I was unsure what awaited me inside the Marriott County Hall Hotel. The highly considered bespoke finish of a boutique hotel rarely finds its place in a world renowned hotel chain with over 500 lodgings, and as we so often find in anything with huge mass appeal, the gatekeepers of your gourmet dining privileges, of your unequalled balcony view in your equally resplendent suite are often either sleeping, or not alive at all.
And so, pleasant surprise when, upon arrival we found that our suite looked out onto the Thames, the river below lit up with reflections of London’s most famous landmarks; Big Ben’s clock tower, Houses of Parliament and the impeccable silhouette of Westminster Abbey. So, to lay it out, this is quite simply one of the best views of the city, and possibly the most tranquil one outside of the Lake District – the commuters and tourists seeming so far away – a trump card for any inner city hotel. As you turn back to the room itself, you are greeted with the ultimate in traditional comfort and modern technology. The two king-sized beds, swathed in Egyptian linen, and the expansive sofa area, each with a plasma screen for a multiple viewing experience.
Down the corridor, there’s the newly refurbished gym, the 25 metre swimming pool and the spa for those that want to look drop dead gorgeous. On the way, one notes that although the contemporary features are plentiful, they do not detract from the overall vintage feel that weaves its way through the hotel. Nearly a century old and having endured quite extensive refurbishment, the building still houses a wealth of original features; not least the library where we had a rather unusual evening meal, surrounded as we were by both the grand and the understated – the open fireplace, period decor and original floor to ceiling bookcases which enclosed either side of our table, with the light-imbued gift of one moonlit river floating by just outside.
The waiter, both charming and attentive, served the delicious three course meal – appetising courses coming one after the other with light and fluffy crab cakes, fresh smoked salmon, beautiful cuts of lamb and beef, and a scrumptious, melting chocolate soufflé – not forgetting some altogether sumptuous winter cocktails, including spicy apple and a classic Aston Webb Collins.
And so, after a very British meal, in very British surroundings, and a very calming sleep spent in crushed linen, we decided it was time to leave, quickly finding ourselves among the crowds on Westminster Bridge, only then realizing just how great an escape this hotel offers, how peaceful are its quaint corridors, how uncanny its objet’s du desir, and how profitable even one night away from city mania is to the mind, soul, and spirit.
London County Hall
Westminster Bridge Road
London, SE1 7PB
