Ever been enjoying a great dinner in town and thought if only I didn't have to leave this lovely place and have to rush for the last tube or relieve the babysitter. In the first of a series, Hot Dinners checks out London's hotels where you could simply check in for a cheeky overnight instead.
About the hotel
Owned and run by Jeremy King and Chris Corbin, the dynamic restaurant duo who are also behind the likes of The Wolseley and Cafe Zedel, the Beaumont couldn't come from better food stock (pun intended).
Corbin and King's hotel looks as though it's been around since the Roaring Twenties but actually the facade is the only thing that remains of the Grade II listed garage that the hotel now inhabits. The rest is an elaborate but elegant hoax as you step back inside a lobby that wouldn't be out of place in Poirot. What The Beaumont also has, that no other hotel has, is a bedroom that is also a work of art. The Gormley Suite by sculptor Anthony Gormley is an 'inhabitable sculpture'. We still haven't managed to see inside it - it was occupied while we were there - but if you do get a chance it's apparently well worth looking at, let alone booking.
One of the great joy of staying at The Beaumont, rather than just coming here to drink or eat, is that you get some major perks as a resident. Top of those is the 1968 chauffeur-driven Daimler parked outside which will take you anywhere you want to go - for free - within roughly a mile of the hotel. Naturally we had to take this to Harrods on Sunday morning.
Checking in
You can check into the hotel from 3pm on the day you arrive. So if you're coming at the weekend, why not check in as soon as you can and avail yourself of the hotel's spa before dinner. The hammam downstairs is austerely beautiful and features a steam room, sauna and plunge pool as well as a marble hamman table for having every stress pummelled out of you and a salon for beautification. We settled for a one hour massage to ensure that every bit of the North London we'd come from was left behind, preparing ourselves for 24 hours of full-on luxury.
Our superior studio on the fourth floor (Room 48) was about 500 square feet with twin beds, a separate dressing space and a massive bathroom. We loved the way so much of what other hotels charge for is included here - so all the snacks (crisps, chocolate, even gummy bears) and soft drinks are complimentary. There's a Nespresso machine, super soft robes in the bathroom and a wealth of reading material from every glossy mag you could think of through to more enlightening material.
There's also an extensive menu of food and drink available on room service - so if you fancy a glass of wine from the Colony Grill's menu, you can just ring down and order one to be sent up.
Wining and dining
Aside from the chauffered Daimler, one of the key perks of staying here is access to The Cub Room - a resident-only lounge bar just off the main lobby. It's handy if the popular American bar here is too busy and our champagne cocktail here was spot on.
We've written before about meals at The Colony Grill Room - it won our Most Enjoyable Eating Out Experience in the 2014 Hot Dinners Awards. Having been back numerous times both to the bar and restaurant here, our dinner proved to be just as good. It's an incredibly convivial dining room - packed even though it was a sultry summer's night in the middle of August. We went old school with our main - Steak Diane, which we haven't seen on a menu for ages, and was every bit as good as we remembered. And who could fail to love the sundae menu here, even if it does encourage you to go overboard on the ordering.
After dinner we took a post prandial walk around Grosvenor Square before heading back to the hotel to bed, thanking God as the rest of London sweltered in the heat, that we'd had the good sense to book somewhere with air-conditioning.
The following day...
The Beaumont has a very relaxed attitude to breakfast, which is available until 11.30 - particularly useful if you're just doing an overnight and want to stay up late enjoying nightcaps in the American Bar. Included in the room rate is a perfectly lovely breakfast of tea or coffee, orange juice, two breakfast biscuits (scones) served with whipped butter and conserves (£9.95 to non-residents). But we wanted to try more of the breakfast menu, the best of which were the American-style buttermilk pancakes served with maple syrup (£7.75). Fresh pressed raspberry juice was also offered.
In the area
If you're trying to pack as much as you can into your cheeky overnight, there's a lot in the immediate area worth checking out. Selfridges, as we mention, is at the end of the road, and any trip The Beaumont should include a trip to their wonderful food hall. Stock up on everything from American snacks to St John doughnuts and make sure to browse the Chocolate Library.
If you're staying longer and fancy eating outside the hotel but don't want to stray far, there's Truc Vert and Roka both in nearby North Audley Street. And bang opposite the entrance to the hotel, in Brown Hart Gardens, is the rather sweet Garden Cafe.
Need to know
Frankly we'd move into The Beaumont tomorrow if we could. We loved how close it was to everything - popping out to Selfridges as our corner shop was a lot of fun. And the staff couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful. As a cheeky overnight it was perfect - the restaurant and bar here is top notch and the rooms, particularly the larger studios, are a total treat.
Our room (superior studio) would probably cost around £725 but rooms here can start from around £390 so it's worth watching out for deals.
Find out more about booking a cheeky overnight at The Beaumont.
Hot Dinners stayed as guests of The Beaumont. Prices correct at the time of writing.
