The Lanesborough, Oetker Collection

The Lanesborough, Oetker Collection Overview

Look, I’ve stayed at my fair share of fancy London hotels, but The Lanesborough honestly caught me off guard – and that’s saying something for a place that’s been around since the 1990s. Walking up to Hyde Park Corner, you can’t miss this Regency-style building that looks like it should have horse-drawn carriages pulling up front (which, knowing this neighborhood, probably happens more than you’d think). The thing is, while plenty of hotels try to do the whole “historic grandeur” thing, this one actually nails it without feeling like a museum you’re afraid to touch.

What really gets me is how they’ve managed to make everything feel both ridiculously luxurious and somehow… livable? I mean, the staff remembers your name after one night, which should feel over-the-top but doesn’t. The rooms – well, calling them rooms feels wrong when you’ve got hand-painted silk wallpaper and marble bathrooms bigger than most London flats. But here’s the thing most people don’t mention: the windows are actually soundproof enough that you forget you’re literally at one of London’s busiest intersections. You know how Hyde Park Corner is absolutely mental with traffic? Inside, you’d never know. The afternoon tea situation is proper serious business here too – I watched them wheel out these silver trolleys that looked like they cost more than my car, and honestly, the scones lived up to the presentation.

The location thing is what really sealed it for me though. You’re literally across from Hyde Park (I’m talking a 30-second walk to Speaker’s Corner), Harrods is basically next door if that’s your scene, and you can walk to Buckingham Palace faster than most people can get an Uber in this area. But what I actually loved was being able to cut through the park to get to Kensington or pop over to Belgravia for dinner without dealing with the Tube. The concierge team seems to have connections everywhere – they got me a last-minute table at a place I’d been trying to book for months. Sure, you’re paying serious money for all this (I mean, we’re talking Mayfair prices), but sometimes you just want to stay somewhere that makes you feel like you’ve got your life figured out, even if it’s just for a few nights. Plus, the bar downstairs makes a martini that’ll ruin you for everywhere else.

The Lanesborough, Oetker Collection Accommodations

Facilities