Rarely in London does one get a hotel room with an outdoor terrace that really “WOW”s? Not because there aren’t a plethora of beautiful hotel rooms but because, let’s face it, London’s regular rainy weather is not fitting for lots of leisurely outdoor space. How many outdoor swimming pools, rooftop terrace bars and restaurants can you find in London compared to say New York?
The Marylebone hotel has a solution and a gorgeous one at that. Three suites in this beautiful hotel boast the most gorgeous outdoor terraces I have ever experienced in a London hotel. With remote control fireplaces, a flat screen TV, plush furniture, rugs, side tables and blankets situated on the deck, controlled heating lamps, views overlooking the city and a retractable rooftop, the suite terrace is a 5-star experience in itself.
Part of the family-owned hotel group The Doyle Collection, The Marylebone is a charming hotel in one of the buzziest areas in London near Bond Street, Oxford Street and Hyde Park. Marylebone has become a high-price destination residential spot for bankers and financiers with the A-list attraction of Andre Balazs’ Chiltern Firehouse and Anthony Joshua’s new gym BXR. From Bono, Dua Lipa, Noel Gallagher, Sting, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Rihanna, Jay Z, Beyoncé – Marylebone is the place to set your sights on a celebrity in London and where better to spend one’s New Year’s but close to the stars?The particular suite I stayed in on New Year’s Eve felt like the ideal central London penthouse apartment with gorgeous coffee table books about contemporary art, photography, and film from Frank Sinatra to Alexander McQueen.
You enter the suite through a first door which leads to stairs to another door which is the entrance. Once you walk in, you step into a living room with furniture, a flat screen TV, and large books as well as an honesty bar filled with an assortment of delicious snacks from Carpo’s nuts, crisps, Maltesers and bottles of gin, whisky, vodka, wine, champagne, Nespresso machine with an incredible array of colourful Nespresso tablets for coffee lovers, and a silver Martini shaker.
The bar is a couple steps below the sliding glass door entrance to the epic terrace. Want an ice cold Martini by the fireplace on a rainy London night outside? You can here. Beyond the inside lounge is the bedroom which has a walk-in wardrobe with a floor to ceiling mirror and plenty of room for your Lanvin dresses and Savile Row suits. The bathroom has heated tiled floors, bathtub and shower with an array of sumptuous amenities from Aromatherapy Associates.New Year’s Eve seemed the perfect time to book one of these terraced suites and it over delivered my expectations. The morning’s breakfast was a proper full English with eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, beans, tomato, mushrooms, black pudding and toast. There is a very English centric room service dining menu with steak, a hamburger, and fish and chips as well as other delicious dishes I got to try like the thin crust pizza and the warm chocolate fondant served with peanut butter ice cream. Dining on the terrace in my bathrobe beside a crackling fire was the pinnacle of luxury.
The beauty of the terrace makes the whole hotel one of the best places I have stayed in in London. The remote control fireplace, outside heaters, and retractable rooftop makes this space in the room a rare find. With meals served in front of movies on this balcony, the suite gives you a feeling of being in another country where the weather permits these activities.With an urge to explore the hotel’s spaces, we had a proper tour of the newly designed 108 bar which plays a mix of Johnny Cash and bluesy country music, the 108 Brasserie which is now a local favourite a bit of a hot spot, the new private room on the ground floor which will have its own private entrance and can seat up to 90 guests for a private meal, the upstairs terraced room with foliage which would be a perfect space for an upcoming London Fashion Week fashion show and canapés.
In addition, for fitness and spa fans, The Marylebone hotel gives guests complimentary access to new members’ gym Third Space which has a wide range of workout equipment, an 18m pool, the Juicery, the wellness area, and steam room. Third Space is a new members’ gym with studios, start of the art equipment, personal trainers, natural food and classes in Urban Dance, Pilates Hot Yin Yoga, TRX Max, Vinyasa Yoga, Kickboxing, Cycle, and an array of cardio, stretch and core strengthening courses in their growing locations: Marylebone, Tower Bridge, Soho, and Canary Wharf.
With fantastic customer service, great in-room dining provided by the chefs at 108 Brasserie, unique newly-designed event space for your private soirees, special access to the Third Space gym and spa, and an unbeatable room with a view, the Marylebone hotel is on my must-go list of top London hotels.
The Marylebone Hotel
47 Welbeck Street
London
W1G 8DN
