I’m seated in the back of a Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II EWB, en route to The Peninsula London. It’s one of 13 vehicles in the hotel’s fleet, which also includes a hybrid Bentley Bentayga, a BMW i8, LEVC taxis, and two vintage gems: an Austin taxi and a 1930s Rolls-Royce Phantom Sedanca de Ville. Each is dressed in the hotel’s signature green, with interiors swathed in burnt orange leather and burled walnut wood.
Sitting atop the hotel’s hierarchy of accommodation – and what’s awaiting my arrival – is The Peninsula Suite, billed as one of London’s most impressive stays. Having opened in September 2023, the hotel was more than 35 years in the making, following a long search for the perfect site that would expand the group’s portfolio. Whispers about whether the suite lives up to the hype and high standards the brand represents have been circulating (after all, when decades of planning are involved, expectations are naturally sky-high.) But no media title had been granted access to stay – until now.
Stay
The suite occupies the entire sixth floor with sweeping private terrace views of Hyde Park Corner. Floor-to-ceiling bulletproof windows hint at the caliber of guests, said to include presidential and royal visitors, though exact names remain closely guarded. It's also rumored to have been the setting for Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall’s wedding in December of last year. Designed by Peter Marino (the celebrated American architect behind Andy Warhol’s former home, Louis Vuitton’s Rodeo Drive flagship, and Dior’s Paris boutique) it nods to the calming palette of the neighboring Royal Parks while weaving in Peninsula’s signature Asian touches. Yet, for all its pedigree – the meticulous fit-out took over a year – it feels surprisingly conventional. The finishes lean heavily on a traditional, ‘suite-like’ aesthetic that is slightly dated (or at the least, conservative) for a property of such ambition.
Nevertheless, its scale is undeniably impressive, spanning 5,059 sq ft and extending to an extraordinary 13,993 sq ft when connected to seven adjoining rooms – making it the city’s most expansive private accommodation. By comparison, the suites at The Langham, The Lanesborough, and The Savoy are around 4,800 sq ft. The Peninsula’s comprises two living rooms – the largest featuring a baby grand piano, telescope, and fireplace – a formal dining room, study, multiple bathrooms (six, to be precise – rather more than is required for an occupancy of three), a master bedroom, and dedicated staff quarters with a fully-equipped kitchenette.
His-and-hers dressing rooms – the former clad in deep, moody walnut; the latter in light, airy birch – offer all the trappings of usual home comforts, though only hers comes with a Dyson hair styler (his has a slightly less considerate light-up mirror.) Both lead into the suite’s two largest onyx bathrooms, with a spa-like bathtub, walk-in showers, and separate toilet cubicles equipped with flat-screen TVs and smart lids that rise on cue. For guests staying only one night (as I’m told many do), the dressing rooms’ full grandeur is largely theatrical: butlers have previously spent two hours unpacking wardrobes for a visit that barely sees more than three outfits get worn. But perhaps that’s the point.
Down the hall, a small private gym is complete with free weights, mats, and a stair climber, all of which can be swapped out at a moment’s notice if your workout whims change. Meanwhile, the 13-seat cinema room – the suite’s most delightful surprise – is ideal for entertaining. Requests, from film choice down to the flavor of popcorn, are handled by round-the-clock butler service.
For those arriving to the suite by private jet or helicopter, pickups in the fleet can be arranged from Farnborough or Biggin Hill, with guests driven straight into the hotel’s garage and lifted upstairs via a discreet VIP elevator.
Dine
The two-Michelin-star rooftop restaurant, Brooklands by Claude Bosi, is playfully aviation-inspired, with interiors paying homage to the Concorde – a nod, I’m told, to the hotel owner’s passion for aviation. Outside, I’m greeted by the original nose of the aircraft suspended from the ceiling, and inside the theme continues in finer details: the carpet traces the flight paths pilots once used to coordinate journeys between London, France, and New York, while the dining chairs are styled to resemble Concorde seats. The menu showcases British ingredients with French technique – Kabiari Oscietra in shimmering duck jelly, tender Oxfordshire venison, and guinea fowl complemented with razor clams.
Opposite the restaurant, Brooklands’ bar extends the same nostalgic theme into motorsports, taking its name from the legendary Surrey racetrack where British racing began. Sip a Spectre beneath the glass chandelier mimicking the blades of a Rolls-Royce turbine engine, or peruse a collection of artefacts celebrating Brooklands’ history, displayed in glass cabinets, between drinks.
Downstairs, Canton Blue charts a maritime course between East and West, taking inspiration from the Keying junk – the 19th-century trade ship that once bridged the two worlds. The Cantonese menu, with its extensive dim sum selection, doesn’t disappoint: fan favorites include wok-fried Wagyu ribeye glazed with honey, garlic, and black pepper, and stir-fried rice noodles tossed with Peking duck, best consumed with chopsticks in hand.
Wellness
Occupying the lower ground, the spa and wellness center is generously proportioned, with seven treatment rooms, four thermal suites, a 82 ft indoor swimming pool (equipped with underwater speakers so even the most committed lap swimmers can enjoy the spa’s tranquil soundtrack), and a 24-hour fitness studio – should the suite’s private gym fail to impress. Even four-legged friends get pampered here: pups can enjoy a full groom, a teeth-cleaning session, and a facial – because why should humans have all the fun?
The hotel is a partner with vitality experts Ricari Studios, whose tech-forward, non-invasive treatments focus on circulation and lymphatic flow. For my 90-minute session, I slip into a skintight body suit and connect to a large machine that resembles a polite, mechanized octopus, its many arms methodically working over my body to ‘wake up’ my lymphatic system. I then don a heavy-duty compression suit designed to flush out toxins. Some guests undergo this treatment daily, my therapist notes – and while the results are hard to argue with, I’m not quite ready to pledge allegiance to the octopus just yet.
Explore
The hotel enjoys a prime city location in the heart of Belgravia, just steps from London landmarks such as Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park Corner, and Wellington Arch. The neighborhood itself is full of independent boutiques, from Turkmen Gallery, a family-run textiles business, to Bayley & Sage, a fresh-produce store, and Rachel Vosper’s boutique for artisanal candles.
Those who prefer to stay in can make use of the hotel’s cigar lounge – a treat for aficionados with a humidor stocking 27 Cuban brands alongside select new-world smokes. The temperature is carefully maintained between 66°F and 72°F to preserve the quality of the sticks which line the room’s walls. For serious collectors, rare boxes are on display, including the one-and-only 1966 Cohiba, priced at £50,000 (approx. $66,000) – best enjoyed on the terrace.
