THE Cafe Royal hotel in London, UK, recently unveiled six luxurious historic suites – the Empire, Dome, Club, Celestine, Tudor and Marquis.
Spanning over 200 sq m, Empire Suite is the largest in the collection, featuring golden-hued walls, mirrors supported by ornate gilded griffins and grand windows with views over Regent Street. The spacious living room features a Sienna marble dining table, velvet sofas and leather armchairs while the bedroom boasts an additional living space, walk-in wardrobe and study. The Carrara marble bathroom has a rainfall shower, and oversized bath.
The Dome Suite sits on the sixth floor at the very top corner of the hotel and is the ultimate rock n’roll suite featuring a ming-green bathtub and DJ booth. Two spacious terraces offer views over London including Westminster, Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus.
The Club Suite pays homage to Café Royal’s French heritage. In the living area, red and gold gildings frame bold blue moulds of the changing faces of Napoleon. The empirical scene is further set by the golden Sienna marble dining table and deep red seating.
Named after the wife of Daniel Nicolas Thevenon, founder of the property, the Celestine Suite successfully combines a sense of grandness with intimacy while the Tudor Suite celebrates the Elizabethan era with an original Tudor fireplace and Jacobean symbols on the walls of the living area.
The Marquis Suite’s space centres on an original Blomfield-esque fireplace complemented by soft yellow hues and a Sienna marble dining table while the bedroom features rusticated Portland stone mirroring the Regent Street façade.
The hotel was originally conceived and set up by a French merchant Daniel Nicolas Thevenon in 1865. In 1972, the property was bought by David Locke. The hotel closed down in December 2008 and re-opened as a contemporary, luxury hotel in December 2012, marking the first phase of its long awaited return to the capital. The revival of this legendary institution has been the culmination of a four-year transformation under the direction of David Chipperfield Architects and has seen Café Royal hotel join the Conservatorium as the second hotel of The Set.
Combining architectural heritage with contemporary design, Café Royal hotel features 159 rooms and suites, an array of bars and restaurants and high-tech meeting and event spaces. Guests will soon be able to unwind in the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre.
At the heart of the hotel, the Ten Room offers British informal all-day dining while The Bar revives absinthe cocktails in memory of famed patron Oscar Wilde. The Café pays homage to the European café culture while the jewel of the hotel is the exquisitely restored Grill Room. This iconic space, once the preferred haunt of Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor and Mick Jagger, is now the place to enjoy champagne, cocktails and a light menu.