AS I check in at the Hotel Café Royal a member of The Set Collection, the lobby’s oversized Murano chandelier catches my eye as it dazzles in the sunlight.
While sipping my welcome glass of champagne, I can’t help but notice the designer-clad clientele wondering through the lobby. This hotel oozes refinement and is steeped in history since its inception in 1865, welcoming illustrious guests of the past, including Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde, David Bowie and Princess Diana to name a few.
This property, with its 159 guest rooms and suites, is positioned in the most central location in the capital’s Regent Street, adjacent to the restaurants in Soho, the art galleries in Mayfair, and the buzz of Theatreland. It is the perfect destination from which to explore all that London has to offer from early in the morning until late at night.
The gilded swoon-worthy regal central staircase entices its visitors to dispense with the lift. Each of the guest rooms are furnished with neat, contemporary and minimalistic furnishings in tranquil colour schemes, complimented by Carrara-enrobed grey marble bathrooms with rainfall showers, stone sunken bathtubs, and his & hers sink units.
The bright hues of the plentiful Etro amenities add a pop of colour, which when opened, infuse a satisfying fragrance to our room. Our grand junior suite’s floor-to-ceiling triple-glazed windows, dressed with automatic curtains, provides an exciting view towards Piccadilly Circus – such a treat when waking in the morning to soak up the silent view before the daily commuters and effervescent tourists arrive.
The Set Collection’s three founding member hotels, Hotel Café Royal in London, Lutetia in Paris, and Conservatorium in Amsterdam, have joined forces with Therabody, the innovative leader in wellness technology products, which originally established the hand-held massage device, Theragun.
Their current range of products includes devices designed to treat a range of physical ailments for the relief of stress and tension, and to enhance recovery after physical exercise or training. The Therabody treatment menu is available in the dedicated Therabody Suites in each of these hotels or alternatively, massages and facials can be carried out in the comfort of guest suites, offering a private and bespoke experience.
I head down to the Akasha spa and swim in the 60-foot heated indoor pool before my facial. The sound of therapeutic acoustics seduces me into a relaxed state in the Therabody Suite, where Sascha, my skilled therapist, explains how the TheraFace device will aid my treatment.
As I lay on the heated bed, I succumb to her expert manual facial massage using U Beauty creams and serums whereby she then enlists the help of the Theraface device that omits satisfying microcurrents to tighten my skin. I eventually depart an hour later not only feeling refreshed, but literally glowing which, together with a stay here, genuinely makes my day.
by Amanda Bernstein
Hotel Café Royal, 68 Regent Street, London W1B 4DY
+44 207 406 3333 enquires@hotelcaferoyal.com