Inside London's luxury 5 star hotels

(19 Mar 2020) LEAD IN
2020 has seen London named the five-star hotel capital of the world.
19 hotels were awarded the top rating by the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide.
But despite dropping tourist numbers amid the virus outbreak, hotel managers say they remain optimistic.

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Springtime - this British garden inspired lobby is in the oldest hotel in London.
Designed by esteemed hotelier and interior Olga Polizzi it forms the central point of Brown's Hotel in Mayfair, which is one of six new London hotels to be awarded 5 stars in the Forbes Travel Guide.
Known as the Oscars of the travel industry it looks to recognise "genuine five-star service".
And for the second year London has been named as the city with the most five-star hotels, now totalling 19 in all.
"London is perhaps the most competitive city. It has a huge number of five-star hotels. The eclectic mix of international and national travellers that are so discerning and require such a high level of service is why London will always strive and achieve the style of service that Forbes has awarded us for," explains Managing Director of Brown's, Stuart Johnson.
Brown's was established in 1837 and has seen many famous faces walk through its doors since then.
"History is part of Brown's DNA, not only being the oldest hotel, we've been visited by a huge number of luminaries over the years. Yes literary, art, fashion, luxury goods. We're sitting in the Kipling Suite, named after Rudyard Kipling. He penned The Jungle Book whilst he was staying at Brown's and we have a letter of provenance of that," says Johnson.
Also recently renovated by Polizzi, prices for the Kipling Suite start at 6,500 British Pounds per night including VAT.
But while London is enjoying its five-star crown the tourism industry is facing one of its biggest challenges of modern times following the coronavirus outbreak which has swept the world.
According to UK Hospitality, which represents more than 700 businesses, first quarter hotel occupancy has fallen 15 per cent this year, with forward bookings across hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars down 50 per cent.
Johnson insists that Brits are "resilient" during difficult times, adding:
"We are safeguarding our team members and taking all the precautions that we possibly can in relation to the government's rulings. And we are actually continuing to have a healthy business, down on this time last year as one would expect."
Along with Brown's, other new five-star additions to the Forbes Travel Guide are the Four Seasons Hotel London at Trinity Square, The Berkeley, The Egerton House Hotel, The Milestone Hotel and Residences and Rosewood London - whose Manor House Suite is so enormous it actually has its own postcode and boasts a huge circular bathtub made out of a single piece of marble.
Like Brown's, The Milestone Hotel and Residences in Kensington also has an impressive history.
"We call it an English mansion hotel. There's a huge sense of history here. It's been a hotel since 1922 so we very soon will be celebrating our centenary. But it's not always been a hotel, it's been a private house, it's had a wonderful sense of place in history," explains its General Manager Andrew Pike.
And The Milestone even has members of the Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - or William and Kate - as neighbours:
As the hotel prepares to celebrate its centenary it's taking guests back to the roaring 20s with an Art Deco inspired afternoon tea, with handcrafted pastries which reflect five of its newly refurbished suites, including the stunning emerald green Hermes Suite.

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