Chiltern Firehouse

Most famous for its impossible-to-book restaurant, Chiltern Firehouse, an André Balazs property, is a 15-minute walk north of Claridge's in the exclusive residential neighborhood of Marylebone.

• The understated yet elegant public spaces on the lobby-level and the large outdoor courtyard
• Ambiance of the restaurant, including original details such as the old fire pole
• The location in the up-and-coming Marylebone neighborhood, which is home to many independent shops and cafés
• Architecture of the Victorian firehouse building

This André Balazs property is a 15-minute walk north of Claridge's in the exclusive residential neighborhood of Marylebone. Most famous for its impossible-to-book restaurant, which opened in March 2014, Chiltern Firehouse consists of twenty rooms and six suites housed in a late-19^th-century Victorian fire station. Contrary to its façade, Chiltern’s interiors are exotically decorated, reminiscent of a member’s only club. The French design team behind the hotel, Studio KO, transformed the public spaces using floral patterns, hanging plants and bamboo and wicker furniture throughout. With large windows and a generously sized outdoor courtyard (serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in the summer), Chiltern has a uniquely airy atmosphere, a rarity in London. Guests can also order room service from the Chiltern Firehouse restaurant.

The hotel’s 26 accommodations have a different style than the lobby and instead incorporate teal, brown and olive hues in velvet fabric. While the rooms offer such interesting details as old-fashioned lamps, wind-up phones, and lavish bathrooms with claw-footed tubs (a throwback to a bygone era), the general aesthetic feels overlooked and under-designed in the grand scheme of the facility. Guests are clearly not meant to enjoy the hotel from the comfort of their rooms. Chiltern has the making to be the Chateau Marmont of London, and for better or worse, the service will probably match. There is no gym or spa, but the hotel can arrange access to one nearby as well as tennis courts.

Couples or groups of friends looking to see and be seen, or to be based in the neighborhood of Marylebone.