The Bentley, Kensington
The 64-room hotel sits on a quiet residential street, a short walk from Harrods and Sloane Street. Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace are nearby, and the V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum are in the Museum Quarter.
Spa day: a marble Turkish hammam, facials and massages at Le Kalon Spa.
Afternoon tea: the Kensington Afternoon Tea.
Date night: dinner at Peridot Restaurant, then a drink at the Malachite cocktail lounge.
Courthouse Hotel Soho
The former Great Marlborough Street Magistrates’ Court, where Oscar Wilde, John Lennon and Mick Jagger all appeared, now a hotel where Mayfair, Soho and the West End meet, with 116 bedrooms and suites.
Dinner, two ways: Soho Wala for Indian street food, or Silk, the hotel’s other restaurant, both a short walk from the West End’s theatres.
Drinks above the rooftops: the Soho Sky Terrace is the place to take in the London skyline with a cocktail.
Movie night: the private cinema, for a film without leaving the hotel.
Spa Sunday: wind down at The Lumi Spa before heading home.
Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch
A Grade II-listed former magistrates’ court and police station on Old Street, with 86 rooms and 42 suites. It keeps its courtroom features, with a playful look to match, and Shoreditch High Street and Hoxton’s markets, galleries and bars are on the doorstep.
Judge & Jury: relaxed comfort food.
The Jailhouse Bar: cocktails, or afternoon tea, in the former police cells.
Upper 5th: a rooftop looking out across the city skyline.
Movie theatre and bowling alley: a 180-seat cinema and a two-lane bowling alley, perfect for the family.
Pool and spa: with sauna and steam room, for a slower morning.
The Washington Mayfair
Welcoming guests since 1913 on Curzon Street, a few minutes from Park Lane, Green Park and Bond Street, with 178 bedrooms and suites and Madison’s restaurant and bar.
Nearby venues include the newly opened Iskender Kebapci on Beauchamp Place, near Harrods. It brings over the original Iskender kebab institution, dating back to 1867 and still family-run to this day, with a one-dish-only menu and a real departure from the usual kebab experience.
Whether it’s a night out in the heart of Soho, a late one in the east, a stay in Mayfair or a museum and spa weekend in the west, all of these are great options for a weekend away in London
