The Beaumont Lobby
I generally don’t recommend a hotel unless I have stayed; friends and clients giggle at my five star travel as an utter perk and rarely believe that it is work! Moving hotels with the amount of luggage I schlep isn’t a piece of cake, wouldn’t you rather unpack and spend five nights in one hotel? My self-imposed standards of evaluating a property provide a deeper perspective of what takes place behind the scenes of a stunning facade.
The Beaumont in London is a perfect example. This newish luxurious, five-star Mayfair hotel has 73 rooms, of which 23 are studios and suites. Confession – I am not an Art Deco devotee, however, my recent visit to The Beaumont gave me a greater appreciation for Deco Design. I am besotted with the staggering devotion to detail Jeremy King observed in his quest for perfection, matching the invented backstory for his hotel. The fictional character, Jimmy Beaumont, was an entrepreneur who left New York in the 1920s at the height of prohibition. Wanting to replicate a classy New York style London hotel, he opened an establishment, a speakeasy in Mayfair, London paying tribute to the Art Deco aesthetic of the classic New York hotels and restaurants he loved. The Beaumont Hotel was born. A beguiling story behind The Beaumont incites intrigue, I’m fascinated by the craft of storytelling and the art of incorporating a mythical story into designing and building a posh hotel.
The Colony Grill Room At The Beaumont
Highly regarded London restaurateurs Jeremy King and Chris Corbin opened this stunner in 2014 to praise and high regard; it has garnered several industry awards, impressive in their first run in hotel hospitality. The Beaumont is marvelously situated on a sleepy garden square, easy walking distance to luxury shopping, museums and galleries in Mayfair, St James. A grand Art Deco style of the glamorous 1920’s has been replicated; yet, the hotel is intimate and very welcoming from the moment you arrive. The decor doesn’t intrude, a brilliant combination of first class service, delicious dining, and the attention to detail in the furnishings all combine to provide a first class luxury hotel experience, period perfect.
Seamless style and old world aesthetics are apparent in every room and public space – the art collection alone is worth a visit! I had just enjoyed the Picasso exhibit at the National providing a quick refresher in a particular period of art. Over 1500 pieces of a curated collection assembled by Jeremy King and his wife Lauren Gurvich add to the ambience. Don’t let old world aesthetics fool you; 21st century technology provides new world comfort.
The Beaumont
Upon arrival, it is impossible to miss the enormous statue leaning forward from the facade. An art installation created by Antony Gormley is a massive introduction, a message in itself, that there is something magical and special about this hotel. In reality, it is a suite known as ROOM, the website explains it better than I could: a dark, mysterious, cave-like space, its creation allowed the artist to ‘sculpt darkness’, encouraging the occupant to enter a different state of consciousness, to enjoy at the very least a meditative pause, and the chance to withdraw, for a while, from the busy world outside.
The Beaumont overlooking the Gardens
All the rooms at The Beaumont have been designed in a soft Art Deco style, with a purist’s eye for delicate and pertinent detail without sparing a modicum of guest comfort. Spacious rooms with comfortable period furniture, massive wardrobes for unpacking, enormous bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, large rain showers for those who don’t subscribe to soaking. Do visit the spa, it is spare and glamorous and truly satisfying! Separate post on my experience. http://www.gwenbooks.com/tag/the-beaumont-spa/
Ask our Number One client about the Presidential Suite; he has been upgraded to this suite several times! The Beaumont’s presidential suite, which can be opened up to incorporate five bedrooms, evokes the glamorous era of the great transatlantic liners of the 1920s and 30s. With an expansive sitting room and a separate dining room seating eight, plus a pantry kitchen and a guest bathroom, it features cream lacquer paneling, brass inlaid details and parquet timber floors throughout. Subtly patterned silk curtains, hand-made rugs and period antiques and artworks create a discreet and elegant setting. Hugely versatile and supremely comfortable, the suite has a large terrace offering uninterrupted views towards the City of London, and can be opened up to include up to five bedrooms, incorporating the entire fifth floor of the hotel, in total privacy. Dear client does send appreciative texts with photos of his friends enjoying proper cocktails warmed by a roaring fire. And no, I did not stay in this suite, it was occupied on my visit!
Complimentary for all guests: The Cub Room, Continental Breakfast comprising coffee, tea, orange juice, scones, preserves, WiFi, local & national landline calls, Nespresso coffee, teas, soft drinks, snacks in-room, in-room movies, local drop-offs in the hotel’s vintage Daimler. Owning several vintages cars in my life, this was a very special treat for me!
Cub Room The Beaumont…best seat in the room!
The Cub Room at The Beaumont
Dining: I’ve extolled the secrets of The Colony Grill Room in a separate post. Old school dining, professional waiters, I loved the Petrale Sole which included a masterful presentation of removing the fish bones, the Bearnaise Sauce was divine! Colony Grill Room is intimate and provides superb people watching…late diners seem to be locals, good to know it has been adopted by locals, always a good sign! The American Bar is a very cozy, pub like atmosphere with elegant overtones, do nibble the exceptional tuna tartar; and the barman’s Rye Manhattan is scrumptious! http://www.gwenbooks.com/2017/02/the-beaumont-the-colony-grill-room/
The Cub Room is a bar and lounge for the exclusive use of hotel residents and their visitors. Enjoy toasty hot muffins and scones as a complimentary brekkie – solitude with a rack of papers, how better to commence the day? Peckish from an afternoon of walking the neighborhood, saunter in for tea, snacks (crisps?) and cocktails. The Cub Room is also enhanced by excellent art, snuggle into the comfy leather club chair in the far back left corner for full perspective. The painting may remind you of a cubist Picasso, quite mesmerizing. Oh, on the Deco bar to the left of my chair are interesting photos, is it Jimmy & his mother?
The Beaumont
The magic of a unique enthralling story is more than well told at The Beaumont, backed up with elegant perfectly balanced interiors, fine dining, relaxing spa and truly exceptional staff, I highly recommend a visit. Bouquets to Jeremy King and Chris Corbin on this impressive undertaking. Be drawn into the narrative and experience the lux life of the successful legendary fictional character, Jimmy Beaumont. His spirit abounds in every aspect of this fine hotel.
The Beaumont London
Our clients are excessively spoiled by the warm and charming GM, Jannes Soerensen.
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