The Peninsula London, with its £1,300-a-night rooms, is a ‘universe of absolute luxury.’ Is is worth the hype?
First things first: if you have to ask how much, it’s not for you. You can mock all you like. Given the weird dystopian time we live in, when you need to scan your receipt to get past security in Sainsbury’s, news of a five-star hotel opening in London with the cheapest room starting at £1,300 a night might be something of a surprise. The Peninsula is closely followed by Raffles at the Old War Office, with second Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood London hotels due in the next two years, plus a St Regis, and a fourth opening from the Maybourne group, which owns Claridge’s.
But here we are, and here it is, and it’s really busy. When I was there last week, almost every table in the lobby was occupied for the £95-a-head afternoon tea, with Peninsula-branded champagne flowing, and tables laden with dishes of green-pea mousse topped with Oscietra caviar and incredibly sculpted edible honey pots filled with crème brulee, pineapple and bee pollen.
The Peninsula in London has hit the ground running, powered by international guests who are obsessed with the brand. Like Taylor Swift and her tickets, they can name their price: there’s more demand than supply and no one involved in this food chain cares if you think it’s exorbitantly priced.
But, while this is a universe of absolute luxury, it’s also one of genuinely good taste. Peter Marino has created a sober interior that looks grown up. It reminds me of the Tokyo Peninsula – where the decor is chic but timeless; a little retro, even. There are marble bathrooms galore and everything is high-tech to the point of science fiction, but there are also low-key landscape paintings by artists from the Royal Drawing School. All the doors are heavy. Everything feels like it cost an absolute fortune.