Baglioni Hotel London

West London has never been short on top-flight luxury hotels, especially around Knightsbridge, Kensington and Hyde Park. What’s unique about the Baglioni is that it’s so, well, Italian — posh and decadent, almost comically over-the-top, yet without a shred of irony, marked by none of the whimsy and lightness you’ll find in many of London’s home-grown luxury hotels. Country house style is nowhere in evidence, nor is the icy minimalism that elsewhere passes as high modernity — here the look is unashamedly opulent, in the rich textures of ebony, velvet, gold leaf and black lacquer.

The guest rooms are dark, masculine and romantic, like something from a vampire movie, with black wood floors, rich striped upholstery, king-sized beds piled high with plush bedspreads and Frette linens. In-room amenities include not just the usual flat-screen television and wireless internet but espresso machines as well, and the bathrooms are expansive, decked out in black marble, metal basins and yards of mirrors.

A well-equipped spa and fitness center round out the package, and the hotel’s restaurant serves haute Italian cuisine to guests and visitors alike. Many of the Baglioni’s charms lie outside the hotel, in the surrounding neighborhood — Hyde Park is steps away, as are Royal Albert Hall and the surrounding museums, not to mention some of the West End’s finest shopping, including Harrods.

How to get there:

The Baglioni Hotel is an 8-minute walk from the High Street Kensington tube station. If you’re arriving from Heathrow Airport, the most convenient transfer option to central London is the Heathrow Express train, which leaves Heathrow Airport every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes to arrive at Paddington Station. One-way fares are available from £18 and round-trip fares from £32. By black cab, The Baglioni is approximately a 45-minute ride from Heathrow Airport (depending on traffic) and can cost upwards of £50.

• 68 Rooms
• Style: Modern Design
• Atmosphere: Lively
• 20 Guest Reviews

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