London: Where to Stay: Grand: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

This wonderful Knightsbridge institution, with its views of Hyde Park, was taken over by the Mandarin Oriental group in 2000. Mandarin brought its Asian standards to bear on the service, and now the hotel compares to the best in London—but what really got the buzz going was the bar and the spa. The Mandarin Bar has become one of the coolest places to meet for a drink after work or before or after dinner; its sleek stools and sitting corners seem to be constantly draped with pretty young things in Jimmy Choo heels. Maybe even hotter than the bar scene, though, is the Mandarin Spa. An afternoon appointment for one of its Asian-influenced mind-body-spirit rituals immediately became one of the toughest reservations in town and remains so. When I last stayed there, two years ago, I found the very traditional room decor a bit at odds with the chic of the bar and spa but was impressed with the service and loved the central location. If you have a few minutes free, you can dart across to Harvey Nichols for a quick fix of cool Britannia shopping. Double rooms from $611.

Update: A major construction project is underway just next door to the Mandarin, so unless you don’t mind drilling and hammering noises, you may prefer to hold off staying here until the work is finished.