The Arch Hotel London Review

The Arch at London is a Marble Arch boutique hotel and (until now) has been a fabulous secret of Central London.

Tucked away down a residential side street, the hotel spans a number of Georgian houses and this makes the auspicious entrance easy to miss, whilst also creating a feeling of boutique exclusivity. The visitor feels like they`ve discovered a luxurious retreat amongst the madding crowds of the main tourist route.

The lobby of the hotel is immediately inviting, with an open fire and richly coloured furnishings. There is clearly a quirky ambience, created by an eclectic mix of décor in the reception area. Colours and ornaments are stylishly mismatched giving the reception area a personal feel. This is enhanced by some interesting modern art placed strategically throughout the ground the ground floor.

Staff are extremely efficient and courteous. The guided tour revealed the slightly confused feel of the ground floor layout, caused no doubt by the reconfiguration of seven Georgian houses plus two mews properties.

The well equipped gym was tucked away down a dark corridor perhaps not showing it to its best advantage. Not so for the impressive Martini lounge and library, which invite the user in to sample a drink and flick through the impressive collection of Taschen books. The masculine colour scheme combined with wood and leather is reminiscent of the 1950s and adds a touch of decadence to the feel of the hotel. This is enhanced by the exquisite Champagne lounge, Le Salon de Champagne.

The bedrooms do not disappoint, the colours are again masculine and the soft furnishings in velvets and satins contributing to the opulent atmosphere. The luxurious decadence of the Martini Lounge is reflected in the inclusion of a flat screen television embedded in the tiles of the bathroom; perfect for lying in the bath with a glass of champagne!

The location of the hotel cannot be bettered; we were able to walk to Oxford Street, revelling in being tourists for a few hours before retreating to the hotel and all its comforts.

Breakfast the next morning was among the best I`ve sampled with a vast array of continental and cooked English on offer. The freshly pressed juices were particularly good.

If you want to take in the tourist sites and then retreat not so far from the madding crowd, The Arch at London is a perfect combination of sophisticated glamour with a little bit of fun thrown in.