Knightsbridge

The Park Tower Knightsbridge, a Luxury Collection Hotel

The Park Tower Knightsbridge

Knightsbridge, London, England View on a map

8 out of 10 Telegraph expert rating

Housed in a soaring round tower that was designed by Swiss-British architect Richard Seifert in 1973, The Park Tower Knightsbridge has long been a place to see and be seen. Sandwiched between leafy Hyde Park and Harrods, the property is popular with discerning guests who adore the thrillingly old fashioned service.

Read my review for Telegraph Travel: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/central/knightsbridge/hotels/the-park-tower-knightsbridge-hotel/

Hotel of the fortnight: Jumeirah Carlton Tower

Looking for somewhere stylish to sleep? Check into the Jumeirah Carlton Tower says Kaye Holland

Deciding where to disappear for a long weekend in London can be something of a challenge: the capital isn’t short of sumptuous five star hotels to head from classics (such as The Savoy and The Ritz) to haute newcomers (here’s looking at Ham Yard Hotel and the Rosewood London).

It’s a delicious dilemma to have for whichever property you check into, you’re not going to leave disappointed. But if you want to avoid the crowds in the West End this summer, Haute Time suggests checking into the Jumeirah Carlton Tower – the epitome of five star luxury – over in Knightsbridge.

Nobody can deny that when it comes to luxury, the Jumeriah group knows how to put on a show and they have been doing it for decades in the capital (the Jumeirah Carlton Toweropened in 1961).

The Jumeirah’s flagship London property can be appreciated for a great many things – just ask tennis aces, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer, both of whom have used it as a bolthole.

All of the 216 rooms are huge (and will have you googling Farrow and Ball paint) boasting massive power showers, enormous mirrors and stunning views over London’s skyline and the private gardens of Cadogan Place. But it’s worth upgrading to the signature Royal Suite: revamped in 2011, the Royal Suite was shortlisted for the inaugural Hotelympia Design Award in 2012, recognising the luxurious touches created by designer Khuan Chew and her agency, KCA International.

It’s not just the rooms that elate: so too do the restaurants. There are several places to eat (including The Club Room and The Chinoiserie) but The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant - a top choice for distinguished visitors and heads of state – ranks as one of the most in demand dining rooms in town. And for good reason: the restaurant, which underwent extensive refurbishment by Martin Brudnizki in 2011, puts other London steakhouses to shame.

The Rib Room’s restaurant is well known for serving traditional British cuisine with a contemporary flair but it’s bar is also second to none – you’ll find delicious things to drink in stunning surroundings at any time of day. And the attitude free staff are superb – they’ll bring you exactly what you want, however you want it.

Worried you might leave a good dress/shirt size larger than when you arrived? Hit the Peak Health Club where you can work up a sweat in the state of the art gym or swim in what must surely be one of the prettiest pools Haute Time has ever seen: expect a 20m stainless steelpool lined with palm trees.

Or you could just pull on a fluffy robe and head to the temple of a spa to enjoy some exceptional treatments. Haute Time can recommend the magic muscle melting Mohom massage – guaranteed to iron out every knot in your neck and shoulders. We defy even the most tightly wound city slicker not to feel the tensions slip away after a session in the ninth floor spa…

Now that you’re looking better and feeling calmer, it’s only a hop, skip and a jump to the streets of Knightsbridge which are choc full of designer shopping (don’t miss the world famous Harrods and Harvey Nics), more top notch dining (Zuma is where Boris Becker had his infamous ‘broom cupboard ‘encounter and from where celebs such as Cheryl Cole like to spill into the paparazzi’s glare) and chic bars – straight from the pages of a glossy magazine.

All told if you want to live life to the full in London, there’s nowhere better to do it than the Jumeirah Carlton Tower.

Restaurant of the week: Bar Boulud

JUNE 23, 2014|  ARTICLE BY 

KAYE HOLLAND

Celebrated New York chef, Daniel Boulud, opened his London outpost back in 2011. Fast forward three years and its still one of the most in demand dining rooms in the capital.

There may be all sorts of newcomers muscling in – Chiltern Firehouse and Fischer’s anyone? – but it’s Bar Boulud that Haute Time keeps coming back to. This is partly due to the restaurant's superb location (slap bang in the middle of Knightsbridge) and partly down to the sophisticated cuisine.

The kitchen doesn’t put a foot wrong with dishes like Lapin de la garrigue (provencal pulled rabbit with carrot, courgette and herbs) and coq au vin and steak frites. Bar Boulud’s burgers are also a big draw – our favourites are the Frenchie (a beef patty piled with pork confit and morbier cheese) and the Piggie (a beef burger topped with green chilli may and pulled pork).

But if you’re planning on popping into Bar Boulud for a long, leisurely lunch, we recommend trying the new ‘Menu Bouchon’. Created by Daniel Boulud and executive chef Dean Yasharian, Menu Bouchon has been inspired by the authentic Bouchons of Lyon – Daniel Boulud’s home town.

Delicate starters could include a Lentil salad served with warm garlic sausage or Oeufs Mimosa. Mains are spectacular: think Poitrine de Porc (Pork belly), Moules à la Crème(Mussels with crème fraîche), Truite aux amandes (Rainbow trout with almonds) and Poulet rôti (Roasted chicken).

All are complimented by a masterfully assembled list of wines (Bar Boulud was the winner of Best Restaurant Wine List at the 2013 Taste of London restaurant festival and renowned for its impressive selection of wines, many served by the glass from rare, large-format bottles). For summer dining, order the award-winning Chêne Bleu rosé – served by the glass from 6-litre Jeroboam bottles, exclusive to the restaurant.

Service is utterly professional and the low key yet luxe setting in the basement of the buzzy Mandarin Oriental Hotel, can’t be bettered.

All told this is an extraordinary restaurant overseen by a chef at the top of his game, that deserves every continued success.

Restaurant Of The Week: The Rosebery

Don’t leave London without experiencing afternoon tea at The Rosebery

Cast aside that cappuccino. Leave that latte alone.  Forget that flat white. Tea is brewing up a storm. Yes, the charming relaxed ritual of afternoon tea is back in fashion.

For the quintessential afternoon tea experience, Haute Time recommends making for the Mandarin Oriental for our favourite Knightsbridge hotel has opened a new venue - The Rosebery – offering a chic afternoon tea service every day.

Named after Lord Rosebery, The Rosebery has made a welcome return to its roots (it was a stylish tea room back in the 1920s before being used as an event space). Theinterior design – created by G&A Designs (the team behind the Booking Office Bar at St Pancras) – makes the most of the room’s Victorian origins but employs contemporary touches. Think specially commissioned one-of-a kind art works and seating in shades of forest greens and browns to bring it bang up-to-date. The design also makes full use of the expansive space and height of the room and its abundance of natural light.

Every element in creating the afternoon tea and champagne salon has been truly bespoke, including the new Rosebery China Collection by William Edwards, glassware by John Jenkins and uniforms designed by one of Britain’s young fashion designers, Charlotte Taylor.

But it’s not just the setting that wows – so too does the food. Before afternoon tea (£45) even begins, the immaculate staff will bring out a moreish mango amuse bouche to cleanse the palette.

And then a beautiful tiered tray of treats magically arrives. Expect the daintiest of sandwiches (Slow roasted organic chicken and buttered corn, Smoked salmon tartar with creme fraiche and fill, Cotswold egg and mustard cress, Cucumber, cream cheese and pea shoots, Portland crab and crayfish fondue on brioche and Wiltshire cured ham and heritage tomatoes all shaped in circles as opposed to conventional triangles), fluffy freshly baked sultana and plain scones served with strawberry jam and clotted cream as well as more out there accompaniments (rose jelly and lemon curd) and tip top pastries. Standouts include the Milk chocolate passion fruit tart, Green tea eclair and Raspberry and yuzu macaroon. Mmmm.

Save room (we struggled to) for a further plate packed with generous slices of both banana and dundee cake, followed by a delicate dish of die to for chocolate truffles. Little ones aren’t neglected either: there’s the Rosebery mini tea for the under 12s for London’s well heeled ankle biters.

Wash it all down with a choice of Breakfast, Afternoon and Directors Reserve tea blends that have been exclusively crafted to Mandarin Oriental’s specifications, together with a selection of speciality teas, in conjunction with the East India Trading Company.

Or if you’d prefer an alcoholic tipple to tea, opt for a glass of champagne. Highlights include Ruinart rosé (£23 per flute), Bauchet Premier Cru Empreinte (£72 a bottle), Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut, Ambonnay (£255) and 82 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque (£1,650). After sunset, when The Rosebery transforms into a sophisticated bar, you can also get stuck into champagne cocktails and sake (Japan’s national drink is stocked extensively).

All told, afternoon tea at The Rosebery helps cement the Mandarin Oriental’s reputation as one of London’s premier gourmet destinations (Heston Blumenthal and Daniel Boulud both have outposts here) and represents a great way to while away an afternoon in palatial surroundings. Just don’t expect to eat again that day….

London’s best massage?

Is the daily grind getting your down? Smooth away the stress with a Mohom deep tissuemassage at the exclusive Peak Health Club, says Kaye Holland

 

If you’re anything like Haute Living, chances are your weekends are no longer about hobbies and hedonism. As Londoners we spend Monday-Friday working (the number of Londoners who work 48 hour weeks has risen from 10 per cent in the nineties to 26 per cent in 2014, with 70 hours weeks now the norm) and playing (post work drinks, dinner at the latest IT restaurant, theatre dates) HARD.

Little wonder then that when the weekend rolls around, we’re drained - both mentally and physically.This disturbing new trend is what Londoners are referring to as the Shatterday/Shunday phenomenon.

For me, two days of fun has been replaced by the dry cleaning drop off, supermarket shop, researching and writing freelance articles and endless Agony Aunt sessions (aka counselling your 33 year old childhood friend who has just called off her second wedding). And having spoken to family and friends, I know I am not alone: we Londoners are following the 5:2 plan not just with our diets, but when it comes to work and socialising too.

Enough. I reached mid-March determined to avoid yet another 'workend'. I wanted - nay needed - to reclaim some  ‘me’ time. Subsequently I signed up for a Mohom massage at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower - the luxurious Knightsbridge gem that has been a favourite with A-listers ever since it opened in 1961.

Jumeirah_Carlton_Tower_-_The_Peak_Health_Club

Mohom - which uses a herbal poultice - is no ordinary massage. One Mohom treatment is, as my therapist  - the lovely Lucja - informed me, the equivalent of 10 massages. Just what my knackered body needed.

But while herbal poultices (a heated muslim parcel of aromatic herbs and spices) might be the ‘in thing’ in relaxation right now, it’s actually a treatment that dates back to the 14th century when these fragrant hot packs were used to help heal, among other ailments, abscesses, boils, bruises, swollen glands, sunburn and sprains.

The Jumeirah Carlton Tower’s Peak Health Club – one of the most exclusive in the capital  – offer a 60-minute Mohom deep muscle massage and having tried it, I can testify that it is pure magic for the muscles.

As your therapist strategically places the heated herb poultice on the body’s charkas – that’s key energy points to you and me – aided by an enticing concoction of essential oils, relaxation takes hold.

Health and spa club room

The warmth and the herbal scents works like a dream to soothe you as you drift away. Each time the poultice is placed on a different body part, another wave of warmth flows from the fingertips to the toes. Meanwhile your therapist kneads your body from head to toe, using a melting combination of deep tissue massage techniques.

The spa itself - tucked away on the ninth floor of the Jumeirah Carlton Tower - oozes relaxation and offers an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the big city. World music plays softly from a music system in the corner of the treatment room, encouraging you to wind down further.

At £95 for 60 minutes, the Mohom is an expensive massage but a wonderful indulgence. I emerged totally relaxed, with every knot in my neck and shoulders ironed out, having found the serenity I had been seeking on arrival.

Health and Spa

The Mohom deep muscle massage costs £95 for 60 minutes at the Peak Health Club (6.15am-10pm Mon-Fr; 7.30am-9pm Sat & Sun). To make an appointment call 020 7858 7300.