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 The city of London, with its rich traditions and contemporary panache, has held its
post as one of the world’s great cosmopolitan cities for centuries,
but until more recently the city’s architecture, esteemed as it was
for its traditions, was stylistically one-dimensional. The city’s great sights,
particularly those in the Westminster District of the city’s West End,
were impressively uniform. The nerve center for London’s law making
and administrative processes, its architecture was equally conservative.
The parliament towers, the beautiful Westminster Abbey, rebuilt by Henry
III in 1245, and the neoclassical façade of Buckingham Palace mark a
variety of architectural eras, none of which proved to be very
experimental. Today, the building patterns are not so predictable. With
Old Park Lane, Hyde Park, Berkeley Square and the Knightsbridge shopping
district spearheading the city’s new-culture renaissance, beautiful
contemporary boutique hotels are springing up on the district’s
high-rent blocks. One such gem is the Metropolitan Hotel, located on Old
Park Lane next to the Four Seasons. Steps to Hyde Park, to the great
theatre district, and home to some of the city’s great restaurants,
the opulence of the past meets the classy lines of modernity at the
Metropolitan, a new icon on the old block.
132 guestrooms and 18 suites, including a penthouse, here
look out on either the Mayfair skyline or Hyde Park. Minimalist designs
highlighted by sharp lines, simple fabrics, and luxurious textiles make
each room a stylish and relaxing refuge from the fast pace of London.
For the traveler who needs to stay connected, The Metropolitan’s
in-room facilities are unparalleled: two phone lines, in-room fax,
complimentary DVD and video game service on request, and an extensive CD
library turns your room into your own private London loft. With plush
bathrobes, and a newspaper and magazine service that lets you choose
your in-room reading material, a unique and satisfying standard has been
set. Pear wood is featured prominently in the oversized bathrooms, along
with Shambhala bath products and amenities. Guests may order room
service for breakfast, or even order it to go if the sun is shining and
the city sight s await. With twice daily maid service, evening turndown,
and in-hotel dry cleaning, laundry, and shoe shine service, there is no
end to which the staff at the Metropolitan will not go to make your stay
a memorable one.
And it, in fact, can be that way without ever setting foot
outside the hotel. For all the wonderful cuisine that has come to London
in the last generation, few restaurants rival the Met’s NOBU Restaurant
And Sushi Bar for superb Japanese cuisine and stargazing. Opened by
legendary Japanese chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, who started the first NOBU
in New York, London’s most famous faces can often be seen enjoying his
world-class new Japanese creations. With a dining room overlooking Hyde
Park that seats 150, the city’s most recognizable faces can often be
seen. With reservations preference given to hotel guests, a night at
this high-demand, world-renowned restaurant is a must for guests of the
Metropolitan.
Privileged access to the Metropolitan’s great restaurant
and bar is alone reason enough to stay here. One of the hippest martini
lounges in town, the Met Bar is a celebrity hot spot, open only to hotel
guests (who access the bar with their room key) and exclusive members.
This cult classic, a favourite among the city’s elite, is truly one of
the world’s great hotel bars: the martini list is extensive, the
interior design new-wave, and the menu features health-conscious
sandwiches, salads, and juices for lunch. Relaxed, chic, and elegant,
the chance is good that a famous face will be seated at one of the
adjacent tables or booths, making an evening at The Met more than just a
great venue for gathering with old friends.
In step with the Metropolitan’s sister resort Parrot Cay,
in the Caribbean, the Shambhala health club at The Metropolitan offers a
range of massages, therapy treatments and yoga classes inspired
by the original resort’s health club. This holistic heaven focuses its
treatment on the realignment of the body’s energies, and by shiatsu,
reflexology, or aromatherapy, that goal is easily achieved.
Step away from the chaos and bustle of the swinging capital, and melt
into an inner harmony that seems far away from downtown London.
As one seeps out of that inner refuge, revitalized, there is
a London to be discovered. Located on Old Park Lane next to Hyde Park, the Metropolitan is conveniently located in the heart
of London’s west end. Bond Street and Knightsbridge, the core of the
fashion district, is just a short walk away, while the club and theatre
district is no more than a brief cab ride through the city streets.
Enjoying one of the world’s great old cities from its most
contemporary hotel landmark seems like a contrast in style and culture,
but the Metropolitan washes out the seams of those rifts in time with
its impeccable service and style, remembering an old London even if the
décor seems too hip to remember it.
Where
to Stay
The
Metropolitan - http://www.metropolitan.co.uk
- Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB England
Tel: +44 20 7447 1000 - Fax: +44 20 7447 1100
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