"Comfortable and quintessentially English, the five-star townhouse borders a leafy garden square in the heart of the capital city."
The Draycott Hotel is tricky to find, as it’s tucked away in the maze of roads behind Sloane Square that are all called Cadogan Gardens. It’s a relief, then, to open the door to a luxury hotel that’s as welcoming as the fatly overstuffed sofas in the sitting room, which opens into a green and lovely garden square. This room is a wonderful place to come for tea, which the hotel serves free to all residents at four every day. Tea comes in pretty china pots, with biscuits, and without any ridiculous tail-coated Ritz-esque formality. This is followed up with champagne, served to residents at drinks time, and hot chocolate, served before bedtime. How thoughtful!
The facilities
The tone at this luxury hotel is traditional English with an emphasis on comfort and personal service. Sofas come in Laura Ashley prints, washed satin and velvet; there are pleasant landscapes on the walls and occasional touches of fun – a riding hat on the hat-stand and urns full of apples at the doors. There are also beautiful pieces of furniture scattered through the hotel – here an enormous polished walnut dresser, there a leather wing chair.
The Draycott hotel offers a full concierge desk (run by an employee of 15 years’ standing!) and prides itself on personal, ‘bespoke’ service. It is an excellent choice for families, not only because of the gardens and kitchenettes but because it offers single rooms with bunkbeds, adjoining doubles and suites. The hotel also offers some excellent children's packages with good rates and add-ons such as PlayStations and baby-sitting. It is also worth checking for other imaginative package deals, such as the Shopping Package, which involves a private car, a personal shopper and a five-hour spending spree in London’s best.
The rooms
The Draycott hotel has 35 rooms, of which 11 are suites and six are singles. Rooms are named after famous British characters connected with the stage, from Sheridan to Carroll to Gilbert and Sullivan. (Each room has a biography of the personality in question, or their collected works, among the collection of immensely readable books).
Suites are spacious, high-ceilinged and extremely well-appointed in traditional style and soothing colours and fabrics. Some have separate sitting rooms, some come with kitchenettes; many have fireplaces. Amenities are five-star, from classy marble bathrooms to in-room air-conditioning. There are beautiful Edwardian features in ceiling decorations and high, handsome windows. Some rooms have balconies overlooking the gardens.
Star rating:
Address: 26 Cadogan Gardens, London, England, United Kingdom, SW3 2RP
View rooms
Address: 26 Cadogan Gardens, London, England, United Kingdom, SW3 2RP
Booking info
Arrival:
Thu 21 Aug 2008
Departure: Fri 22 Aug 2008
No. adults: 2
Departure: Fri 22 Aug 2008
No. adults: 2
Check Availability
Who stays here
The Draycott draws boardroom tycoons and big-name celebrities (from Pierce Brosnan to Gene Wilder) who like the sense of discretion, the home-from-home feeling and the quintessentially English atmosphere.
Come for
- The cherry trees in Cadogan Gardens
- Wonderfully spoiling service
- Family holidays in London
Not suitable for
- Those who do not need excellent service
Children
The hotel welcomes children and has a babysitting service. They can provide an extra cot in the room, and the interconnecting rooms are very suitable for families. The hotel staff will leave toys and books for kids in the room with advanced notice.
Eating in
Luxurious room service only, though you can have fully-catered parties or business lunches in one of the private dining rooms. Afternoon Tea with biscuits baked by the owner's wife, champagne and nibbles in the evening and late-night hot chocolate are all free to guests
