Step into the Rosewood London, where opulent Edwardian charm meets modern luxury, featuring swanky rooms, a chic bar, and fabulously artistic afternoon teas.
"The afternoon tea at the Rosewood in Holborn includes cakes inspired by different artists. At the moment, you can find desserts inspired by John Booth, like a painter's palette vanilla cheesecake covered in raspberry brush strokes, and a two-sided sticky toffee pudding to portray his experience of being a twin. The whole thing goes down in a beautiful mirror-filled room, so consider bringing the narcissistic, art-loving person in your life. Everyone has one of those." - Team Infatuation
"With their first foray into London, Rosewood has created not just a magnificent new hotel but a whole new neighborhood: 'Midtown', previously known, without any of that implied New York spunk, as plain old Holborn. Yet the location is extraordinary, starting with the most unexpected of courtyards, like a mini Somerset House, from which a kind of country-house vibe emanates—a country house, however, with a tremendous sense of wit and panache. The style of the interiors is difficult to characterize, by turns demure and decadent, muted and glossy, traditional and contemporary. The overall effect is dazzling. The perpetually jammed Scarfe's Bar and the elegantly elongated Mirror Room are at either end of an exquisitely lit bronze corridor that insulates the lobby from the outside world. The Holborn Dining Room, run by Calum Franklin, adds a lively brasserie buzz. Sitting outside in the courtyard terrace in summer with a glass of something chilled is a joy. Price: Rooms from around $778 per nightAddress: 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7ENClosest tube station: Holborn" - Condé Nast Traveller, Steve King
"A private residence added to the hotel for exclusive stays."
"The Rosewood London has brought a neglected Edwardian pile back to life—the Mirror Room is fabulous—but it’s also helped put Holborn back on the map for Londoners. The most fun you might have at this hotel is with your entrances and exits—both require skipping across an expansive cobblestone courtyard formerly used for horse-drawn carriages, a reminder of the hotel’s grand origins. The vibe here is unrestrained luxury for traditional taste buds: Communal spaces are all marble and mahogany with a neutral color palette, and the crowd is a mature, tasteful set with plenty of cash to spare. There are four restaurants, but the one meal you really shouldn’t miss is that quintessentially British dish, a pie, consumed on a plump red banquette seat in the Holborn Dining Room." - Nicholas DeRenzo, CNT Editors
"How did it strike you on arrival?Central London hotels are often squirreled away, Alice in Wonderland-style, behind nondescript front doors. Not the Rosewood. The arrival here, on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, elicits the same gasps as would winding up at a country manor house. The building used to be the unexciting-sounding headquarters of Pearl Assurance, but its style is more Downton Abbey than insurance agency—an archway leads underneath the columns of an ornate façade before opening out into a grand Edwardian courtyard. What’s the crowd like?The vibe here is unrestrained luxury for traditional taste buds—communal spaces are all marble and mahogany with a neutral color palette that won’t scare the horses. And the crowd is to match—a mature, tasteful set with plenty of cash to spare. You’re just near the Inns of Court, so you might find judges sipping gin by the fire in the snug Scarfes bar, and foodies tripping through for the city’s best pies (more on those later). The good stuff: Tell us about your room.Even the smallest rooms are spacious by London standards, and all have room for a king bed and a little table and chairs. Décor is elegantly monochrome with humbug-striped carpeting and interesting touches such as Shakespeare quotes engraved in the glass-topped tables. The Manor House Wing is the only suite in the world with its own post code, and it's larger than the average house, with five bedrooms, six bathrooms and its own private elevator. We’re craving some deep, restorative sleep. They got us?The beds are wrapped in baby-soft Rivolta Carmignani Italian linen. How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that find its way into your suitcase?The iPod/iPhone docking station and sound system is a nice touch, as is the Nespresso coffee machine and salon-quality hairdryer. Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.Bathrooms showcase more marble, and all but a handful have room for a tub, in which you can marinate in the most English of toiletries: DR Harris has been selling lavender and lemon scented bath products in London since the 18th century. Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?Free. Room service: Worth it?There’s a satisfying selection of comfort food to be devoured in bed. Lobster macaroni cheese costs $37. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.There are four restaurants but the one meal you really shouldn’t miss is that quintessentially British dish, a pie, consumed on a plump red banquette seat in the Holborn Dining Room. Chef Calum Franklin’s work-of-art pastries are so good that the hotel has opened the Pie Room, making perfect, glossy sausage rolls and pork pies to take away. On another note, the spa gets busy so be sure to book ahead if you fancy a treatment. What was most memorable—or heartbreaking—about your stay?An 11 p.m. pre-bed pie is worth the trip in itself. Bottom line: worth it, and why?The price tag is painful but this crowd-pleaser will impress your mother-in-law, your boss, and even pop stars like Bieber (who has stayed here)." - Laura Goulden
