The Metropolitan London, London, United Kingdom
The Metropolitan London 5 Stars
"Cool, minimal rooms with Hyde Park views and a hotspot restaurant have made this trend-setting London hotel an industry icon."
Hotel Overview
Review of The Metropolitan London, by Isabel Clift
The Metropolitan is the fashionable little sister of London's luxury hotel clan. Though it pulls all the right moves to blend in with the established crowd (smart Park Lane address, monolithic spaces, discerning clientele), it still remains the coolest namedrop of the lot. Celeb endorsement of the very (separately) successful restaurant and bar can't have hurt, but the majority of clients are loyal on their own stead.
Clutter-free, thoroughly modern interiors please business high fliers and a weekend party crowd, while sexy skyline views remind of the hotel's good pedigree.
The facilities
Rare for a hotel of its size, there's a real buzz about the public spaces. While Nobu serves its Michelin-starred Japanese cuisine to a faithful crowd of foodies and fashionistas, the Met Bar surprises as a versatile all-day space that's - shock - not all about the canapés.
Open to non-members until 9pm, the booth-lined bar reinvents high tea with Afternoon Delight - a scrummy yet health-conscious alternative to a long-standing institution. Nibble on bread-free sandwiches and tuck in to cake treats made with fruit sugars and low-fat crème fraiche. Those after something naughtier can sample Iced Tea Martinis or choose from a selection of seasonal Eco-Tinis. To ease your conscience, most things are organic and locally sourced.
The rooms
Sumptuous white suede bedcovers in all 150 rooms show the hotel's dedication to its minimalist aesthetic. White, picture-free walls are offset by purple carpets and contemporary desks and beds, while technological treats come in the form of free Wi-Fi, CD/DVD players and flat screen TVs.
If you can't quite splash out on one of the top floor suites with wraparound London views, we recommend a studio - they overlook the park, have expansive floor space and come with iPod docks as well as all the standard tech goods. Open the wardrobe in any room to find complimentary yoga mats and jogging maps of Hyde Park.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Rooms
150Awards
Michelin star (Nobu); Conde Nast Traveller Gold List 07 and 08Who stays here?
Kate Moss, Madonna, Kelly Osbourne, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Cameron Diaz, Kylie Minogue, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.
Come for...
- The professional, efficient, Armani-clad staff
- The sumptuous spa
- Great Hyde Park views
Not Suitable for...
- Slobbing out in the lobby with a book
Children
The hotel offers extra cots for children and has interconnecting rooms for families. They also leave teddy bears and chocolates in rooms with advanced notice.
Eating in
Nobu is a scene-stealing restaurant, where rock stars in attention-seeking shades lunch on deservedly famous sushi alongside media moguls and Knightsbridge shoppers. The Met Bar still swings; Peaches Geldof DJs and A-listers prop up the bar, swigging some of London's best cocktails.
The Press Say
"This 150-bedroom temple of design, owned by the COMO group, is close to Hyde Park Corner. However, the real star attraction is Nobu, the celebrity-studded restaurant of legendary chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa." Conde Nast Traveller 08Reviews
Review of Metropolitan, by Joanna Monkhouse
When the Metropolitan first opened, it was the first new hotel along the prestigious strip of Park Lane for 20 years. Contemporary in attitude and styling, it prides itself on the friendliness of the Armani-clad staff and their high service level, as one would expect by their numbers - they buzz around in droves.
The facilities
Where the Metropolitan excels is in its restaurant and bar. A table at Nobu is still one of the hottest in town after years of deserved adoration. The new Japanese cuisine is sublime and the much feted black cod does live up to its expectations. The hip Met Bar, seductive and womb-like with its subtle lighting, mural by Basquiat, ice-cool bar and extensive cocktail menu (featuring 26 different martinis) is for Metropolitan guests and private members only.
Breakfast is served a la carte in the White room which can also be used for private parties. Concierge can recommend and secure reservations for the hardest-to-book restaurants, club guest lists and theatre tickets. There is a COMO Shambhala Urban Escape in the basement: perfect for a full pampering experience with steam and treatment rooms, a huge shower and well-equipped gym.
The rooms
Pared-down yet comfortable in decor, the spacious 150 rooms sport stylish fresh flowers, cream walls and well-made wooden furniture of simple lines. A banquette with cushions in calming colours offering views of the city or over Park Lane to Hyde Park (double glazing effectively kills the traffic noise) are a delight as well.
The Metropolitan's penthouse suite has fabulous views over London from walls of windows in the salon, the bedroom and from both the shower and the freestanding bath. Bathrooms are not quite as spacious as the rooms merit but are by no means cramped. Marble, wood and large mirrors cover the walls, combination bath/showers grace the majority (only 10th floor has separate), all are supplied with delightful Shambala products, specially created for the sister hotel Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos.
Someone has given the rooms here, and their contents, much thought. There is admirable attention to detail (a joggers' map of the park, adaptable lighting, great in-room facilities, multiple phone lines, ISDN). The goose down duvets is the softest, lightest, warmest you have ever had the pleasure to sleep under and the mini-bar has a wide and enticing selection (including rice cakes for the model, hangover kit for the party animal and aromatherapy candle for the chill seeker). Also, the am/pm yoga programme is free (yoga mats can be requested from front desk).
The Metropolitan's clientele is a mixture of hip, pleasure seekers and business travellers who value style as much as amenities. The atmosphere resembles that at the Montalambert in Paris - with the chic, young staff and their enthusiastic service, designer style and high comfort.