The Cavendish Hotel, London. A review

The Cavendish Hotel, London. A review

It has been the craziest start to the year.  For all sorts of reasons.  Most of them self inflicted.   So when the chance to review a hotel came up we were quite hugely excited.  “Pick a date” they said.  So we did, for half term so that we didn’t have to worry about getting home to do the school run or calling in a favour with my long suffering friend Jo.

The Cavendish is a four star hotel right in the centre of London, just off Piccadilly behind Fortnum and Masons in Jermyn Street.  It has been the Cavendish since 1836 but a hotel has been on that spot since the early 1800s (a petition for a new lease on No 81 in 1811 stated that “it has been known for many years as Miller’s House” as it belonged to Robert Miller a hotel keeper and wine merchant.

In 1911 there were three bathrooms, by 1923 there were 46 and now there are 230 bedrooms and suites, all with bathrooms, obviously.   All bedrooms come with a chilled storage unit, laptop safe, tea and coffee making facilities, 24 hour room service, flat screen TV with satellite entertainment.

It was shaping up to be my kind of hotel.

I arrived, hot foot from Hampshire, and was greeted by the Concierge with the biggest of smiles.   Call me old fashioned, by I do like it when the door is held open and even my small overnight bag is taken off me and carried to reception.   More smiles from the ladies behind the desk who had me all checked in within minutes.   It was explained that my room was on the fifteenth floor but that the lift only goes to the fourteenth so did I want help to carry my bag up the small flight of stairs.

I declined this offer as I wanted to mooch and stare out of some windows first.  I have such a thing about roof tops that all I wanted to do was look out over the London sky line as the sun set.  I could have sat cross legged in that hall way for hours.

This is the view after dark:

But I was also desperate to get into the room (though I think you will agree that the view was mesmerising).

To say it was breath taking was an understatement.   It was huge.   With windows on two sides, an enormous bathroom and every amenity you could wish of a hotel room.  Including a Nespresso machine.  I don’t drink coffee but I made one just because I could. And LOVED that there was a note saying you could call for fresh milk if you preferred it to UHT.

Mr B arrived from work shortly afterwards and after admiring the view (out of the window, not me) we set off for a drink in the bar before dinner in the hotel’s Petrichor restaurant.

Again, fabulous service, food was excellent and I truly couldn’t fault any of it.

We decided to have a nightcap in the bar and had a great time chatting to an American lady who was over from Michigan, seeing the sights.   Imploring her to do the Duck Bus before she headed off to Oxford with her daughter at the weekend.    We also mentioned our favourite restaurant in Soho and then had one of those naughty school children moments.   “Come on, let’s go there for a drink”.   It was 10.30 and a school night so we really should have gone to bed but nights in London are so rare that we did something we never get to do.  Be spontaneous.

We should probably have thought a bit more seriously about that when we arrived back at the hotel at close to 3am.   Ahem.   No wonder we slept like logs.    The bed was huge (thankfully, remember my Mrs Starfish story?  Yep, happened again but this time Mr B didn’t have to sleep in the bath) and so comfortable I didn’t want to get out of it.  Though that may have been the Ameretto hangover.

Breakfast was definitely calling us.   And that was when I realised that this hotel goes the extra mile.  Not only were the cereals, toast, pastries, cold ham and cheese,  a cooked breakfast buffet and juices but amongst those freshly squeezed juices was watermelon juice.  Freshly squeezed.   Juice from actual watermelons.   Have you ever tried to juice a watermelon?!

I was floored!

It was also great to see so many families at breakfast.   Children being permitted to let off a bit of “pre day out in London steam” without having any snooty staff glaring at them.     The hotel is geared up for younger guests with great activity packs to keep them amused and, if needed, cots and extra beds can be provided too.   I think people are often shy about staying in four star hotels with younger children but there is nothing to worried about with this one!

Tea and coffees were brought to our table and there was also a menu for other items.  I went for the poached eggs but sadly they took ages as all are cooked to order.  So instead of having them with my sausage, beans and bacon, I had them for dessert.

Other than that, I couldn’t fault this hotel.  It was magnificent.   Truly magnificent.

If we ever have to stay in London again (and if we don’t have to I will make sure we need to) this is definitely where I will come.

And in fact I might be spontaneous and just book it for the hell of it

We were guests of the hotel for the purposes of this review.   However, it is our honest opinion and in no way biased because it was a freebie trip.

Photo of Jermyn Street courtesy of Shutterstock