We check into one of the Athenaeum’s luxury serviced apartments – perfect for both family breaks and romantic weekends away.
The low-down
The hospitable hotel team ensure guests feel like VIPs and take care of everything, from babysitting duties to organising activities.
The hotel is set up for families, as is the award-winning restaurant run by the widely celebrated Galvin brothers.
Location-wise, it doesn’t get better. You have the Royal Parks and Buckingham Palace on your doorstep, plus London’s best museums, theatres and shopping streets mere moments away.
Rooms and residences
The Athenaeum is split into rooms and residences. And though you’re right in the centre of London, the hotel offers an escape from the crowds with its calm and cosy atmosphere.
The rooms and suites are luxurious enough, though the private residences are where it’s at, having played host to many an A-lister.
The residences are larger than the rooms and offer more privacy, being accessible by their own front door or through a private passageway underneath the hotel.
Much like having your own luxury pad in Mayfair, they boast large living rooms with separate dining areas, kitchenettes, one large bedroom (plus pull-out beds for kids) and marble en-suites. Both the residences and the slightly larger townhouse residences can sleep up to two adults and two children.
Luxuries include trendy Joseph Joseph kitchen utensils, rainfall showers with ESPA toiletries, Bose mini speakers, Nespresso coffee machines and more. There’s also 24-hour room service and a daily maid.
Décor
The décor throughout the hotel and its residences blend opulence with cosiness. There are ornamental ceilings with statement light fixtures, original artworks and contemporary vases, and designer furniture with soft furnishings that not only look good but are insanely comfortable, too.
The family-friendly onsite restaurant is led by Michelin-starred chefs, the Galvin brothers.
Making a change to their usual French fine dining style, the duo serve up a ‘Best of British’ menu with ingredients carefully sourced from independent British farmers.
Think Portland crab, Brixham plaice, Orkney scallops and so on. Expect hearty, wholesome food with a dash of French finesse.
Menu highlights include the Dedham Vale beef steak tartare – a perfectly executed dish that lets the high-quality ingredients do the talking, as well as the flavour-packed Welsh rum of lamb with Ewe’s curd and potato gnocchi. For dessert, the insanely rich, perfectly constructed dark chocolate pave is a must.
Like all of the Galvin outlets, the service is five-star, and no request is too much. Breakfast receives the Galvin treatment, too, and is well worth adding to your booking.
Anything else?
The Athenaeum puts families first, with a team of nannies and babysitters and a kids’ concierge, plus plenty to keep little ones happy, including hireable game consoles and milk and biscuits at bedtime.
For grown-ups, there’s a REN spa and a 24-hour gym, as well as an elegant bar sporting a famous whiskey collection and bespoke cocktails created by a renowned Italian mixologist.
The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences – Where & How?
The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences is located at 116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BJ. For bookings or to find out more, visit www.athenaeumhotel.com or call +44 (0)20 7499 3464.