Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

"Close your eyes. Imagine yourself in a high-ceilinged room, there’s a violinist in the corner playing renditions of Taylor Swift, and the smell of jasmine fills your nose as a server quietly pours your tea. Now stop imagining and head to The Rosebery at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. The elegant tea room inside a fancy Knightsbridge hotel is our favourite afternoon tea spot when it comes to sandwiches. Coronation chicken sandwiches are nicely spiced and generously filled, while truffle egg numbers have you ordering another round immediately—which is encouraged. Flavours are on point and while you’ll have a favourite, we’d happily eat any of them again. The excellent scones are warm and buttery, and while the desserts look like a work of art, the flavours can be overpowering. Even so, the calming music in the background, comfortable sofas you’ll want to spend hours in, and those hauntingly good sandwiches make this worth a visit. photo credit: The Rosebery at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park" - Rianne Shlebak

"From £85 per person Imagine a high-ceilinged room, with a violinist playing renditions of Taylor Swift, and the smell of jasmine filling your nose as a server pours your tea. At The Rosebery at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, that’s exactly what you’ll get. The elegant tea room inside a fancy Knightsbridge hotel is our favourite afternoon tea spot for sandwiches. Coronation chicken bites are nicely spiced and generously filled, and you’ll want to order another round of the truffle egg—which is encouraged. The excellent scones are warm and buttery, and while the desserts look like a work of art, the sweetness can be overpowering. Even so, the calming music, comfortable sofas, and those hauntingly good sandwiches make it worth a visit." - rianne shlebak, eileen twum

"The Queen learnt to dance in the ballroom of this splendidly florid pile. A great deal has changed since then. There's now an award-winning, state-of-the-art spa, zeitgeist-y restaurants by Daniel Boulud and Heston Blumenthal, and perpetually packed bars (not one, not two, but three, and all terrific in their very different ways). In June 2018, straight off the back of the biggest refurbishment in this Hyde Park hotel’s history, a major roof fire kept the hotel closed for another 10 months. Reopening in April 2019, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park retains elements of its gentler, more cosily traditional past, but with interiors that have had a modern makeover, and are significantly lighter and brighter. Meanwhile, the clippity-clop that rises faintly from the Hyde Park side as horses from the Household Cavalry make their way past the hotel never gets old. Price: Rooms from around $1,182 per nightAddress: 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LAClosest tube station: Knightsbridge" - Condé Nast Traveller, Steve King

"Best for: quick access to the park Closest tube station: Knightsbridge There are few things more fascinating to children around the world than Buckingham Palace’s Changing of the Guard. This formal ceremony, which sees marching soldiers dressed in bear skins and scarlet uniforms, is right on Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park’s rather imposing doorstep. As is its namesake, get ready for an inner-city oasis: acres of fountains, wild meadows, and swans, which are always a hit with families. Back in the hotel, interiors riff on the park’s bucolic scene with botanical carpets and vast framed nature prints. Complimentary extras for little guests run the gamut from mini umbrellas to cots and beds that cleverly fold out like origami. Once children have exhausted splashing around in the enormous indoor pool, it’s off to Harrods’ fourth floor (a treasure trove of toys mere seconds away) or Zuma, once the babysitter is settled into the interconnecting room." - Rosalyn Wikeley

"The Mandarin Oriental continues to donate meals to frontline workers, which are delivered to hospitals by Critical NHS volunteers. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Team Infatuation