-class service with friendly and helpful staff waiting at the platform to guide you to your spacious seat in the freshly updated carriages. The tea trolly is bought around constantly so if you pass on a complimentary coffee or snack, you can be assured that it won’t be long before you are offered it again. The views from Devon and Cornwall and up towards the capital make the journey even more pleasant and the ever-faster services will have you enjoying London in no time at all.
In a nutshell
A great location and friendly staff help to make anyone’s trip to central London go smoothly. Enjoy the hot spots of London, St James’, Piccadilly and Mayfair from this is ideal site and you can be sure of a good night’s sleep too!
Factbox
Rooms can be booked from £183 on weekends and £298 on weekdays.
Address: 81 Jermyn St, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6JF
Phone: +20 7930 2111
Email: enquiry.cavendish@the-ascott.com
Website: thecavendish-london.co.uk
