That London’s Egerton House Hotel should be the first hotel named a LivingWells Icon will not at all come as a surprise to anyone who has had the distinct pleasure of a stay at this regal and historic property secreted away in the bosom of eternally fashionable Knightsbridge. Located just steps away from Harrods, Harvey Nichols and a gaggle of London’s smartest eateries, the Egerton House is, as I have often described to friends and acquaintances, elegance personified.
It has always been my contention that the very best boutique hotels are so identified because they excel the contrivances of a traditional hotel stay, however pleasurable, to create an exceptionally personal experience to which guests develop a unique attachment. It is primarily by this measure that the Egerton House Hotel earns its stripes as an icon in my humble estimation.
Since my first stay at the Egerton some eight years ago, I have considered the hotel which, through the end of the 19th Century, served as the former private residence of everyone from consorts of the royal family to a breadth of London’s wealthiest residents, my personal home away from home in London. In fact, rarely have I visited London in recent years and not spent at least a single night in one of the hotel’s exquisitely appointed, individually decorated rooms where antiques mix with original works of arts with a grace and harmony that many contemporary five star properties have unfortunately eschewed in favor of a more minimalist, less timeless look. It is for this reason that I never request a particular room or suite at the Egerton House, as hunkering down in a different room on each successive visit offers something new to marvel about and thereby keeps the experience fresh.
While many memories are made at hotels, few hotels are, in and of themselves, responsible for making indelible memories in the way that the Egerton House does. For instance, London is simply not London to me without a Martini prepared by the Egerton’s Head Barman, Antonio Pizzuto, a legend in his own right with whom I have found myself bantering into the wee hours of the morning about the London he has witnessed over the course of his 40-year career behind the bar at not only the Egerton House, but also those of some of the city’s most esteemed and highly-regarded establishments. It is these kinds of special connections with characters like Antonio and so many other members of the staff that are germane to making a stay at the Egerton such a singular experience.
It is the fact that I often crave the house Caesar Salad that I inevitably order upon arrival at the hotel, the way in which I compare the breakfast service at every other hotel I visit to that of the Egerton House, and the recognition that of all the hotels I visit around the world, few possess the ongoing compelling allure of a home in the genuine way that is the hallmark of the Egerton House, that underlines my frequent praise and recommendation of the hotel.
My endorsement of the Egerton House could fill a volume, but suffice it to say, that because of its quintessential Britishness, its unparalleled service and attention to detail, the 28-room Egerton House Hotel is a titan among London hotels and for that reason a LivingWells Icon.
The Egerton House Hotel is part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. For more information or to make a reservation visit: www.redcarnationhotels.com.
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